THE COST OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS Study finds merger would save millions › 9 TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
XAVIER DOLAN RETURNS Filmmaker’s latest project hits TIFF › 19 #727 SEPT 6, 2012
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XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012 TORONTO’S GAY& LESBIAN NEWS
Roundup #727
ADAM COISH
SEPT 6, 2012
SUMMER SALE UPTO
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Parkdale provisions In the first of a new series on food and beverage hotspots, Xtra sent a team to Parkdale to find the burgeoning neighbourhood’s best coffee shops and burger joints. ›7&17 NEWS
OUT IN THE CITY
REGULARS
Farzana Doctor
Xavier Dolan
The local queer writer has been nominated for a Toronto Book Award. Her latest offering, Six Metres of Pavement, is set in Toronto’s Brockton Triangle neighbourhood. ›9
The Quebec wunderkind’s new film, Laurence Anyways, will screen at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Xtra chatted with Dolan in Montreal, where he dished on his love life, achieving success at a young age and being snubbed at this year’s Cannes festival. ›19
Comment ›6 Xcetera ›7 Xposed ›21 Index ›27 Classifieds ›27
Riding redistribution splits Village Some Toronto residents are worried that changes to federal election ridings could split the Church-Wellesley Village in half, diminishing the gay community’s political voice. Xtra investigates what the amendments could mean at the federal, provincial and municipal levels. ›12
COVER STORY
Golden boy Tawiah M’carthy’s new show, Obaaberima, straddles biography and fiction. The emerging artist’s struggle to understand life in Canada after moving here from Ghana is just one theme in this coming-of-age story that opens Sept 15. ›15
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Toronto’s gay & lesbian news
XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
editorial › feedback › debate
Comment Russia’s gay gag INBOX Editorial Andrea Houston
W
E ARE WATCHING A revolution unfold in Russia. This is a revolution against religious and political oppression. It is a fight for gay liberation, women’s rights and free speech. Depressing news about post-Soviet Russia seems to surface daily. The latest: anti-gay activists are suing Madonna for $10 million for “offending” them during her Aug 9 concert, where she declared her unwavering support for gay rights. “Maybe someone does not see the link but after Madonna’s concert maybe some boy becomes gay, some girl becomes lesbian, fewer children are born as a result and this big country cannot defend its borders — for me it causes moral suffering,” one of the activists said. Russia’s “war on gays” is not new. Homosexuality was illegal in the former Soviet Union. After it fell, gay sex was decriminalized in 1993, but virulent homophobia continues to run deep. St Petersburg introduced a gay gag law in February, making it a crime to say anything positive about gay and lesbian people. Four other cities followed suit. Neighbouring Ukraine introduced, then shelved, its own legislation in July. Gay rights activists in Russia have long attempted Pride marches, but they are continuously met with police violence — rainbow flags are confiscated and demonstrators hauled away. A former mayor of Moscow, Yury Luzhkov, referred to gay pride events as “satanic gatherings.” Moscow’s top court recently upheld a ban on gay pride marches in the Russian capital for the next 100 years. It is as absurd as it is terrifying. How is the Canadian government responding? So far with deafening silence. The closest the government came to any kind of condemnation was to advise Canadians travelling to Russia in March to “avoid displaying affection in public, as homosexuals can be targets of violence.” In other words, if you get attacked in Russia for acting gay, you have only yourself to blame, according to our Department of Foreign Affairs. Unlike our wimpy elected officials, the Canadian people have not been silent. Many of us have joined a growing global chorus singing a punk prayer with the women of Pussy Riot, who were sentenced to two years in a Siberian prison on Aug 17 because
they belted out an anti-Putin protest song inside an iconic Moscow cathedral. Russian prosecutors claim the song was intended to offend the Orthodox Christian community. The three band members were convicted of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred.” What’s the Canadian government’s response? On Aug 20, when Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird was asked about the issue, he couldn’t even bring himself to utter the band’s name. “We believe in every part of the world of sentencing having some relation to the serious nature of the crime,” Baird said. “Obviously, there’s, I think, widespread concern that this was perhaps too much and there were perhaps political considerations. We support around the world independent judiciaries, and we certainly take note of what’s happened.” The statement followed news that the band may have a Canadian connection. Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova reportedly holds permanent resident status in Canada. If Tolokonnikova is Canadian, then Canada must step in. Is the Harper government afraid to rock the boat given its already rocky relationship with the Kremlin? Meanwhile, in the wake of Madonna’s concert, Russian authorities say they, too, want her punished for speaking up for gay Russians. The deputy prime minister called her a “whore.” In Russia, gay activists are fighting back, and it’s important that we support them. All eyes will be on Russia in 2014 when it hosts the Sochi Winter Olympics. Russian authorities have already made it clear that queer people are not welcome. In March, a Russian court upheld the government’s ban against Pride House, which was pioneered at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics as a place of celebration and refuge for gay athletes and asylumseekers. The court ruled that Pride House “leads to propaganda of nontraditional sexual orientation which can undermine the security of the Russian society” and provoke “social-religious hatred.” If an athlete comes out during the Sochi Olympics and speaks proudly of being gay, will Russian authorities haul him or her away for upsetting the fragile sensibilities of Orthodox Christians and Vladimir Putin? It is nothing short of an international embarrassment. Andrea Houston is staff reporter for Xtra.
“The outcome that we seek is this — gay and lesbian people daring together to set love free.” Xtra is published by Pink Triangle Press, at 2 Carlton St, Ste 1600, Toronto M5B 1J3.
Del Newbigging MR NEWBIGGING WAS AN inspirational teacher, artist and friend [“True to Form,” Xtra #725, Aug 9]. He will be missed but never forgotten. Karl Mount Albert, ON XTRA’S SPREAD ON THE Alexander Wood statue and the description of Molly Wood’s bush has got me thinking. California’s film industry is known as Hollywood; India’s film industry is known as Bollywood. Couldn’t, shouldn’t Toronto’s and Canada’s film industry be known as “Mollywood” instead of Hollywood North? Try running this name by the TIFF crowd; see if it takes. Duff Scott Toronto, ON
Gary Paterson I WAS SO PROUD TO BE standing on the floor of the general council when Gary was named our new moderator [“Gay Minister Is New United Church Moderator, Xtra #726, August 23]. To hear and see the cheers and applause when he embraced his partner onstage made my heart melt. I am so proud to be a part of this church and am excited to see where Gary will lead the church as we move forward. This is truly a sign that God’s love and grace extends to everyone. Evan Smith East York, ON AT T E N D I N G R E V E R E N D Gary Paterson’s church in Vancouver has reignited my spirituality, social conscience and community involvement. The Bible was written by men, hundreds of years after the rebellious, socially conscious Christ died. Religion has been corrupted by men and women into a dogmatic power structure, rife with discrimination and war. This is not at all what Christ was about. So you want to limit “Christianity” to so-called traditional hateful values? You can have it. People today are more educated and open-minded than they were 2,000 years ago. Congratulations to Reverend Paterson. The country and United Church will be better for his leadership. Elsie Vancouver, BC
Attorney general on HIV THE ARTICLE QUOTES AN academic supporter of Tim McCaskell as saying that one of their strategies is to stop young gay men from complaining to police when they find out that their sexual partner lied to them about their HIV status, or failed to disclose their HIV status, before having unprotected anal sex [“Ontario Attorney General Snubs HIV Group,” Xtra #726, August 23]. I assume this pressure tactic would
THE IRON CURTAIN IS GOING BACK UP RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES, AND CANADA IS DOING NOTHING.
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.
apply to other sexual assaults. Based on his past tactics with AIDS Action Now and QuAIA, Tim McCaskell and his cronies in the local AIDS establishment should be prevented from harassing young gay men in the same way that they harass other people with their protests. For example, in the past, AIDS activists have personally attacked complainants in the media and have phoned them at their homes. This harassing behaviour should not be supported by the broader LGBT community. Jake Toronto, ON
National Post ad IF THE NATIONAL POST WAS really remorseful towards the trans community, they would have given money to the trans community in the first place, end of story [“Egale Will Not Disclose Donation Amount,” xtra.ca, Aug 28]. Furthermore, if Egale was a true ally of the trans community, they would have declined this donation and recommended that the money be sent to trans organizations, such as the East Coast Trans Alliance and Newfoundland Patient Association for Transsexual Health. Jennifer McCreath St John’s, NFLD
comment
The amount of a contribution from a large organization should be public knowledge. There’s a huge difference between releasing the amount received from such a public screwup and releasing individual donation information. —Meg Fenway London, ON (on Facebook)
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS “LGBT.” I do wish that we could stop using this ridiculous contrivance. It was silly when it was invented and it is silly today. LGBs are defined by sexual orientation, and the overwhelming majority of them are not trans. Trans people are defined by gender identity, and the overwhelming majority of them are not gay. These are two separate groups. We can be friends and, when it makes sense, we can be allies on certain issues. But gays do not form a singular “people” or “community” with trans people. That a handful of unelected activists concocted LGBT for ideological reasons doesn’t make it a valid concept. Egale owes nothing to any trans activist group. Good for them for accepting the donation and respecting the confidence of the donor. Further, when Xtra runs these stories about trans issues, it should be made clear that they are stories about a non-gay allied group, comparable to a story about the labour movement or the environmental movement. James Heron Toronto, ON
Human rights in Russia TO VOICE T H E P ROP E R reaction to civil rights violations, Harper’s government will be first in line [“Russia’s Powerful AntiGay Movement,” xtra.ca, Aug 21]. Of course, this doesn’t apply to gays. We are an abomination to the Evangelical community. We are sub-human, not worthy of any consideration. Our rights don’t matter. He knows few of us will ever vote for him, so he ignores our concerns. Myles MacLean Verdun, QC C A N A DA SH O U L D B E ashamed! The iron curtain is going back up right before our eyes, and Canada is doing nothing. Shame! I believe there should be a boycott of the Winter Olympics in Russia. Paul Hill-Macrae Toronto, ON
School merger THE ARTICLE QUOTES QUEER Ontario’s Nick Mulé as calling for financial transparency from Egale. That’s pretty hypocritical coming from Queer Ontario, which accepts donations from the public but does not publish audited annual financial statements on its website. I only give to non-profit organizations and charitable organizations in the LGBT community that provide financial transparency by publishing audited annual financial statements on their websites — so anyone can see how they use the monies they receive from the public. Anthony Toronto, ON
GREAT ARTICLE [“ONTARIO School Merger Would Save Millions: Study,” xtra.ca, Sept 2]. I’m the Green Party candidate in the Vaughan by-election and a committed advocate for merging the Catholic and public systems. It would save more than $1 billion annually in administration, facilities and transportation while increasing funds available for teaching, eliminating faith-based discrimination, greatly reducing diesel fuel emissions and strengthening communities. I can’t believe the teachers are chanting NDP now that McGuinty has forsaken them. Teachers should be the first ones to stand proud with the Greens for quality fair education. They are educators, right? Paula Conning Orangeville, ON
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XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
noteworthy › updates › ephemera
Xcetera THE MAP
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Rustic Cosmo Café 1278 Queen St W Small coffee: $1.65 Specialties: $5 Fridays (beer — they have a liquor licence!), $3.95 grilled cheese
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The Boreal Gelato Café 1312 Queen St W Medium coffee: $2 (add gelato for $1.50) Specialties: organic, fair-trade and locally roasted coffee
7
The Mascot 1267 Queen St W Medium coffee: $1.75 Specialties: arts-based; half the café is used to display art and sell local arts magazines
Stampede Bison Grill 5 Brock Ave Beef burger: $4.75 Specialties: most toppings, from goat cheese to hot sauce
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Coffee Time 1402 Queen St W Medium coffee: $1.57
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Capital Espresso 1349 Queen St W Medium coffee: $2 Specialties: gay-friendly! (and they distribute Xtra . . . brownie points)
Sizzling Grill 1468 Queen St W Homemade burger: $3.99 Specialties: choose your own toppings
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1480 Queen St W Medium coffee: $1.33 Specialties: location now offers WiFi
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Cowbell
Ground Level Café 1496 Queen St W Medium coffee: $1.75 Specialties: employs youth with limited skills, experience and education; provides mentoring and youth- and community-based programming
Jason’s Coffee Shop 1498 Queen St W Medium coffee: $1.15
15
Parkdale Breakfast Bar & Grill 1449 Queen St W Banquet burger: $4.75 Specialties: choose your own toppings
Tim Hortons
The Sister
16
Queen’s Donuts 1449A Queen St W Medium coffee: $1.25
1554 Queen St W Gourmet “Sister” burger: $12 Specialties: newly refurbished back patio, live music every weekend 1564 Queen St W Gourmet “Cowbell” burger (+ fries/salad): $18 Specialties: showcases locally and ethically produced foods (“farm to fork” philosophy)
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The beef, and buzz, in Parkdale Go local or go home. Located in the city’s west end, Parkdale is known for its close-knit community orientation and penchant for all things local. Naturally, this neighbourhood is overflowing with independent food vendors. Xtra scoured the neighbourhood for its best coffee and burger joints. For more on this story turn to page 17.
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Compiled by Erica Lenti & Sofia Mikhaylova Jinks Art Factory 1664 Queen St W Medium coffee: $2.55 Specialties: tattoo parlour in the back, coffee shop in the front; 10 percent off hot drinks if you bring your own mug
The Big Guy’s Coffee Shop 1718 Queen St W Medium coffee: $2 Specialties: $1 Americanos; summer specialty menu
Poor John’s Café 1610 Queen St W Medium house blend: $1.75 Specialties: all organic, shade-grown and birdfriendly coffees purchased from local roasteries
COVER GIRL
Pinball Café 1662 Queen St W Café latte: $3 Specialties: Toronto’s only pinball café! Uses fair-trade and certified organic coffees; gluten-free options
THEN & NOW FIRSTCOMICSNEWS.COM
ROYAL HEADLINES 1997: Fifteen years ago Princess Diana died in a car crash. At the time, Xtra looked back on her legacy, discussed her status as a gay icon, and praised her charity work with Casey House, a Toronto HIV/AIDS hospice.
XTRA ARCHIVES
WONDER WOMAN FACEBOOK
2012: Nude photos of Diana’s son, Prince Harry, were released to media and created an international scandal. In a show of solidarity, British soldiers took to Facebook to post pictures of themselves saluting naked. — Jeremy Feist
She’s got a popular reality-TV show and a couple hit albums under her belt, and now drag superstar RuPaul has her own comic book from Bluewater Productions. As part of their Female Force series, the group will look back on RuPaul’s life. No word yet on what her superpower is, but if we had to guess . . . tucking? — Jeremy Feist
BREAKING NEWS › CANADA WORLD YOUTH SEEKS QUEER FAMILIES › HATE MEME CREATOR CONFESSES › COUNTING PRIDE ATTENDEES › TIFF OFFERS SEX, STARS AND A SCANTILY CLAD ZAC EFRON › ACTIVIST KATE BORNSTEIN ON SCIENTOLOGY MORE AT XTRA.CA
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Toronto’s gay & lesbian news
XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
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XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
9
dispatches › issues › opinion
Upfront LITERATURE
BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU WILL HEAR THE GOVERNMENT SAYING HOMOSEXUALS ARE TERRORISTS.
Ugandan activist Richard Lusimbo › 11
IN MEMORIAM
Farzana Doctor nominated for award Rob Salerno SIX METRES OF PAVEMENT, BY QUEER author Farzana Doctor, has been selected as one of five finalists for the Toronto Book Award, which celebrates authors and books that are evocative of Toronto. “I was really honoured,” Doctor says. “The book is inspired by the neighbourhood that I live in, Brockton Triangle, so to be nominated for a Toronto-based award made me thrilled.” The book tells the story of three neighbours whose damaged lives intersect as they slowly come to care for each other despite their differences of background, class, race and sexual orientation. Ismail, a South Asian man, is consumed by guilt over his baby daughter’s death;
REMEMBERING DEL The artist who sculpted the statue of Alexander Wood at Church and Alexander streets died of cancer Aug 23. The statue was adorned with flowers in honour of Del Newbigging, who was recently profiled in Xtra. ADAM COISH For more information, visit xtra.ca.
EDUCATION
School merger would save millions: study Andrea Houston Farzana Doctor’s second novel is set in Toronto’s Brockton Triangle neighbourhood. VIVEK SHRAYA
Fatima is a young queer activist who’s been kicked out of her parents’ house; and Celia is a Portuguese-Canadian widow. The Toronto Book Award winner will be announced Oct 11 at the Bram and Bluma Appel Salon at the Toronto Reference Library. The finalists each receive $1,000, and the winner takes home another $10,000. The nomination is just the latest honour for Six Metres of Pavement, which was awarded the Lambda Award for Lesbian Fiction in June. It’s Doctor’s second novel, after her 2007 book Stealing Nasreen. Doctor says she’s been able to devote herself to her writing on a part-time basis as a result of Stealing Nasreen’s success. She’s been selected as writer-in-residence at North York Central Library, a position she’ll hold through the fall. She’ll spend her residency offering workshops for emerging and aspiring writers and reviewing manuscripts. For more on this story, visit xtra.ca.
Six Metres of Pavement is published by Dundurn Press and is available as a paperback or e-book.
SOME ONTARIO PUBLIC-SCHOOL TEACHERS are furious that they are being asked to shoulder the burden of the province’s debt while it continues to fund a separate Catholic school system. “It just makes no sense,” says Geraldine Turkoski, a middle-school French teacher in Grand Erie. “Why do we have two school boards if [the province] doesn’t have any money?” Turkoski was one of thousands of public school teachers who took part in a massive demonstration at Queen’s Park Aug 28. Teachers were protesting controversial proposed legislation that saw MPPs return to work two weeks early to consider a freeze to teachers’ wages and cuts to their benefits in order to battle the province’s $15 billion deficit. Some Ontario teachers are threatening workto-rule action, which could put extracurricular activities and clubs, including gay-straight alliances, at risk. This concerns Christopher Mckerracher, who has been fighting for a GSA at his Mississauga Catholic school for more than a year. “This does worry me because students who want to start a GSA may not be able to get the faculty support, or best faculty support, that they could,” he says. “I don’t disagree with their intention, but their motives could seriously hurt some students.” Education Minister Laurel Broten, who declined to speak to Xtra, has repeatedly said the harsh measures are necessary. But a recent study found that huge savings, as much as $1.5 billion, could be found by eliminating the separate Catholic school system. The study’s author, William J Phillips, is a past president of the Federation of Urban Neighbour-
hoods of Ontario, a former school board trustee and a past executive director and secretary treasurer of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association. “For years I asked, ‘Why do we waste all this money?’ We have to do some draconian things to save money in education right now . . . cuts that affect student activities,” he says. “We wouldn’t have to do that if we just merge the boards. Ontario simply can’t afford Catholic schools anymore.” The Elementary Teachers’ Federation (ETFO) agrees. At its August annual general meeting in Toronto, members voted unanimously to declare support for one secular school system for both official languages in Ontario. For some gay teachers in Ontario, there is another very good reason to eliminate the separate Catholic system: many fear losing their jobs because of their sexuality. “Every year, during the last two weeks of summer, I start to experience anxiety,” says a gay Toronto-area Catholic school teacher who asked to remain anonymous. “I’m not sleeping well. I get agitated. Going back into the closet every year has an effect. It’s always hard going back . . . Being a teacher doesn’t stop [when the bell rings]. We have to be fearful 24/7.” In addition, Catholic students have been refused GSAs and continue to be taught from guidelines that state gay people are “disordered” and “depraved.” After Ontario passed the antibullying Accepting Schools Act in June, some Catholic officials and parents vowed to fight its implementation. Phillips, who used Ministry of Education budget numbers for his study, says it’s important to make the distinction that his figures are based on a “merge,” as opposed to an “amalgamation,” words that are often incorrectly used inter-
changeably. Catholic boards have long made the argument that few savings would come from an amalgamation. Phillips says merging would take Ontario from four boards to two: secular English and secular French. “That would immediately reduce the number of trustees,” he says. “Think of a company merger. When a merger happens, companies save a lot of money. They get rid of a lot of duplication.” NDP budget critic Michael Prue, who has been a vocal proponent of a merger, says Phillips’ calculations “seemed to make sense.” When economist Don Drummond released his report on cost savings for cash-strapped Ontario in February, some pundits were surprised there was no recommendation to eliminate the separate school system. Prue says that behind the scenes many pushed hard to remind Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty of the “enormous” potential savings that could be gained by eliminating Catholic boards. “My understanding is Don Drummond was told that under no circumstances could he do anything on this particular issue. That order came from the premier’s office,” he says. “There was not even a single sentence.” When reporters asked Drummond why cutting Catholic schools was not being considered, he replied, “Because of the Constitution issue.” That answer doesn’t sit well with teachers now being forced to accept a wage freeze. However, the Liberals aren’t alone. All three major political parties have slammed the door on discussions about modernizing Ontario’s school system. “The NDP position is to do nothing at this time, and I am bound by that,” Prue says. “Many are deathly afraid that even mentioning this issue would cost votes.”
10
Toronto’s gay & lesbian news
XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
ONTARIO NEWS
Trespassing charges laid against 25 men in Durham
2 25TH ANNIVERSARY A ANNIVER E VEN EVENTS
HONOURING 25 YEARS OF SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITIES.
September 11th 6pm–8pm
S AR
YE
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COMMUNITY APPRECIATION EVENT Churchmouse and Firkin (475 Church). Join PWA in our efforts to acknowledge and honour the incredible support of key community partners who have helped raise awareness and many hundreds of thousands of dollars in community donations over 25 years. Learn more about partner groups and their community activities. Help celebrate The Imperial Court of Toronto’s (TICOT’s) 25th anniversary.
Making a positive difference.
JOB OPPORTUNITY Sponsorship & Business Development Account Manager Xtra, Canada’s leading gay and lesbian newspaper, has an immediate opening for a Sponsorship and Business Development Account Manager. You have a proven track record in sales, promotions and community relations. You are an aggressive self-starter who gets things done. You have demonstrated leadership skills and are ready to direct your energies toward successfully promoting Xtra to foster relations with community organizations and expand our base of advertisers. You will promote and provide access to Xtra, increase our visibility in the community, and manage and expand our associations with community groups and readers. You will coordinate sponsorships and Xtra’s participation in community events, as well as develop and execute promotions and new projects. You will increase advertising revenue by expanding our customer base, particularly beyond traditional markets. You relish the challenge of making a sale and understand that selling is not a clock-punching job. You understand that success in advertising sales is about constant account development and that prospecting and calling on new clients is a daily task. To read the full description of this position and details on how to apply, visit the Jobs section of xtra.ca.
CANADA’S GAY& LESBIAN NEWS
October 12th 7pm The 519 MOVIE NIGHT & DISCUSSION Join us for a screening of John Greyson’s ZERO PATIENCE (1993) followed by a panel discussion.
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JOB OPPORTUNITY Daily Xtra Editor-in-Chief Dailyxtra.com, a new website to be launched this year by Pink Triangle Press to replace xtra.ca, needs an editor-inchief who will develop and lead a team of reporters, editors and video producers located in multiple cities. Possessing exceptional people-management skills and strong editorial judgment, you have a proven track record in recruiting, managing and motivating a successful team of journalists and content producers. Guided by our mission, you will grow our online audience of 1.5 million with an engaging mix of information, analysis and entertainment that will turn casual browsers into daily visitors. You will expand international content and create engagement opportunities for an international audience. You have an exceptional understanding of social media and will harness their power to create and promote content. Experienced in digital platforms, you can produce engaging and entertaining multimedia journalism that includes written, video and audio stories, podcasts, slide-shows and interactive graphics. You will train and lead Daily Xtra journalists to use these and other resources to engage visitors and readers with varied forms of storytelling. To read the full description of this position and details on how to apply, visit the Jobs section of xtra.ca.
YOUR GAY & LESBIAN NEWS SOURCE
DURHAM POLICE HAVE CHARGED 25 men with trespassing in a conservation area in Whitby, after complaints from locals of “nudity” and “lewd acts.” Constable Gord Fleming, of Durham Regional Police, says the complaints were of men “exposing themselves or participating in sexual acts.” Fleming says the charges span four days during the week of Aug 12 to 18. “It’s amazing how many people can gather quickly.” The names of the men are not being released, and Fleming does not know their ages. “There was a complaint of people engaging in sexual activity. As a result, officers went down there to investigate. They try to be proactive, so they laid charges for trespassing instead. If they were caught in a lewd act [the charges] would be different.” The Lynde Shores Conservation Area is a popular cruising spot listed on several gay cruising websites. On squirt.org, it’s listed as a cruising place since 2000. Squirt.org users say the paths at Lynde Shores are a good place to “meet older factory and office workers on breaks and old horny men.” — Andrea Houston
Egale will not disclose National Post donation amount HELEN KENNEDY, EXECUTIVE director of Egale, will not reveal the amount the National Post donated to the queer rights organization after the newspaper pulled a “Stop Corrupting Children” ad placed by the Institute for Canadian Values during the fall 2011 Ontario election campaign. Kennedy says she does not want to breach the tacit privacy agreement between Egale and its donors. “I’m not in a position to reveal what individual donations were to Egale,” she says. “If you donated to Egale in trust, would you want that given to a paper?” A representative from National Post’s advertising department says a full-page black-and-white ad would cost about $45,000, less if the advertiser has a contact with Post Media. Kennedy says the donation was much less than $45,000. Nick Mulé, chair of Queer Ontario, says a coalition of about 10 groups released a statement following the publication of the ad. “The coalition was formed to express our anger to the ad itself and how offensive it was,” he says. “I think the donation should have been shared with the coalition. Why all the secrecy? Why is the amount not being shared? Whose interests are being benefited? In a coalition, there needs to be transparency.” Kennedy says the money was directed to Egale’s trans programming. — Andrea Houston For more on these stories, visit xtra.ca.
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XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
INTERNATIONAL Richard Lusimbo (second from right) joins other activists in Uganda’s first Pride parade in August.
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Marching in step Canadian groups team up with queer Africans to envision a better future
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Jonathan Valelly FOR BETTER OR WORSE, THE INcreasingly tense situation for sexual minorities in Uganda and elsewhere in Africa has become a closely monitored news item for many human rights watchers in the West. This spotlight on the widespread criminalization of homosexuality and human rights abuses in many African countries has forced diplomats and activists to ask what they can do to support queer people in countries where discrimination is not just pervasive, but also legislated. One answer comes from Canadian activist and documentarian Nancy Nicol. Her multifaceted project Envisioning Global LGBT Human Rights, or Envisioning, is an interdisciplinary venture out of York University that seeks to collaborate with queer rights organizations in India, Africa and the Caribbean through funding and shared research. On Sept 12, Envisioning will bring together activists and partners from Uganda and Kenya in Toronto for a panel discussion about the work their groups have accomplished since joining the project. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted to partner with organizations that were in countries that still had these laws on the books but had capacity on the ground, real organization,â&#x20AC;? Nicol explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted to work with people there who know the conditions, have the cultural sensitivity, knowledge and are working to make change; to support their work by research, ďŹ eld exchange and capacity enhancement.â&#x20AC;? In Africa, Envisioning has partners in Kenya, Botswana and Uganda. Although the legal and cultural situations are different in each country, homosexuality is criminal in all three. Yet one partner, the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya, recently celebrated and documented its inaugural International Day Against Homophobia celebration. The group is demanding decriminalization within ďŹ ve years. In Uganda, where a parliamentary bill that would punish gay people with the death penalty has refused to die since its 2009 introduction, the coalition group Sexual Minorities of Uganda (SMUG) has also been carry-
ing out advocacy and research despite spirited government repression. With funding and video equipment from Envisioning, SMUG has developed a full-time research and documentary project focusing on queer lives and human rights abuses all over Uganda. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are interested in getting the voices that have not been heard, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of the project to conduct interviews in rural areas,â&#x20AC;? explains Richard Lusimbo, a SMUG researcher who will be on the panel at York. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People in the city are not as tied to issues like religion or culture, but you ďŹ nd when you go to western Uganda, people are still tied to culture and religion. People canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t express themselves freely because they are scared of what their faith or their priests or their bishop would say.â&#x20AC;? But even in cities, gays and lesbians face aggression from a government intricately tied to the church. The minister of internal affairs has recently said he will ban 38 (as yet unnamed) organizations for promoting gay rights, and earlier this summer, the minister of ethics and integrity sent police to break up a capacity-building workshop for queer-human-rights defenders. In September, the organizers will bring the minister to court over this legally unfounded police aggression. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are looking forward to seeing the ethics minister cross-examined by our lawyers,â&#x20AC;? Lusimbo says. Yet even in the face of such hostility, queer people in Uganda have secured some victories. Images of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst-ever Pride celebration went viral after its great success, which Lusimbo remembers blissfully. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At that particular moment I felt liberated, because for the very first time, I was marching and shouting that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time for our rights; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time we are set free,â&#x20AC;? he recalls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was not scared of anything, and all I was caring about was the joy, everything going on around me, and being happy.â&#x20AC;? At the subsequent rally, police stormed the area and detained three drag performers, but Lusimbo and a dozen others followed them to the station and shortly won their release. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We happily went home with our dignity and our heads held high,â&#x20AC;? Lusimbo reports.
This is the accomplishment of a brave group of Ugandans. But the question remains about what effective exterior support looks like. After the Pride march, hacker group Anonymous attacked government and corporate websites in Uganda, Somalia, Sudan and Botswana. In Uganda, images of the Pride parade were shown, which many see as irresponsible. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If only they had consulted us. Before you know it, you will hear the government saying homosexuals are terrorists,â&#x20AC;? Lusimbo says. Well-meaning but ill-informed actions like the hacking of websites or David Cameronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent threat to deny aid where discriminatory policies exist, can have the effect of further demonizing gay people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;International pressure helps, but how it is done is going to matter. If we are going to have other countries cutting aid to Uganda because of LGBTI, then we are going to be isolated, and the whole community will turn against us,â&#x20AC;? Lusimbo explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to give them an opportunity to use our sexuality as something to show that the Western countries are trying to recolonize Uganda. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think having dialogue, reaching out to our leaders, is best,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many of these people have been approached in private and talked to, and there has been a change.â&#x20AC;? As for the role of outsiders, Envisioning has taken the approach of simply following, rather than projecting, the front lines. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We can have solidarity, we can do supportive work, but we have to educate ourselves,â&#x20AC;? Nicol says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have to listen to people on the ground, and the leadership will come from them.â&#x20AC;? Check out xtra.ca for more coverage from Africa.
the deets ENVISIONING GLOBAL LGBT HUMAN RIGHTS Focus on Kenya, Uganda and Botswana Wed, Sept 12, 6:45pm University College, Rm 179 15 Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College Circle University of Toronto
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XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
POLITICS
Proposed riding redistribution splits the Village in half Rob Salerno THE RESIDENTS OF THE CHURCHWellesley Village could ďŹ nd their political voice diminished if a proposed federal riding redistribution that cuts Toronto Centre in half along Wellesley St goes ahead, some residents fear. Under a law passed in December 2011, Ontario gets 15 new seats to account for population growth. The non-partisan judicial panel that proposes electoral boundaries is squeezing most of Ontarioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new ridings into the Greater Toronto Area, which is experiencing the fastest population growth and was the most underrepresented area in the province. Toronto is gaining 2.5 new seats, while 9.5 new ridings are being added to the fast-growing 905 communities. The remainder are in Cambridge, Ottawa and Barrie. Ridings in downtown Toronto are being shrunk largely in response to the condo boom that has brought tens of thousands of new residents to the area. A new riding called Mount Pleasant is proposed, which will include the part of the current Toronto Centre riding north of Wellesley St between Sherbourne and Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Park, and stretching north to Eglinton Ave, including the more affluent neighbourhoods of Rosedale, Moore Park, Yorkville and Deer Park. The proposal effectively splits the
Church-Wellesley neighbourhood â&#x20AC;&#x201D; long a centre of queer activism â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in half between the two ridings. This division seems to go against the spirit of the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, which says â&#x20AC;&#x153;the commission shall consider . . . the community of interest or community of identity in or the historical pattern of an electoral district in the provinceâ&#x20AC;? in determining reasonable electoral district boundaries. For Robert Fabian, one of the leaders of the Church-Wellesley Neighbourhood Association (CWNA), the proposed division of the community among two MPs would make it more difďŹ cult for the group to have access to an elected official. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My experience is that it takes a fair amount of time to establish a relationship with an elected official. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen overnight. I just see a doubling of that challenge,â&#x20AC;? he says. Fabian says he will encourage the CWNA to petition the commission to adjust the boundary to maintain the entire Church-Wellesley neighbourhood in one riding, with the boundary being moved north to Charles or Bloor streets, or south to College/Carlton streets. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My own instincts would argue for having it part of the more downtown, urban Toronto Centre,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Moore Park and Rosedale are clearly upscale, above-average income ridings. To the extent that downtown neighbourhoods have encouraged diversity, it makes more sense to stay
Provincial MPP Glen Murray says he wants to keep the Church-Wellesley Village in one riding. ANDREA HOUSTON
downtown. Rosedale does not encourage diversity.â&#x20AC;? The federal redistribution will have knock-on effects for the province, because under Ontario law, provincial ridings in Southern Ontario are deďŹ ned to be the same as federal ridings unless Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Park changes them. For current MPP Glen Murray, using Wellesley as the riding boundary is â&#x20AC;&#x153;problematic.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;You want political boundaries that allow you to work effectively as an MP and so that neighbourhoods can work effectively with government,â&#x20AC;? Murray says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The gay and lesbian community â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Church-Wellesley is a historic area
for the community in Toronto. You wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to divide it.â&#x20AC;? Murray says heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll meet with city councillors Kristyn Wong-Tam and Pam McConnell, who represent the area, and with neighbourhood residents and business associations to consider making a joint submission to the commission about the new boundary. Municipal ward boundaries are currently federal ridings cut in half, but there is no automatic mechanism that forces the city to adjust its electoral map along with the federal government. Mayor Rob Ford has instead pledged to reduce the number of city councillors from 44 to 22. But Murray says adding representatives will be beneďŹ cial to Toronto and Ontario residents on the whole. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ontario is so underrepresented [in Parliament],â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m quite happy that the folks in downtown Toronto have another voice now, because it will be better represented.â&#x20AC;? The commission will have public hearings on its proposal before sending its recommendations to the House of Commons in February 2013. A parliamentary committee will review the recommendations and send any objections back to the commission. The commission will then decide whether to make modiďŹ cations before the chief electoral officer makes the representation order, which will be used for the next general election, scheduled for 2015.
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THEATRE
Why this boy won’t boycott Fraser’s Edge Brad Fraser
T
HE OLD SAW GOES THAT THE only people who regularly attend the theatre are gays, Jews and women of a certain age. To judge from the latest controversy enveloping Toronto’s Factory Theatre, even these die-hard ticket buyers might not be showing up next season. The last show I had produced in Toronto was True Love Lies — at the Factory Theatre three years ago. The experience, despite my long and mutually respectful relationship with Ken Gass, its founding artistic director, was not a positive one. I made my dissatisfaction with the promotional and administrative end of things clear to Ken and his staff and decided I would not work there again. So when I heard Ken had been fired by his board of directors a few months ago, I initially thought it was a very positive move — until they revealed that their reason for sacking Gass had nothing to do with the quality of his work but was based on a disagreement about the future of the Factory Theatre building. It seemed a lame excuse, and the dismissal seemed particularly callous. The community wailed and cried.
Petitions were signed. Plays were pulled. Public condemnations rang out, and, when none of the above created the desired effect, people called for a boycott of Factory Theatre. That’s when I felt the protest had gone too far. There are two words that should never be uttered together, and they are “boycott” and “theatre.” The largest part of the general populace has unconsciously done this already. Despite the potency and influence of the medium, theatre audiences — except in the most commercial offerings — have continued to decline over the last 10 years. People who are quite willing to spend hundreds and thousands on electronic forms of entertainment are notoriously hard to lure into theatres with any regularity. Giving them any excuse not to come, even for what appears to be a good cause, is a very dangerous thing to do. What does this boycott accomplish? Does it help the small but loyal audience that has supported Factory when it alters the season they signed up for? No. It just makes the theatre look unreliable. Does it punish the board? Since they’re generally unknown, unpaid and can leave anytime they want, I’d suggest it doesn’t. Does it help anyone currently working at Factory? No, it makes their jobs harder and increases the stress in an already volatile environment. Does it help those people who have already been hired for next
THE SAD TRUTH IS OUR AUDIENCES ARE DYING, AND WE HAVEN’T FOUND A WAY TO REPLACE THEM. season? Certainly not. Does it help Ken Gass? Personally, I don’t think so. Gass started the theatre and saved it from ruin years later. Those are not easy accomplishments. They require someone who knows how to fight his own battles. If the theatre is as much “his” as his supporters contend, then so is the board and the rulings they used to fire him. He’s already sought legal counsel, and the question will be settled in court, where it should be. Gass himself has spoken out against a boycott. Some people have asked why this incident has been so galvanizing. People didn’t get so exercised about Richard Rose’s censoring of his own theatre company on behalf of Stephen Harper’s government when Rose chose not to produce Michael Healey’s Proud. What about the absolute lack of public interest when the Vancouver Playhouse closed? What about the two artistic directors of Stratford who vanished in the McAnuff takeover or the many other shitty, unfair things that happen in artistic institutions across the country?
What we’re seeing here is a groundswell of anger and fear that has been building for more than a decade. We who work in the theatre know we’re in trouble. The usual plays, the usual subscription seasons, the usual ways of doing things, are breaking down. Theatres everywhere are cutting their seasons, laying off staff, programming cheaper shows, becoming more cautious and doing anything else they can, however dishonourable, to stay alive. There’s no denying that much of this fear comes from people desperate to keep jobs they might not be particularly good at. But it also comes from very talented people who rely solely on the theatre for their livelihood. The sad truth is our audiences are dying, and we haven’t found a way to replace them. I don’t believe calling for a boycott of any theatre, at any time, for any reason, is going to help change that fact. Postnote: When I first presented this essay on local theatre to my gay editor at the gay magazine I work for, he came back and asked me to find a way to make it clear this was germane to Xtra’s readership. I suspect that says as much about the current relevance of the theatre as anything I’ve written here. Brad Fraser is a Toronto playwright, screenwriter and producer whose plays have been staged in Canada and around the world. Fraser’s Edge appears in every other issue of Xtra.
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arts › entertainment › leisure
Out City IN THE
I’M SINGLE. IT’S BEEN A BUSY SUMMER, THOUGH, WHICH IS NICE. I MEAN, BUSY PROFESSIONALLY AND SEXUALLY — BUT NOT BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. TIFF IS ALWAYS A LOT OF FUN. Xavier Dolan ›19
ON STAGE
Telling stories
dramatic inspiration from Ghanaian storytelling. Growing up in Accra, the cosmopolitan capital, he was exposed to drama at school. But as a child during vacations, he was sent to visit his mother’s family far away in rural Ghana. That is where he was exposed to Akan folktales told by his grandmother, aunts and cousins. The electricity in the village would go out every night, M’carthy remembers, and “we would all sit in front of my grandmother’s house with kerosene lanterns lit and she’d tell us stories and we’d sing, and sometimes she’d teach us dances that tell stories or songs that have stories attached to them and we’d join in.” This form of storytelling requires a close relationship between the teller and her audience, whose members need to be able to jump in and improvise scenes. The lessons from a story are emphasized through song and dance. “The whole idea is to mix all the forms together,” M’carthy says. “As you tell the story you move into the story. As you tell it, you stop narrating and move into the present of the story and start presenting the story in the present.” In Obaaberima, M’carthy worked with multiinstrumentalist Kobèna Aquaa-Harrison to develop an original score of West African percussion and guitar. Aquaa-Harrison performs live with M’carthy, colouring in the many moments of song and dance. M’carthy won’t demand that his Buddies audience actively participate, but they do play a narrative role: the play opens in a Canadian jail cell, where Ageman, as Sibongola, tells the other prisoners the violent story of how he got there on the eve of his release. The audience will act as the prisoners. After M’carthy graduated from York University’s acting conservatory he found it very difficult to find work as an actor with an African accent. “I got out of school with all these hopes that I was going to be a superstar, and no one was hiring me.” It was during this period that M’carthy says he really had to face who he was both as an actor and as a gay man: “People couldn’t place me because I honestly didn’t know who I was at that time. I was out but not out to everyone.” While in university he’d written a play called The Kente Cloth, and a friend encouraged him to finish it. After its success at SummerWorks he submitted a piece of poetry to Buddies in Bad Times’ Young Creators Unit about a boy trying on his mother’s red high heels. That was the beginning of Obaaberima. The boy trying on heels is now a scene in the play. In some ways Ageman’s story echoes M’carthy’s own, though he insists the play is definitely not by Aaron Leaf autobiographical; M’carthy has never been to jail, for example. The cold isolation Ageman feels when ROM GRADE 1 UNTIL HE LEFT GHANA AT he comes to Canada as a foreign student is based on age 15, Tawiah M’carthy could depend on his M’carthy’s teenaged experiences of moving from classmates calling him names like Obaa- Accra to the small town of Merritt, British Columberima, a slur in the Twi language meaning bia, where people, he says, were very polite but left girlie-boy or girl-boy. Now he has turned the him feeling like the odd one out. From his time in BC, then to Scarborough, where insult into a new play about coming out and discovering one’s identity in a new country. he became acquainted with being on the “down low,” Obaaberima, M’carthy’s one-man show then to York University, M’carthy knows what it is to opening at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre be both displaced and also in the closet. His reason on Sept 15, is a coming-of-age story about a for making the play is to reach “those people from young man named Ageman, told through the voice other places who are lost or who find themselves in hiding here. of Sibongola, Ageman’s female self. “When I came out and entered the community, I While Ageman lacks confidence and authenticity — he’s confused about his sexuality and his loyalties wasn’t meeting people where I am from. It felt like — Sibongola is beautiful and honest. As the play’s there was a black gay community that was segregated from the white gays and narrator, Sibongola articulates the Latino gays,” he says. “It seemed messy things going on within AgeOBAABERIMA that Buddies was for a white, gay man that he alone doesn’t have the Sat, Sept 15–Sun, Oct 7 audience, so it’s exciting for me words to describe. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre to be a part of this. I feel like now M’carthy is new to Canadian 12 Alexander St the doors are open for everyone theatre; Obaaberima is his secbuddiesinbadtimes.com to come in. And it feels great to ond piece, but his techniques are have a hand in the shift.” time-tested. He takes much of his
Tawiah M’carthy comes out to Toronto in a show that combines Ghanaian tradition with music and memoir
IT SEEMED THAT BUDDIES WAS FOR A WHITE, GAY AUDIENCE, SO IT’S EXCITING FOR ME TO BE A PART OF THIS. I FEEL LIKE NOW THE DOORS ARE OPEN FOR EVERYONE TO COME IN. M’carthy, who grew up in Ghana, was openly bullied in school there and later struggled to feel included as a teenager after moving to small-town Canada. TANJA TIZIANA
F
16
Toronto’s gay & lesbian news
XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
HARVEY L. HAMBURG Barrister, Solicitor, Notary Public
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416-968-9054 Serving our community for more than 25 years 120 Carlton St., Suite 215 (at Jarvis St.) e-mail: hhamburg@sympatico.ca
listings ›
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Michelle Louise Wilson’s photography is on display until Oct 5 at Campbell House Museum.
xtra.ca www.squirt.org
The definitive news source for gay and lesbian Canadians ART & PHOTOGRAPHY AIDS 2012 Community Report Back At the Same Time The Interagency Coalition on AIDS The Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives presents an international touring exhibition of local and international queer photographers. Featuring Zachary Ayotte, Steven Beckley, Colin Quinn. Runs until Sat, Sept 22, various showtimes. CLGA, 34 Isabella St. Free. clga.ca
Experience Toronto transformed by artists
Close Photographer Michelle Louise Wilson documents subjects with storied pasts and underlines the complexities of their relationships in this new series of portraits. Opening reception Thurs, Sept 6, 5–8pm. Runs till Fri, Oct 5. Campbell House Museum, 160 Queen St W. Free. michellelouisewilson.com
HEALTH & ISSUES Bisexual Women of Toronto
September 29, 2012 7:03 pm to sunrise One night only. All night long. All free.
“
One night, one million people and 130-odd art installations... the result is the most genuinely popular cultural event in Toronto.
”
-Toronto Star scotiabanknuitblanche.ca
sbnuitblancheTO
This safe and non-judgmental peer-support meeting is a prime opportunity to access resources and community. Thurs, Sept 6, 8–10pm. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. Free. torontobinet.org
and Development (ICAD) hosts an all-day debriefing on the 19th International AIDS Conference, which took place in Washington in July. Learn about the latest research and other important community info from activists and experts alike. Tues, Sept 18, 9am–5pm. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. $40–60. Free for ICAD members. aids2012communityreportback. eventbrite.com
MUSIC Julie Michels Live The local jazz hero performs her sultry, velvety tunes to set the mood for bedtime. Thurs, Sept 6, 8pm. The Flying Beaver Pubaret, 488 Parliament St. $10, $15 door. pubaret.com
Carole Pope Unplugged The gay icon performs two intimate shows. Unplugged, but electric with attitude and sex. Fri, Sept 7, 7pm; Sat, Sept 8, 8pm. The Flying Beaver Pubaret, 488 Parliament St. $20 advance, $25 door. carolepope.com
Gay Straight Alliances in High Schools Information is power. An evening focused on the controversial Bill 13, the anti-bullying law that permits students in all high schools to forge gay-straight alliances. Empower yourself with its implications and its gravity for queer and targeted youth all over the province. Mon, Sept 10, 5:45–9pm. Courtyard Marriott, 475 Yonge St. $40, $35 members, $20 students. Includes buffet dinner and a glass of wine. thefraternity.org
Envisioning Global LGBT Human Rights An international panel of activists and academics focuses on queer rights in Uganda, Kenya and Botswana. Includes a video screening from the ongoing documentary project. Panel includes Immah Reid, Caroline Kaara, Richard Lusimbo, Junic Wokuri and Nancy Nicol; moderated by Lydia Makoroka. Wed, Sept 12, 6:45–9pm. University College, 15 King’s College Circle. ocasi.org/envisioningglobal-lgbt-rights
Legit Accessible legal counsel for samesex couples immigrating to Canada. Tap into the community and access useful resources. Thurs, Sept 13, 7–10pm. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. Free. legit.ca
Carole Pope performs on Sat 7 & 8.
boyBitch The gloomy electro artist with sass to spare unleashes his sexy demons and leaves no one alive. Featuring Dildoniks, Dream Jefferson and Ghettosocks. Sat, Sept 8, 9pm. Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor St W. $8. boybitch.bandcamp.com
M Factor Pop artists Kevin Wong and Candice Sand take the stage to send Monday back to hell, where it belongs. Mon, Sept 17, 8–11pm. The Old Nick, 123 Danforth Ave. Free. old-nick.com › continued on page 18
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XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
17
ON THE TABLE
Mmmm, local Parkdale keeps things organic Erica Lenti UNLIKE CHURCH ST, PARKDALE IS jam-packed with food vendors who embrace organic and local production. Take Poor John’s Café, on Queen St, just east of Callender St. This Parkdale staple prides itself on using solely organic, shade-grown and bird-friendly coffees purchased from local roasteries. In search of a local, sustainably grown and prepared burger? Look no further than Cowbell, at Queen St and Dowling Ave. Under the direction of chef Mark Cutrara, Cowbell serves up a “farm-to-fork” philosophy with all its eats.
Lending a helping hand Giving back to Parkdale is as easy as grabbing a cup of joe. In keeping with the theme of community, Parkdale offers up a range of restaurants and cafés that support not only local food ventures, but also those living within the neighbourhood. Ground Level Café, located on the corner of Queen St and Macdonell Ave, employs youth with limited skills, experience and education and provides mentoring and youth- and community-based
DIFFERENT? SO ARE WE. The Pinball Café has great coffee and eight pinball machines. ADAM COISH
programming. And the Mascot, on the corner of Queen St and Elm Grove Ave, promotes local arts ventures, with half the café set up as an art exhibit.
Get the best of both worlds Parkdale is chock-full of coffee-plusentertainment venues that are sure to please. Take Jinks Art Factory: located just east of Triller Ave, this coffee shop/tattoo parlour offers drinks and ink on the cheap. The Pinball Café, with eight fully functional pinball machines, serves up premium coffee with a side of fun.
On a budget
By youth for youth. Free, confidential and anonymous. Support, information and resources in your area.
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For the frugal, Parkdale has a plethora of cheap-eats options. A dollar and change will get you a medium-sized cup of coffee at Jason’s Coffee Shop or an Americano at The Big Guy’s Coffee Shop. And the Sizzling Grill, just west of Lansdowne Ave, will cook up a beef burger for just $4. We recommend: Ground Level Café at 1496 Queen St W and Stampede Bison Grill at 5 Brock Ave.
1-800-268-9688
For a map of Parkdale’s best coffee and burger spots, turn to page 7. In the next issue, Xtra searches out beer and nachos on Church St.
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Toronto’s gay & lesbian news
XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
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› continued from page 16
Sept 19, 8pm.The Rivoli, 334 Queen St W. Free. modraphelia.com
LEISURE & PLEASURE The Annual Conference & Case Competition
The all new
Queer students and professionals in business, law and technology are invited to participate and be educated in this two-day conference exploring the potential in their careers through educational panels, motivational speeches and more. Fri, Sept 7, 5:15pm; Sat, Sept 8, 8am. Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre, 525 Bay St. $75 students, $250 professionals. outonbayst.org
Indoor Rock Climbing
Your next hookup is closer than you think.
Challenge your body and get rock hard. Meet other rock-climbing enthusiasts and novices alike. All skill levels welcome. Sat, Sept 8, 1pm. Rock Oasis, 388 Carlaw Ave. $45. getoutcanada.com
Running Group Pump up your kicks and join this weekly team for a 5k run. Sweat your ass off and get active. Limited spaces available. Sun, Sept 9, 9am. Church St Junior Public School, 83 Alexander St. Free. getoutcanada.com
STAGE Amaluna Cirque du Soleil’s new production takes shape on a mystical island that acts as the backdrop Join these hunks for for an epic love story. indoor rock climbing Directed by Diane Paulus on Sept 8. with a cast of 50 artists from 15 countries. Runs Female Ejaculation Thurs, Sept 6–Sun, Oct 21,various showtimes. Grand Chapiteau at and the G-Spot Shannon Bell hosts this wildly popular Portlands, Cherry St. $43.50–158.50. cirquedusoleil.com workshop focused on squirting and getting off. Instruction on female ejaculation genealogy and a live demo precede step-by-step instructions, fun with toys and much more. Sun, Sept 16, 5:30–8pm. Come As You Are, 493 Queen St W. $30, sliding scale available. comeasyouare.com Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna runs till Oct 21.
Cabbagetown Tour of Homes The Cabbagetown Preservation Association hosts a unique and diverse self-guided tour of eight private homes, ranging from stately Victorian to strict minimalist cottages. Take an afternoon and witness firsthand the fabulous interiors of this historic and increasingly gay neighbourhood. Map and addresses printed on tickets. Sun, Sept 16, noon–4pm. cabbagetownpa.ca
Prostate Pleasure I want you to funk me. Jon Pressick leads a dynamic workshop on the phenomenal pleasure of prostate play, its health benefits, toys, anatomy and more. Wed, Sept 19, 7:30–9:30pm. Come As You Are, 493 Queen St W. $25, sliding scale available. comeasyouare.com
Modraphelia Fashion Show I would go out tonight, but I haven’t got a stitch to wear. A mod runway show featuring the live music of The Ruby Spirit, the beats of DJ Sweetbeetskilla and raffle prizes benefiting the Because I Am a Girl foundation. Wed,
Obaaberima Ghanaian-Canadian creator and performer Tawiah M’carthy’s new play kicks off Buddies’ spanking new season. A young man from Ghana imprisoned in Canada ventures out on a fragile limb to tell his cellmates his story on the eve of his release. M’carthy’s story mirrors the realities of being queer and a new Canadian. Runs Sat, Sept 15–Sun, Oct 7, various showtimes. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St. PWYC–$37. buddiesinbadtimes.com
Avenue Q The story of Princeton, the naive but well-intended college graduate who gets swallowed by the streets of New York, continues to entertain. Sometimes a boy just needs a little purpose. Runs till Sun, Oct 7, various showtimes. Lower Ossington Theatre, 100A Ossington Ave. $45. lowerossingtontheatre.com
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XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
19
ON SCREEN
Drama queen Xavier Dolan’s complex relationships touch down at TIFF Matthew Hays XAVIER DOLAN LOOKS VERY MUCH the same as when I first met him four years ago. He has a hefty head of hair that flops back and forth as he speaks. He’s got intense, dark eyes. Endowed with a cheeky sense of humour, Dolan has an air about him, but it’s more about being fun than pretentious. But a lot has changed in four years. Dolan arrived at Cannes in 2009 with his debut feature, J’ai tué ma mère (I Killed My Mother), scooping up three awards when he was a mere 19, effectively marking the most auspicious debut in the history of the prestigious festival. He followed up with Les amours imaginaires in 2010 (awkwardly titled Heartbeats in English), and won another Cannes award. Now Dolan has returned with Laurence Anyways, his highly ambitious feature about a couple whose relationship is tested when one announces he is, in fact, a woman and wants to transition. As his previous films did, Laurence Anyways will show at the Toronto International Film Festival. Given Dolan’s rapid rise in notoriety — his success at Cannes while still a teenager ensured his place as a symbol of Quebec’s robust and vital film milieu — it’s impossible not to fixate on his age. He is now 23. It is something Dolan isn’t wild about discussing. “I think some people will always treat me as a student,” he says, sipping on an espresso in a café in Montreal’s Mile End neighbourhood. “You know, like a kid. I think if I was 40 and did exactly the same films, my life would be so different. People would not review them the same way. Critics tend to contextualize my films in terms of my age.” If Dolan received accolades for his first two films, the journey with Laurence Anyways has proven a bit rockier. TIFF programmer Steve Gravestock commends the film, arguing it is Dolan’s “most stylish and mature work to date.”
But some have charged the feature is too long (it runs 161 minutes) and selfindulgent, and some trans audiences have taken issue with the representation of the trans character. Dolan concedes he is disappointed with how the film performed at the box office in Quebec, where it opened in the summer. But despite any shortcomings, Laurence Anyways is a beautiful, brave film. Clearly capitalizing on his own experience as an actor, Dolan has culled two magnificent performances from his leads, Melvil Poupaud and Suzanne Clément. And the film is never reductive, portraying the complexities of a strained romantic relationship with incredible precision. Dolan says he’s been a bit taken aback by the critiques from some trans people. “Some have said the film conveys certain clichés. If by clichés they’re talking about the character being fired or the fact that many look at him in a bad way, how are these clichés? They’re clichés because they’re true. If people in Provincetown see my movie, yes, they may see clichés, but they’re in Provincetown. My movie is set in the ’80s in Montreal. People were scared shitless of anything different, and that was a place many thought of as open-minded.” Dolan says he would have made a documentary if his interest was political. “This is a love story. I wanted to tell the story of this couple who are different. In many places, as soon as you don’t fit, they put you in a box, in a category. This is a film about two people who want to be honest about themselves.” But most aggravating for Dolan was a headline in the Montreal Gazette that ran after the lineup for Cannes was announced last spring. Dolan granted an interview to several Quebec journalists at once, and he told them that he was thrilled to be in Cannes again but was disappointed not to have Laurence Anyways screening in a competitive category.
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indexdirectory.ca NEXT TORONTO RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 15
the deets LAURENCE ANYWAYS Thurs, Sept 13, 9pm Visa Screening Room Elgin Theatre 189 Yonge St Sat, Sept 15, 9am TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 350 King St W tiff.net
Xavier Dolan’s latest film is about a couple whose relationship is tested when one comes out as trans. SHAYNE LAVERDIÈRE
YOU ALWAYS WANT TO IMPRESS PEOPLE, BUT YOU WANT TO BE IMPRESSED. THAT’S WHEN YOU FALL IN LOVE. “When I read the stories the next day, the Québécois journalists had quoted me right. But the Gazette headline basically said, ‘Xavier Dolan is not in official competition and he’s not happy.’ It made my summer fucking hell. That’s when it started. When I got to Cannes, that was all I heard.” It’s quite clear this touches a nerve. “I have no fucking regrets about what I said. I mean, I’m a human being. All I said was that I was disappointed about not being in official competition after six fucking months of waking up in the
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fucking morning and reading in the fucking newspaper that my name was among the most serious contenders for official competition. I read this in Variety, Paris Match — I read it fucking everywhere. At some point, you are everywhere in people’s odds. How was I not to have expectations?” Time for the obligatory question: is Dolan attached or single? “I’m single. It’s been a busy summer, though, which is nice. I mean, busy professionally and sexually — but not both at the same time. TIFF is always a lot of fun.” When pondering a romance, Dolan comes back to the age factor. “When you’re four and you’re thrown on a movie set, you grow up fast. You’re a teen at eight and an adult at 15. You move out at 17 and start your working life at 18. So I feel like I’m 40. Most of my friends are older than I am. I can’t reasonably have a relationship with someone who’s my age. I need to be impressed by people. You always want to impress people, but you want to be
impressed. That’s when you fall in love. “I think I need an actor who’s got some sort of big career going on, who won’t be using me and who I won’t be using, who I’ll be impressed with. Someone who’s working in the arts, someone who’s lived a life like mine, who’s not afraid of success or ambition.” In the meantime, Dolan says he is always writing. “I’ve taken the disappointment [over the Quebec box office take for Laurence Anyways] and tried to channel it into inspiration. I’ve written three scripts. I’m not sure where I’m headed to. But I have a lot of hope for the future. I feel like this is just the beginning.” Matthew Hays is a member of the jury for this year’s edition of TIFF. Check out xtra.ca for more coverage of TIFF, including artistic director Noah Cowan’s queer picks.
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The all new
Diamond Rings was bang-on at the showcase for his new album, Free Dimensional, at the Drake Hotel. There was a great turnout of whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s who, from promoters and the press and other musicians from the TO indie scene. What I love most about John O, though, is that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so easy to take photos of and so accommodating and humble. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of talent out there, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a real treat when theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re so easy to be around. He thoroughly deserves every gold star he gets.
I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop putting Azuree in this column; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s becoming a real problem, I know. I need some sort of intervention to kick the habit. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just so hard when sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so damn photogenic and babelike. Look at that skin and hair and those boobies. Must. Take. More. Photos. Also, she keeps talking to cute girls like Milda, which doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it any easier.
Gay Nite for Queers is a monthly at Margret, which is in The Junction, the hot neighbourhood north of Queen, off Dundas. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like Ossington, if that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t white Harlem meets the club district, or Bloordale, if there were kids and vegetarian restaurants. In any case, Queer West is spreading like sexy herpes, people â&#x20AC;&#x201D; catch some. Dustin, Renata and Tasha Taylor are fully about it.
Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re with the Band
Ammar was my favourite. I hate to pick between all the awesome peeps that were at Margret on Dundas, but the elephant/penis visual stunned me almost completely. The shorts and backpack and the extensive talk we had about our dogs was also pretty great.
Colin, Zoe and Angie are totes BFFs. You can tell â&#x20AC;&#x2122;cause they go together like a well-styled red-carpet outďŹ t. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not too matchy matchy, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all in the same style vein. Gay Nite for Queers (the most original and inspiring name for a queer night ever) at Margret on Dundas was the second installment and a huge hit.
Oh hi, Graham. Looking like a sexy little cool breeze just off the yacht onto the dancefloor. I am so about that life.
Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not gonna lie; Leslie made it into this column because she was so damn sexy. She has the perfect â&#x20AC;&#x2122;60s fringe and natural ombre colour, plus that Edie Sedgwick face. After I took her photo, I just sat next to her awkwardly looking at my phone and letting the stiff unnatural feeling between us hang in the air.
Samanthuh is one of my favourite people in the world. She puts the ass in class, all right. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a talented photographer and a good friend, and sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mastered the art of being totally easy without being a slut. Some next-level shit.
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Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gay & lesbian news
XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
NIGHTCLUB LISTINGS Gitch. Underwear party and fashion show, with DJ Blackcat. 10pm. 120Club, 120 Church St. $6 before 11pm, $8 after; Students no cover before 11:30pm, $5 after. club120.ca Beginnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Bondage Clinic. Canadian Leatherman 2004, Paul C, is into everything from rubber to ropes and is happy to help you into it as well. 11pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover. blackeagletoronto.com MC Jazz performs at Girls on Demand on Sept 6.
THURS, SEPT 6 Ultimate Thursdays. DJ Craig Dominic in Tangos and Vocal Rehab karaoke, with Elyse Douglas in the Zone. 10pm. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com Oh La La. French pop, house and classics, with DJs daVinci and Marron. 10pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. No cover. waylabar.com Girls on Demand. Grand opening, with DJs Cozmic Cat, Quinces, live performance by MC Jazz. 10pm. Rasputin Vodka Lounge, 780 Queen St E. No cover. rasputinvodkabar.com
FRI, SEPT 7 East End Girls Club. A night for women who love women. 10pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. No cover. waylabar.com Big Primpinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Hip hop and hot times, with DJs Kevin Ritchie and Phil V. 10pm. Wrongbar, 1279 Queen St W. $5. wrongbar.com
SAT, SEPT 8 Tapette. French pop, with DJ Phil V. 10:30pm. Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St W. No cover. henhousetoronto.com Bump â&#x20AC;&#x2122;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hustle. Soul, funk, house and disco, with DJs Paul E Lopes and Mike Tull. 10pm. The Rivoli, 332 Queen St W. $10. hotstepper.com TUFF: Action Hero Edition. Tribute to Bruce, Stallone, Arnie and other sweaty action-movie stars, with DJ TLA and the TuďŹ&#x20AC;-EnuďŹ&#x20AC; Go-Go Dudes. Hosted by Benjamin Gibson and Matt Thomas. 11pm. Smith, 553 Church St. No cover. smithatnight.com
SUN, SEPT 9 Fashion Cares. Celebrating 25 years, with Sir Elton John headlining. Other performers include Scissor Sisters, Janelle MonĂĄe and Sky Ferreira. Hosted by Linda Evangelista and Dean & Dan Caten of Dsquared2. 8pm. Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, 1 Front St E. $508 and up. actoronto.org/ fashioncares Business Womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Special. DJs Sammy and Nino Brown spin dance, hip hop and all-fun danceďŹ&#x201A;oor tunes for hot
homosexuals and their friends. 10pm2am. Augusta House, 152A Augusta Ave. $5. theaugustahouse.com
MON, SEPT 10 Dirty Mondays. With Devine Darlin and Nikki Chin. 11:30pm. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com
TUES, SEPT 11 Mile High Tuesdays. DJ Turt McGurt spins top 40 and house music. 9pm. Boutique Bar, 506 Church St. No cover. boutiquebar.ca
WED, SEPT 12 Bangout. New gay event every Wednesday,with DJs Sticky Cuts and Gasha spinning; performance by Heaven Lee Hytes. 10pm. The Brunswick House, 481 Bloor St W. No cover. bangoutproductions.ca
THURS, SEPT 13 Swinginâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Out. Queer swing-dance club, with lessons for absolute beginners; no partner needed. 6:30pm. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. $5, $25 for seven-week series. facebook. com/swinginout
FRI, SEPT 14 Cub Camp. DJs David Picard and Scooter spin for hairy campers. 10pm. The Beaver, 1192 Queen St W. $5. beavertoronto.com
9pm; DJ Shane Percy spins the hallelujah at 11pm. Church, 504 Church St. No cover
That Time of the Month. Soul funk, R&B, hip hop and other lady jams to please your clams, with DJs Devon Chandeler and Alex M. 10pm. Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St W. No cover. henhousetoronto.com Rockstars. Funky house music, with DJ GeoďŹ&#x20AC; Kelleway. 11pmâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;2:30am. Byzantium, 499 Church St. No cover. byz.ca
SAT, SEPT 15 Malebox. Party for trans guys and those who love them, with DJ Nik Red. 10pm. Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St W. No cover. henhousetoronto.com Cowboy Jail â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Bail Party. Toronto Leather Pride hosts a wild-west themed party. No dress code; cowboy attire encouraged. 10pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover. torontoleatherpride.ca. blackeagletoronto.com Sodom Warhol. Celebrating three years with a take on the famous Warhol silver factory and Studio 54. 10pm. Club 120, 120 Church St. $7 before 11pm, $10 after, $5 for students all night. sodom.ca
Squirt.org Best Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ass Contest. Sofonda and Devine Darlin host and give away $300 in cash prizes, with DJ Chris Steinbach spinning. Woodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 465 Church St. woodystoronto.com
SUN, SEPT 16 T-Dance Sundays. With host Chef Moose and DJ Cheena. 3â&#x20AC;&#x201C;7pm. Boutique Bar, 506 Church St. No cover. boutiquebar.ca Woodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sunday. Miss Conceptionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stage to Screen show at 6pm; DayRama Show, with Donnarama and Daytona, at 9pm; Georgie Girl and Donnarama welcome Nikki Chin and Tynomi Banks at 11pm. Woodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 465 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com
MON, SEPT 17 M Factor. Candice Sand and Kevin Wong take the stage. 8â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11pm. The Old Nick, 123 Danforth Ave. No cover. old-nick.com
For complete listings on the go, scan the QR code below or visit xtra.ca.
Clockwork. DJ Oliver Twizt spins. 10pm. The Hoxton, 69 Bathurst St. $15 advance, at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This and Soundscapes. thehoxton.ca 1st Communion. DJ Alessandro spins for sinners and saints. 10pm. Church, 504 Church St. No cover before 11pm, $10 after.
Good Fridays. Heaven Lee Hytes, Farra N Hyte and Teran Black praise the loud at
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A World of Gay Adventure XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
23
Tel Aviv łĮĤĶĤı
Clubs to culture, beaches to architecture — there’s something for everyone
T
Michael Luongo
EL AVIV MIGHT NOT HAVE the religious significance of Jerusalem, but that’s kind of the point. The secular nature of this Israeli city is what makes it one of the Middle East’s most exciting gay travel destinations. Its Mediterranean beachside location is another plus. In 2011, Tel Aviv made news when it was voted the world’s best gay city by readers of the gay travel website gaycities.com, putting it in the ranks of San Francisco, New York, London and Toronto. Gadi Tunes, cofounder of the gay apartment-search website gay-ville.com, lives in Tel Aviv and says the city “is so gay-friendly because it is a very liberal city to begin with. There is a high concentration of gays in the city, and as it is by the beach, gay tourists love it.” Tel Aviv’s Pride is in early June. Next year’s event will be held on Friday, June 7. “[This year’s] gay pride was amazing. Every year it is bigger. It’s a nonstop party, from one club to the other, a down-to-earth parade with an open beach party at its end,” Gadi says. Even if you’re not visiting for Pride,
Tel Aviv’s nightlife is famous. Whether you make a stop at gay lounge Evita, (31 Yavne St), with its images of the iconic first lady and its sexy and uproarious Eurovision shows, or gay dance clubs like Apolo (46 Allenby St), there’s something to do every night of the week. There are also roving weekend parties, something to look into before your visit — or you can ask locals on arrival. Approximately every six weeks there’s the Palestinian Queer Party, sponsored by Al Qaws (alqaws.org), the Jerusalem-based gay Palestinian group. It’s held in Jaffa, the ancient port city and a suburb of Tel Aviv. Jaffa is a fantastic mix of Muslim, Christian and Jewish influences: a fun, sexy take on what peace in the Middle East could look like with gays in charge. Remember that the Middle East weekend starts on Thursday night — Friday and Saturday is the weekend for Jewish Israelis. If you’re heading to Tel Aviv from Jerusalem, about 45 minutes away, be aware that public transport between the two cities, as well as other parts of the country, doesn’t operate from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, which is the Jewish Sabbath, or Shabbat.
Exploring Bauhaus Tel Aviv I’ve been going to Tel Aviv for years. Beyond the liberal atmosphere, museums and stores, the city’s architecture has long been a draw. A young city in an ancient land, Tel Aviv, which means Spring Hill in Hebrew, celebrated its centennial in 2009. It has the greatest collection of Bauhaus architecture in the world, more than 4,000 structures. During the 1930s, the city grew as refugees streamed in from Germany after Hitler came into power and began persecuting Jews and intellectuals, including those of the Bauhaus school. Tel Aviv was designated a UNESCO world heritage site because of this unique architectural collection, though many of the buildings are in terrible repair. Pay a visit to the Bauhaus Center (99 Dizengoff St) near Dizengoff Circle, itself considered the world’s only purely Bauhaus square. I usually stay on the Circle at the reasonable Center Chic Hotel (2 Zamenhoff St) — itself a renovated Bauhaus structure — putting me within walking distance of the beach, shopping and gay nightlife. MICHAEL LUONGO
› continued on next page
Clockwise from top: Old Jaffa seen in the background of Tel Aviv’s beaches; a colourful character at Tel Aviv Pride; a Tel Aviv Pride panorama.
MICHAEL LUONGO
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Guidemag.com A World of Gay Adventure
XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
MICHAEL LUONGO
Tel Aviv › continued from previous page
I came across the hotel through Russell Lord, of Kenes Tours, one of the most awarded gay travel experts in Israel. The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association recently honoured Lord for his pioneering work putting Israel on the queer travel radar. Born in Brooklyn, he moved to Israel decades ago. “Tel Aviv is without a doubt the gayest city on the Mediterranean,” Lord says. “We’ve got great bars, amazing restaurants, hot clubs, hotter beaches and even hotter guys. The perfect components for a great holiday. For a cultural break, we’re about an hour away from Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and the sites of the Galilee.” Lord acknowledges that visiting Israel can be a controversial topic for some travellers. Many readers and Pride-goers are likely familiar with the concept of pinkwashing — the idea that
queer issues are promoted in order to mask bigger political and human rights concerns within the region. Lord wants visitors to keep open minds during their visits to Israel, considering the country a gateway to the region. For clients who have more time, he often pairs trips to Tel Aviv with visits to the Palestinian West Bank and neighbouring Jordan and Egypt. His goal is for visitors to have fun yet still see everything and be able to come to their own unfiltered conclusions about the region’s issues.
Madonna sightings and men with leather straps If you time your Tel Aviv trip right, staying on Dizengoff Square (sometimes called Dizengoff Circle) might even allow you to catch a casual glimpse of Madonna, though you’re better off shouting “Esther,” her Jewish name, to get her at-
MICHAEL LUONGO
Miami memories
tention. The Kabbalah Center (14 Dizengoff Square) is just off the square in an ocean-liner-shaped Bauhaus structure Madonna is known to pop into on Tel Aviv visits. Though practitioners don’t call it Jewish mysticism, that’s a phrase often used to describe this form of Judaism. Look for people with red string bracelets, often a sign one is a follower, or just pop into the centre. Everyone speaks English. In the square on Friday afternoons before sunset, you’ll often find young bearded men in black. They’ll be looking more Jerusalem than Tel Aviv and begging to tie you up in black leather. It might sound kinky, but they’re not daddies in training. They’re offering passersby tefillin, or prayer straps. Many are students from the nearby yeshiva,or religious school, and their goal is to bring god a little closer to secular Tel Aviv. Even if you’re not Jewish, I recommend the experience. Especially when done by a well-chosen proselytizer.
If you’ve ever been to Miami, you’ll definitely get a déjà vu feeling in Tel Aviv. It’s the architecture, the palm trees, the beachside setting. As they have in Miami Beach, gays have figured in the revitalization of downtown Tel Aviv. Before you head to Tel Aviv, check out the films of the dynamic duo of Israeli film producing, Eytan Fox and Gal Uchovsky. They are perhaps Israel’s most famous gay couple and are the force behind the movie The Bubble, which examines the relationship between a gay Israeli soldier and a Palestinian hideaway. The scenes take place throughout central Tel Aviv, including in an imaginary fashionable gay-popular restaurant. The movie’s title refers to Tel Aviv’s nickname, a reference to the city’s seeming isolation from the tensions of other parts of Israel, especially Jerusalem — both the city’s blessing and bane. Fox and Uchovsky are the makers of Yossi & Jagger, a film about gay soldiers in love; they were also behind the 1990s Israeli TV show Florentin, which takes place in an architecturally significant neighbourhood in Tel Aviv of the same name and helped make gay characters in Israeli media mainstream. Tel Aviv isn’t just a summer destination. In fact, at the recently renovated port in the north of the city, called the Namal, you’ll find seaside shopping, restaurants and a new indoor farmers’ market. The Namal even has a winter ice-skating area, though it’s never really freezing in Tel Aviv. Some January days can be warm enough for shorts. So, no matter the weather where you live, Tel Aviv is certainly a great option. From clubs to culture, beaches to architecture, Tel Aviv offers something for anyone, any time of year.
ELEKH
MICHAEL LUONGO
Above: A 1935 Bauhaus apartment building. Tel Aviv is a UNESCO heritage city renowned for its 4,000 Bauhaus structures. Left: Tefillin, or prayer straps, near Dizengoff Square.
Above left, rainbow buildings on the waterfront. Above right, IDF soldiers in Tel Aviv. Israel allows gay soldiers in its military.
Trip advisor BARS & PUBS Evita Dungeon Fetish Club
HOTELS & GUESTHOUSES Shalom Hotel Pink House
RESTAURANTS & CAFÉS Onami Japanese Restaurant Sofia Bulgarian Restaurant
SAUNAS Sauna City Sauna/Bar Paradise The Tel Aviv section of guidemag.com includes more than 60 gay and lesbian venues of interest.
on the web Tel Aviv Tourism ›visit-tlv.com Gay Tel Aviv ›gaytlvguide.com Gay-Ville ›gay-ville.com Bauhaus Center ›bauhaus-center.com Center Chic Hotel ›atlas.co.il/ center-hotel-tel-aviv Kenes Tours ›kenestours.com Kabbalah Center ›kabbalah.co.il The Namal ›namal.co.il/en/default.aspx
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XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
25
Columbus Who knew there were so many gay people here?
I
Matt Mills
T’S NOT DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE that after the chain flew off the US economy in 2008 untold thousands of young gay people in their 20s and 30s, working early in their careers in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago, lost their jobs or were otherwise marginalized in their work. Full of creative energy and set back but not defeated, many left their chosen metropolises for smaller US cities where the living is less expensive and the pace a bit more relaxed. Places where they could see more social and economic potential. If you look out as you fly into Columbus, Ohio, the city seems like an island jutting from a checkerboard sea of agricultural land. America’s breadbasket, as it’s called, stretches past the horizon in all directions, leaving the city appearing, from that vantage point at least, a bit isolated. But once on the ground, the city feels full of youthful vigour. Have you always wanted to open your own art gallery, antique shop or craft brewery? Retail spaces in Columbus were, at least until recently, large and relatively inexpensive. With its
proximity to the breadbasket, raw materials for artisanal pursuits are plentiful and fresh. It all makes for dining and shopping experiences that gay travellers simply won’t get in larger cities. And Columbus is very gay, too. It’s home to enough gay people to earn it a score among the top 20 US cities on the Gay Index, as developed by demographer Gary Gates and made famous by urban theorist Richard Florida. There are more than 20 gay bars, clubs and restaurants in this city of almost 800,000. Gay people are important enough here that Mayor Michael Coleman spent an evening at a special cocktail party held for the ragtag group of gay journalists invited to visit Columbus.
Short North The Short North neighbourhood, home to many of the city’s gay and gay-friendly businesses and its midJune Pride parade, may be the coolest part of town. Earning its name from its past reputation as the other side of the tracks, Short North has emerged in recent years as the place to be and be seen in Columbus. Much more relaxed
Ever wonder how they make whiskey? Head distiller Ryan Lang can show you at Middle West Spirits. EXPERIENCE COLUMBUS
Clockwise from top: Columbus skyline at night; the Book Loft in German Village is one of the largest independent booksellers in the US; performer Nina West is a Columbus institution — find her at superdragqueen.com. EXPERIENCE COLUMBUS
than major metropolitan hot spots, it stretches along North High St, almost 15 blocks from Nationwide Blvd past West Fifth St just a few blocks south of Ohio State University. The people are Midwest-friendly. There is a great mix of ages among them, from students to old-timers, and they seem not only to fit together nicely, but there is something for everyone. On the first Saturday evening of every summer month, thousands converge on the neighbourhood for the monthly Gallery Hop. More than 40 businesses, including almost 20 art galleries, showcase some of Ohio’s best artists and craftspeople. Street performers abound, and each event attracts thousands of visitors. It is not to be missed, so plan ahead. There are at least nine hotels and B&Bs in the area, but I stayed comfortably at the Hampton Inn. It’s conveniently located at the south end of Short North and an easy walk to the action. Visit North Market, right next to the hotel, to sample delicious pastries, meats and other tasty treats. If you’re feeling adventurous, tour the city centre the fun way, via Segway. Antique and secondhand bric-a-brac
stores here, like Flower Child, are stuffed with you-just-can’t-get-theseanymore treasures at reasonable prices. Eat dinner at Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse. The place is huge and the food and cocktails are delicious. Stop for drinks at the swanky Level Dining Lounge, then head over to Axis Nightclub for dancing, drag and, on some nights, more than 1,000 gay men.
Sojourn There is also much of interest to gay travellers off Short North. For nightlife, check out Wall Street Nightclub and Club Diversity. Eat at Milestone 229. Take a walk around German Village. Have a decadent brownie or blondie at Sugar Daddy’s. Bibliophiles could lose themselves for days at Book Loft. The craft-beer and -spirit makers in Columbus are amazing. Middle West Spirits is a distiller of vodka and whiskey in very small batches. Proprietors Brady and Ryan offer tours and tastings on Friday evenings and Gallery Hop nights. Be sure to stop by Brothers Drake Meadery to finally taste mead — a boozy honeyfermented drink. You’ll love it.
on the web Experience Columbus ›experiencecolumbus.com Outlook Columbus Magazine ›outlookmedia.com North Market ›northmarket.com Segway ›segawaytoursofcolumbus.com Flower Child ›flowerchildvintage.com Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse ›hydeparkrestaurants.com Level Dining Lounge ›levelcolumbus.com Axis Nightclub ›columbusnightlife.com Wall Street Nightclub ›wallstreetnightclub.com Club Diversity ›clubdiversity.biz Milestone 229 ›milestone229.com German Village ›germanvillage.com Sugar Daddy’s ›sugardaddys.com Book Loft ›bookloft.com Middle West Spirits ›middlewestspirits.com Brothers Drake Meadery ›brothersdrake.com Find more about Columbus at guidemag.com, including more than 80 gay and lesbian venues of interest.
26
Guidemag.com A World of Gay Adventure
XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
Black&Blue Montreal’s kickass circuit party enters its third decade
Green landscapes and Mount Pico are both emblematic of the Azores. BJORN EHRLICH
INAUGURAL AZORES PRIDE PARADE Nine gorgeous, lush islands make up the Azores archipelago, situated in the North Atlantic Ocean approximately 1,500 kilometres west of Lisbon. The capital, Ponta Delgada, is on São Miguel, the largest of the islands and home to the international airport. It is also where the Azores’ first Pride parade was held, on Sept 1. São Miguel, commonly known as the “green island,” offers breathtaking views. The main attraction is Lagoa das Sete Cidades (aka Lagoon of the Seven Cities). Best viewed from the Vista do Rei lookout, these twin lakes — one green and the other blue — are situated in the crater of a dormant volcano. The charming and quaint towns of São Miguel, especially in Nordeste,
the northeast part of the island, offer some of the best views on the island. Another must-visit is the town of Furnas, known for its thermal springs. The islands are best travelled by car, which allows tourists to stop often to visit small towns and villages, meet locals and, perhaps, savour the delicacies of a home-cooked Portuguese meal. — Armando Mendonça
on the web For information on flights, tours and accommodation: Visit Azores ›visitazores.com Sata Express ›sata.pt Visit Portugal ›visitportugal.com
VISITING OTTAWA?
As October draws near, circuit queens have reason to rejoice. The Black & Blue, Montreal’s epic circuit party, widely regarded as one of the best in the world, is back — and raunchier than ever. The theme for the 22nd annual party is Evolution (it must be the Cirque du Soleil influence, as Black & Blue themes often seem kind of new age). There will be a slew of celebrated DJs, including David Morales, Tom Stephan, Stephan Grondin, Paskal Daze, Raneem, Oren D and Paul Random, as well as a leather ball, a fetish ball, a tea dance, an all-night jock party (with nude dancers!) and a grand tribute to drag (to be held at Cabaret Mado). This year there’s even an event fêting Alternative Talents, which sounds like the queer-party equivalent of a great big surprise package. The Black & Blue, which is run by the Bad Boy Club Montreal (BBCM), has had its bumps and scrapes over the years. Some have criticized what they see as a thinly veiled promotion of drug culture and accompanying lapses in safer-sex practices. But the BBCM has worked hard to distribute condoms and safe-sex education, and BBCM founder and president Robert Vezina says their event is one of the safest on the entire circuit. At the main event — the overnight dance
FROM
party — medical staff are on site in case of any overdoses. And public sex is not permitted on the premises. The BBCM has had its run-ins with police, who once threatened to shut down the Black & Blue a few hours before the doors were to open (after careful negotiation, the crisis was averted). “We’re at a very good point right now,” Vezina says. “We have strong relations with police, and the public know that we throw a great party.” Vezina adds that attracting new talent is now not a problem. “DJs who have never spun with us are eager to get here, because they’ve heard how great our crowd is, how good our lighting is, how strong our choreography is. And the DJs who have already been with us are happy to come back. Years of hard work and putting together a quality event has paid off.”
Vezina says criticisms of the Black & Blue — and circuit parties in general — have faded in recent years. “I don’t think circuit parties cause bad behaviour. That’s too simplistic an argument. We are about throwing a really great series of parties and bringing people together. I’m so proud of the fact that we have a very diverse crowd coming to our events. We’ve had a great time and raised a lot of money for community charities while doing so.” — Matthew Hays For more info on programming and tickets, visit bbcm.org.
the deets THE BLACK & BLUE FESTIVAL Wed, Oct 3–Tues, Oct 9 Main event on Sun, Oct 7 bbcm.org
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Toronto’s online directory of gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses
indexdirectory.ca
indexdirectory.ca ACCOMMODATIONS - BRITISH COLUMBIA The Eagle’s Nest B&B
866-766-9350
FOUNDATION REPAIRS
ORGANIC FOOD
G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service
Front Door Organics 905-824-2557
ACCOMMODATIONS - ONTARIO
FUNERAL SERVICES
Holiday Inn 416-542-6008 Neill-Wycik Summer Hotel 416-977-2320 Trinity House Inn 1-800-265-4871
Morley Bedford Funeral Services
ACCOUNTANTS
The Cliffside Carpenter
Hema Murdock C.A.
416-696-6653
ADULT 416-323-0771
ADVERTISING
416-266-4674
Crewman & Co
416-929-7222
HAIR REMOVAL LJ’s Laser Hair Removal Clinic 647-971-9855 Hamilton location 289-237-7089
raymondhelkio.com
AIDS/HIV RESOURCES 416-850-3795 647-291-0420
ALTERNATIVE HEALTH
647-348-0104
Front Door Organics The Big Carrot
ARTS & CRAFTS Wise Daughters Craft Market 416-761-1555
AUTOMOTIVE SALES & LEASING 905-886-3380 xt 17309
BARS & CLUBS (TORONTO) 416-410-5426 416-972-0887
St Jamestown Steaks & Chops 416-925-7665 416-266-4674
CHEESE SHOPS 416-465-7143
CHIROPRACTORS gesund
416-913-5170
Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto
416-406-6228
CINEMAS Rainbow/Carlton Cinemas
416-494-9371
CLEANING & MAID SERVICES CondoFresh
647-448-5213
COMMUNITY GROUPS & SERVICES Canadian Lesbian & Gay Archives (CLGA) Enterprise Toronto
416-777-2755 416-392-6646
COMPUTER SALES & SERVICE Around The Clock I.T. Solutions 416-657-4395 Contemporary Computers 1-877-724-9000
CONCRETE - CONTRACTORS G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service
905-824-2557
G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service Newbright Construction
HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING 360 Living Inc
416-920-7200
HOME IMPROVEMENT & REPAIRS Bryant Renovations G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service Newbright Construction
416-260-0818 905-824-2557 416-985-8639
Meticulous Inspections, Inc
647-287-1962
INVESTMENT SERVICES Kenton Waterman, Investors Group Financial Services 416-860-1668
JUICE BARS 416-924-4671
905-824-2557 416-985-8639
416-445-8439
LAWYERS Abrams & Krochak 416-482-3387 xt 22 Adam Weisberg 416-603-3344 Cynthia Borovoy Warren 416-964-0900 David M. Cohn 416-777-1100 Harvey L Hamburg 416-968-9054 Janice P Warren 416-323-7767 Kirk J. Cooper 416-923-4277 Law Office of El-Farouk Khaki 416-925-7227 Michael Battista 416-203-2899 Morzaria Law 647-259-1990 Paul T. Willis 416-926-9806 Robert G Coates 416-925-6490 Zubas + Associates Employment Law 416-593-5844
416-504-8888
LEGAL SERVICES
G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service
MAIL & COURIER SERVICES
Dr David W Grossman
416-968-6437
COUNSELLING Becky Liddle Change4U2 David W Routledge Phillip Coupal Counselling
647-989-1555 416-827-7578 416-944-1291 416-557-7312
DENTAL SERVICES Adelaide Dental 416-429-0150 Dr Kevin Russelo & Associates 416-966-0117 Galleria Dental 416-534-9991 Yonge & Bloor Dental 647-350-3501
DOG & CAT GROOMING Tailspin Dog Spa
416-920-7387
DRAG Take a Walk on the Wildside
416-921-6112
ENTERTAINMENT Village Vapor Lounge
416-972-9500
FIREPLACES 360 Living Inc
416-966-3008
416-920-7200
416-699-9955
PET STORES & SUPPLIES Helmutt’s Pet Supply
416-504-1265
Becky Liddle
416-967-9221
Our meetings are informal, confidential and very helpful. We’re here to support you on your journey.
416-968-6437
Please visit our website: www.gayfathers-toronto.com
647-989-1555
PSYCHOTHERAPY Becky Liddle Bruce M. Small Jude Johnston
647-989-1555 416-598-4888 416-921-8629
PUBLICATIONS Fab Magazine Xtra (Toronto) Lee Caswell Leon Belov Louis Amaral
416-625-6665 416-925-6665 905-373-2236 416-703-0600 416-200-0969
REAL ESTATE AGENTS Gaelen Patrick Joe Sipione,
416-801-9265 416-720-6611
RENOVATIONS & RESTORATIONS 416-260-0818
RESTAURANTS & CAFÉS C’est What? Brew/ Vin Pub Restaurant 416-867-9499 Cora Breakfast & Lunch Carlton St 416-340-1350 Wellington St 416-598-2672 Fire on the East Side 416-960-3473 Hair of the Dog 416-964-2708 The Blake House 416-975-1867 The Churchmouse & Firkin 416-927-1735
SEX SHOPS Condom Shack Stag Shop
416-596-7515 416-323-0772
SHIPPING The UPS Store
Spiritual services
PROUD LIVES Commemorate those who have recently passed away. This space is donated by Xtra. Call 416-644-5214 for more information. Please limit text to 50 words or less. Ideally, photos will be digital images at 2” x 3” with a resolution of 250dpi.
416-966-3008
LJ’s Laser Hair Removal Clinic 647-971-9855 Hamilton location 289-237-7089
T-SHIRTS Gemini Tees
416-319-9171 416-913-5170 647-955-0723 647-330-2539
MEATS & DELICATESSENS St Jamestown Steaks & Chops
416-925-7665
416-768-5755
TANNING SALONS 647-350-8456
TAX SERVICES 647-270-8057
THEATRE Buddies in Bad Times Theatre 416-975-8555
TRAVEL AGENCIES Travel ABC
Christian Healing Service For HIV-positive people, their friends, family, and caregivers. Eucharistic liturgy including sacrament of anointing of the sick. Our Lady of Lourdes Church (Sherbourne north of Wellesley). Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, Sept 15th, 2012 - 7:00pm All welcome to join with us, third Saturday of every month.
REAL ESTATE › Homes for rent OAKVILLE 3 BDRM, 2 full bath, open concept living/dining/kitchen, hardwood floors throughout. Upper bedroom opens to new deck. $1800.00/mth. Laundry, A/C, utilities included. Avail immed. 905-875-8485
Homes for share Don Mills, Room for rent, non-smoking, all gay household (with cat). $600 monthly plus 1/3 utilities & food, includes parking, phone, internet access, cable. Over 40 with references would be nice. 416-510-6944
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416-201-3000
SPA SERVICES
CJH Tax Services
EMPLOYMENT ›
Cottages PRIVATE LOT $169,900
Adult
THE GREAT CANADIAN MALE will be in Toronto to discover fresh new faces for its adult website. Must Be 19-50 Email: applications@ thegreatcanadianmale.com Call for info 289-948-0084
800-665-3769
1&1/2 HRS FROM Toronto4 BEDROOMS; UPDATED OPEN CONCEPT KITCHEN/LIVING ROOM;FLOOR TO CEILING FIREPLACE; NEWER VINYL PLANK FLOORING;HALF ACRE LOT;BACKS ONTO WATERFRONT PARK-5 MIN. WALK TO BEACH;CALL KAREN MATZ, RE/MAX GEORGIAN BAY REALTY LTD. AT 705-543-1387 - MLS 20121730 !
Cottages SCHOOLHOUSE $229,900 1&1/2 HRS FROM TORONTO BUILT IN 1901; VAULTED CEILINGS; ORIGINAL LIGHTS; WOODSTOVE; NEW PROPANE FURNACE,SEPTIC & DRILLED WELL; 3 BEDROOMS; FULL BASEMENT; COUNTRY CHARM CLOSE TO GOLF, SKI HILLS, & BEACHES; CALL KAREN MATZ, RE/MAX GEORGIAN BAY REALTY LTD. AT 705-543-1387 PHOTOS- REALTOR.CA -MLS 20121844
Xtra offers frequency discounts. Call 416-644-5214 to learn more!
Business space OFFICE FOR LEASE Professional office space available with kitchenette, 567 s.f., 65 Wellesley Street E. 2nd Floor. $1,750/mth. Call Dane, 905-337-0800
TREE SERVICES
MENTALIST scienceofillusion.com
MORTGAGES
Kelly’s Tree Care Ltd Sunset Beech Tree Care
416-462-0007 647-989-3509
Ontario-Wide Financial Corp 416-925-3974
UPHOLSTERY
MOVING & STORAGE
Re-Wrap Custom Upholstery 416-214-6400
Agility Moving & Storage Ltd Avery Moving & Storage Manhattan Movers Marsh Movers
Dr Jason Hershorn
The 519 Church Street Community Centre Room 304
PHYSICIANS Dr David W Grossman
Etai Tintpulver gesund Patrick Reilly, RMT The Power of Touch.com
gesund
Gay Fathers meets at 8 PM the second and fourth Thursday of each month:
PHARMACIES The Village Pharmacy
Afterglo Tan Bar
EXPAND YOUR CONTACT LIST!
VETERINARIANS 416-654-5029 416-239-9565 416-259-2181 416-823-7512 416-913-5170
OPTOMETRISTS 416-750-9097
Pets At Peace
MASSAGE CERTIFIED/REGISTERED
NATUROPATHY
FLOORING Craftwood Flooring
416-410-2266
The UPS Store
Dr Robert Ing
416-920-7387
PET MORTUARIES & CREMATORIES
Front Door Organics
Doc’s Leathers & Motorcycle Gear
CONTRACTING & RENOVATIONS 905-824-2557
MARRIED? DIVORCED? GAY? BI? HAVE CHILDREN?
SHOPPING
Craig Penney
COSMETIC SERVICES
Tailspin Dog Spa
Bryant Renovations
LASER EYE SURGERY Clearview Institute
Notices
416-843-1318
REAL ESTATE
Kenton Waterman, Investors Group Financial Services 416-860-1668
To place an ad, call 416-925-6665 xt 0 or book your line classified at xtra.ca
PET CARE
PSYCHOLOGISTS
LEATHER LIFE
CONSTRUCTION
PARTY PLANNERS
Michael Mooney Photography mooneyphoto.ca 416-201-3000 416-466-2129
Juice Box
CHURCHES
647-588-1774 416-985-8639 416-449-6204
PHOTOGRAPHERS
INSURANCE
CARPENTERS
Leslieville Cheese Market
416-201-3000
HOME INSPECTION SERVICES
BUTCHERS
The Cliffside Carpenter
Front Door Organics
HEALTH FOODS & NUTRITION
ART GALLERIES
Fly Nightclub Woody’s / Sailor
HEALTH & PERSONAL CARE
mycm.ca
My CannaMeds Akasha Art Projects
HAIR STYLISTS & BARBERS Ragga Hair and Beauty Salon 416-368-8113
Canadian Seed Exchange Medical Compassion Clinic
BMW Autohaus
416-489-8733
GARDENING
416-201-3000
PAINTING CM Painting & Decorating Newbright Painting Performance Painters
FURNITURE - CUSTOM
Davenport Garden Centre
Stag Shop Raymond Helkio Advertising /Design
27
416-922-5511
Blue Cross Animal Hospital
416-469-1121
CANADA’S GAY & LESBIAN BUSINESS DIRECTORY — IN PRINT AND ONLINE.
IAN GAY & LESB TORONTO’SS DIRECTORY BUSINES
WATERPROOFING G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service
ry.ca indexdirecto
905-824-2557
WEBSITES Guidemag.com Squirt.org Xtra.ca
guidemag.com squirt.org xtra.ca
CAN ADA’S IAN GAY & LESB NEWS
SPRING 2012
indexdirectory.ca NEXT TORONTO RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 15
28
Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gay & lesbian news
XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
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JOB OPPORTUNITY Daily Xtra Editor-in-Chief Dailyxtra.com, a new website to be launched this year by Pink Triangle Press to replace xtra. ca, needs an editor-in-chief who will develop and lead a team of reporters, editors and video producers located in multiple cities. To read the full description of this position and details on how to apply, visit the Jobs section of xtra.ca.
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Call 1-800-268-XTRA to book your classiďŹ ed or book online at xtra.ca
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Please recycle this paper! 4SEASONS MASSAGE THERAPY & AESTHETICS Charles Guo, RMT. Registered Massages, Hot Stone Treatment, Waxing Hair Removal and Facials services. Receipt for insurance. First Time Client 50% oďŹ&#x20AC; waxing services. 40 Wellesley St E, Ste 201. 647-833-3274. 4seasonsmassage.ca BRENT ROUSSEAU RMT For treatment of muscle injuries, pain and stress management, and enhancement of physical health and well being. Day, evening, and weekend appts. available. Insurance coverage, Visa accepted, free parking, 416-708-3996. Broadview/Danforth. brentrousseau.com
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NEXT CLASSIFIED DEADLINE:
Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re whores, get used to it Porndoggy Jeremy Feist
W
HOR Eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S KIND OF A loaded word, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it? And considering how versatile and bandied about it is, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sort of become the de facto term of degradation when launching the first salvo in a bitch fight. Stupid whore, dirty whore, cheap whore, whorey whore . . . See what I mean? The sad thing is, in a completely logical world, whore wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even be all that degrading. If the worst thing you can say about a person is that he or she really likes sex, you probably donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have much of a leg to stand on. Humans are genetically programmed to like sex, so at this point, calling someone a whore is like calling someone fat: youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re begrudging someone for indulging because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on a diet. La-di-dah. Does your crotch hurt from riding the high horse so often? Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that? Tie my screed into something that has to do with porn already, you say? Well, might as well. Brent Corrigan â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or Sean Paul Lockhart, or whatever heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s calling himself these days, now that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trying to break into mainstream acting â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
Pornstar Brent Corrigan should not be ashamed that he gets paid to have sex.
allegedly placed an ad on Rentboy recently, and I use the term â&#x20AC;&#x153;allegedlyâ&#x20AC;? in the loosest sense possible: as soon as the ad was discovered, Brent/ Sean denied its veracity, stating that it was a fake. The director of Rentboy later revealed that the ad was paid for using Brent/Seanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s credit card, and the mailing address checked out with his credit card company. Whoops. Now, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get one thing clear: nothing he did was inherently wrong
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; up until he started trying to deny it. The guyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gotta put food on the table, and if that means renting, more power to him. Just wear a condom. Trying to deny he placed the ad, on the other hand, was pretty shitty. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s far better to be a whore than a hypocrite, but being both just makes the rest of us whores look bad. Embracing your sex life is an integral part of being a well-adjusted adult. Whether you have a lot of sex or no sex, free sex or paid sex, gay sex or straight sex, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter what you do but how you do it. If you happen to be whoring with a little integrity, then thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing anyone can say about you. But if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re angling for those Rentboy dollars while trying to pretend you are but a demure little angel, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be surprised when people ask you to refrain from throwing rocks in your glass house. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not trying to go down to where you work and slap the dicks out of your mouth; I just think if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to suck them, you might as well suck them with a little pride. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a blowjob, a rimjob or even a handjob, as long as you do your job with respect for yourself and others, then whore it loud and whore it proud. Jeremy Feist is a Toronto pornstar. Porndoggy appears in every issue of Xtra.
FOR ISSUE #728 MON, SEPT 17 @ 1PM MERCHANDISE â&#x20AC;ş Miscellaneous CHURCH OF TECHNO - E-book Collection - Esoteric/Fringe and Occult Library $50 for 1700 Ebooks - Easy Download Process- PDF format. Email: tarotpsychic@gmail.com for info
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30
Toronto’s gay & lesbian news
XTRA! SEPT 6, 2012
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You get the $200 in travel He gets to carry the luggage
Enjoy the freedom of a TD First Class Travel Card No expiry on TD Points.1 No blackouts or seat restrictions.2 Not just for flights. Complete flexibility. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to make the move to the TD First Class Travel Card. Ask us how. Visit a branch, tdcanadatrust.com/travel, or call 1-866-389-5808 to learn more. Apply by September 14th for $200 in travel upon approval.3
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TD Points do not expire as long as you are a Cardholder. 2Subject to carrier/space availability. 3Applies to new TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Accounts (Account) only. You must apply by September 14, 2012. The $200 in travel value will be awarded to the Account as a bonus of 40,000 TD Points (Bonus) upon approval. Limit of one Bonus per Account. Individuals who have an existing TD First Class Travel Account that was opened before July 23, 2012 (Existing Account) and that close the Existing Account on or after July 23, 2012 are not eligible for this Bonus offer. Other conditions apply. Offer may be changed, extended or withdrawn at any time without notice and cannot be combined with any other offer. ÂŽ / The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank or a wholly-owned subsidiary, in Canada and/or other countries.
1