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#534 FEB 13–26, 2014

VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

CAN THIS PILL PREVENT

HIV?

The promise and uncertainty of pre-exposure prophylaxis E10

Exploring: never stop Single Tablet Regimens (one pill, once a day) are a step forward in HIV treatment.

Explore more at exploreHIV.ca

2 FEB 13–26, 2014 XTRA!

While they’re not a cure, these treatment options are designed to be effective and convenient. If you’ve been exploring different HIV treatments, talk to your doctor about Single Tablet Regimens too. It’s good to know what is out there.

VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

Published by Pink Triangle Press PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Brandon Matheson

#534 FEB 13–26, 2014

ALEXEY VINOGRADOV

Roundup

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Editorial For the love of fucking

By Danny Glenwright E4 Feedback E4 Xcetera E5

What’s On E18 Xposed WinterPride

By Gregory Whiting E19 Real Estate E19

Upfront

Daily Xtra Travel

Qmunity promises full consultation “We see this as incredibly important, and we want to get it right” E7

Reinventing Curaçao The Dutch island finds new life as one of the Caribbean’s most gay-friendly vacation spots E20

Thurlow Street tower ChurchBosa building would create subsidized seniors’ housing E8 Changes to liquor laws welcomed E9 Cover story Take a pill You’re HIV-negative. You’d like to stay that way. Is a daily dose of PrEP the solution? E10

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XTRA! FEB 13–26, 2014 3

Comment For the love of fucking EDITORIAL DANNY GLENWRIGHT

“If having sex can kill you, doesn’t anybody with half a brain stop fucking?”

Dr Emma Brookner’s question in Larry Kramer’s play The Normal Heart is a cymbal-crashing line that resonates even after the scene is over — at least in the 2012 production I saw at Toronto’s Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

Of course the answer is no, it’s not quite so simple — even for Emma’s gay friend Ned, who takes up her call for abstinence and then promptly falls in love. He soon learns that even monogamy is no defence against AIDS. But her words also reverberate because they are ideologically weighted down, typifying a stigma associated with gay men’s sexuality that remains pervasive today, even (possibly especially) within our own community.

Stigma is central to the discussion surrounding the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a daily medical regimen that is being used by HIVnegative gay men as a way to stay that way (see page 10 for the full story).

The emergence of PrEP, a drug that has the potential to once again significantly change how we have sex, is being hailed as a game-changer in the history of HIV/AIDS. But an in-depth Xtra investigation

reveals questions around its effectiveness, not to mention widespread ambivalence among sexually active gay men. Perhaps this is not surprising. Even though the pill, Truvada, is not yet approved in Canada for use as PrEP, I’m not sure it would be widely taken up if it were.

For one, studies seem to indicate that it’s effective only if taken consistently every day. It also comes with a hefty price tag: more than $850 a month unless you’re covered by the right insurance plan.

And then there’s the other issue of access — to non-judgmental doctors willing to prescribe Truvada as PrEP to sexually active gay men.

Interestingly, uptake among gay men has been tepid in the United States, where the Food and Drug Administration approved Truvada for use as an HIV preventative in 2012. Lisa Capaldini, a doctor who treats gay men, noted in a recent New York Times article about PrEP that she’s seen “very little interest” among her patients. While the same article highlighted stigma from healthcare workers as one possible reason for this, it also noted stigma among gay men. Apparently a new word for PrEP users — “Truvada whore” — is being used on gay social networks.

When will we stop stigmatizing one another? If we have HIV, if we like to bareback, if we participate in

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.

Happy s e n i t n e l a V Day, Boo! 4 FEB 13–26, 2014 XTRA!

group sex — somehow gay men continue to stigmatize other gay men for all these reasons. And now we’re stigmatizing those who acknowledge they sometimes bareback and therefore want to ensure they can do it as safely as possible.

Here’s the reality: about half of us do not consistently use condoms with casual sex partners. This is according to a 2008 Public Health Agency of Canada study that also found that more than three quarters of men who sleep with men (MSM) in Canada said they’d had at least one casual sex partner in the six months prior to the study. It’s worth juxtaposing this finding with a similar study that found between 11 and 23 percent of MSM in Canadian cities have HIV. The fact is, many of us would not choose to use PrEP even if it was cheaper and more readily available.

It doesn’t make sense for everyone, including those who always fuck with condoms or have easy access to postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) if they do slip up.

Even so, after several decades living with the blight of HIV, we know that we still love fucking and we’re not going to stop just because it’s risky.

So can’t we get half a brain and have an honest discussion about PrEP without stigmatizing each other?

Go to dailyxtra.com for our four-part video series on PrEP.

Danny Glenwright is the managing editor of Xtra Toronto.

email comment@dailyxtra.com comment dailyxtra.com & facebook.com/dailyxtra tweet @dailyxtra

FEEDBACK Nyet to Sochi I agree with much that is said in Spencer Chandra Herbert’s guest column [“Why I’m Saying Nyet to Sochi Winter Games,” dailyxtra.com, Feb 5], but the athletes deserve to be supported and celebrated. We can tackle all of the other issues together, but I do not agree with refusing to watch the athletes. Refusing to watch them does nothing. The advertisers have paid their money to advertise; the networks will air the Olympics whether I watch or not. They get their money regardless. It only hurts the athletes, who deserve our support.

Now I’m on my way to tackle a corporate sponsor (McDonald’s) in the bitter cold, with my daughter, to protest against those who deserve it most: corporate sponsors and the IOC. But, as the mother of a world-class-level athlete who will be competing at a world level in September, please support our athletes.

CARRIE BERCIC (FACEBOOK)

To the highest bidder go the spoils, and the IOC is at the head of the line.

GERRY BURNIE (FACEBOOK)

Olympics should be scrapped.

BRUCE TEEL (FACEBOOK)

Asylum for gay Ugandan So happy to welcome Michael to Canada [“Escaping Uganda,” Xtra #533, Jan 30]. It makes me very proud to be Canadian when I hear stories like his.

Hopefully, we can accept more people

from Uganda and other countries that are less than humane when it comes to human rights.

GGRMCD (DAILYXTRA.COM)

Remembering Cary Grant A dear friend to the Knights of Malta Dogwood Chapter of Vancouver, BC; another generous and supportive friend is now gone but not forgotten [“Former Dufferin Manager Dies,” dailyxtra.com, Jan 9]. Rest in peace, Cary, knowing you are many people’s fondest memory of gay Vancouver.

JAMES DEYOUNG (FACEBOOK)

Thanks to HIM Congrats to the Health Initiative for Men (HIM) for all their hard work strengthening the health and wellbeing of gay men. As their statistics on condom distribution and HIV testing show, they are really having an impact!

Vancouver thanks you.

DENIS RICHER (EMAIL)

The happie s of my life t 9 years ha with you a ve been nd Z Love Grant ac.

VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

XCETERA TRANS COUTURE

Barney’s family SAMESAME.COM.AU

New York department store Barney’s features 17 transgender models of varying ages, nationalities and racial and socioeconomic backgrounds in its spring Brothers, Sisters, Sons and Daughters campaign.

ONLINE ACTIVISM

SOCHI UNDERWATER FACEBOOK.COM

A coalition of Russian LGBT organizations — Russian LGBT Network, Coming Out, Side by Side Film Festival, Russian LGBT Sport Federation, Rakurs and Out Loud — has created a social media avatar that it’s urging the global community to use as Facebook and Twitter profile images in support of the country’s queer citizens.

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NO TURNING BACK Despite the Indian Supreme Court’s Dec 11 reinstatement of a law that criminalizes gay sex, thousands of defiant queer people and their allies took to the streets for Mumbai Pride.

“We are being considered criminals in our own country, and it’s becoming more important that we come out strongly,” activist Sonal Giani told Xtra.

XTRA! FEB 13–26, 2014 5

6 FEB 13–26, 2014 XTRA!

VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

Upfront

It’s a win, win, win for everyone, especially people in the West End. Gillan Jackson E8

Qmunity promises consultation ‘We see this as incredibly important, and we want to get it right,’ says Dara Parker QUEER SPACE SHAUNA LEWIS

Every seat was taken at an information session held Feb 6 by Qmunity to discuss the creation of its new community centre, for which the organization was recently awarded $7 million by the City of Vancouver.

Qmunity executive director Dara Parker told the approximately 75 attendees that she hoped to provide clarity and transparency in the process of finding Qmunity a new home.

Though this session was focused on sharing preliminary information, clearing up any misunderstandings and answering questions, Parker said Qmunity is planning a thorough, multipronged community consultation after a site for the new facility is secured, likely later this year.

“There was a lot of misinformation and a lot of questions from the community, and so we realized that we needed to create an opportunity,” she said.

“As soon as we’ve secured a site, we’re going to embark on a much broader community consultation,” she continued. “We see this as incredibly important, and we want to get it right.”

Qmunity sees itself “as a shepherd” moving the project forward for the community, Parker said.

The organization plans to hire a neutral third party to run the consultation and engage the community in multiple ways, including, perhaps, town halls, focus groups and online interactions.

“Qmunity really sees itself as an umbrella for the LGBTQ community,” Parker said. “We want to be a central hub.”

Parker said Qmunity is anticipating a 10,000-square-foot facility and expects its construction to cost $10 million, $7 million of which has already been secured. She hopes to receive the remainMORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM

ing $3 million from other development projects’ community amenity funds.

While Parker is confident that Qmunity can raise the capital to create the facility, she says the organization will have to find ways to increase its operating budget to sustain the space once it’s built.

Parker said Qmunity is working closely with the city to find a site in or close to the gay village by the end of the year.

It will also have to be accessible, with some visible, street-level access, she said, and offer a “mix of flexible, multipurpose spaces.”

Though many people have indicated in past consultations that they would like a designated theatre space, Parker said multi-use rooms would likely make more sense in 10,000 square feet. She suggested, for example, a space that could at times be used to present performances while at other times hosting seniors’ yoga classes. But all ideas are still on the table, she said.

Ron Dutton, who runs BC’s gay archives, said 10,000 square feet seems “woefully inadequate” for a new community centre. “We’re working within our means,” Parker replied.

Other attendees expressed concern about ensuring a transparent and thorough consultation with diverse members of the community. Parker promised that Qmunity would reach out to as many people in the community as possible through a wide variety of consultation tactics.

“I think it’s really easy to say that you’re going to have consultation with a diverse group of people, but I don’t think that that’s very easy to follow through with,” Chrissy Taylor told Xtra after the information session.

Taylor, who is vice-president of the Vancouver Pride Society, wants to see solid plans that include consultation from all spectrums of the LGBT com-

Qmunity executive director Dara Parker spoke to attendees Feb 6 after hosting an information session on the new community centre. “There was a lot of misinformation and a lot of questions from the community, and so we realized that we needed to create an opportunity,” she said. JAMES LOEWEN

munity, inside and outside the West End. Long-time Qmunity volunteer Vincent Wheeler appreciated the information session. “I feel it has been a very positive part of the process. I’m happy it went so well, and I’ve heard some good things.”

“The information presented tonight was great,” agreed Drew Dennis, executive director of the Vancouver Queer Film Festival.

“I’m encouraged by some of the questions that were asked and also people understanding that it is bigger than the $7 million that’s already been identified and that there will be opportunities for us as members to contribute,” Dennis

said. “I think there will be more clarity to those opportunities as the process unfolds.”

“I like the idea of it being a hub and being anchored in what is recognized — historically and culturally — as community space,” Dennis added.

Though still in the very early planning stages, Parker told Xtra after the meeting that finding a physically and visually accessible space in or near the West End is non-negotiable.

“We want to be accessible on all fronts. We want to be physically accessible, but we also want to be loud and proud. We really want to be front and centre to make sure people know about

us and the services we offer.”

Parker said Qmunity is open to all community feedback throughout the planning stages. “We’d really like to engage a broader community voice, so we’re very open to people participating.”

She reiterated Qmunity’s commitment to hiring a third party to run the consultations. “Having an institution behind the consultation might lend more credibility to the process,” she told Xtra.

She estimates that a new LGBT community centre will be fully functional by 2018.

For more on this story, go to dailyxtra.com.

XTRA! FEB 13–26, 2014 7

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Two months after Vancouver City Council approved a new community plan for the West End, it is now considering a rezoning application for 1155 Thurlow St, currently home to the Central Presbyterian Church.

The proposed project, which is a joint proposal between the church and Vancouver developer Bosa Properties, would see a 22-storey tower built on the site, containing 168 market-value rental units, 45 non-market rental units earmarked for seniors’ housing, replacement space for the church on the first three floors of the building,

and a daycare.

The application was submitted prior to the West End plan’s passage. A community open house on the application held Feb 3 attracted approximately 130 people from the West End. “People are mostly very excited about the affordable housing component,” church elder Gillan Jackson says.

“We’re hopeful that things will go forward. We had a good turnout at the open house,” he says. “It’s a win, win, win for everyone, especially people in the West End.” The land, owned by the church, is worth an estimated $10 million. Jackson estimates the development will

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“We’re hopeful that things will go forward,” church elder Gillan Jackson says.

“It’s a win, win, win for everyone.” SHAUNA LEWIS

VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

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subsidized seniors’ housing cost approximately $50 million. Bosa would pay for the development and retain ownership of the market-value rental units. The 45 non-market rental units would be owned and entirely subsidized by the church for seniors’ housing.

“We provide the land, they [Bosa] provide the building,” Jackson says.

“We end up with a new up-to-date, seismically upgraded church, a daycare and a new housing society dedicated to seniors in the West End, and Bosa will have market-rental housing . . . It works out very well.”

Calls to Bosa were not returned by publication time.

“I love it,” says Dean Malone, who sits on the city’s LGBTQ advisory committee and heads Plum Living, which provides support services to seniors.

He says the proposal presents a “great opportunity” for seniors’ housing in the West End. “We know there are older individuals in the West End that need affordable housing options close to commercial corridors.”

“I think it’s a good project for the community,” agrees Brent Granby, a member of the West End Residents Association. “It’s going to bring a lot to the community in terms of benefits.

They’re going to rebuild the church, they’re having a daycare, and they’ll have community meeting space.

There’s a lot that they’re giving.”

While Granby supports the social and housing benefits tied to the application, he says the building size and height could be an issue for some residents.

“It will be a little challenging for people living in the area to accept,” he predicts, pointing to shadow and view impacts on neighbouring buildings.

“I think it’s always challenging when something new is built in the community,” he says. “It is a big departure from what is there right now.”

“A lot of people should be concerned,” says Randy Helten, director of the West End Neighbours community group. He says the proposed 9.45 floor-space ratio is too high for the size of the lot.

“It is surrounded by small buildings.

It will have a dramatic effect on the character of the neighbourhood in Mole Hill,” he says. “It could set a precedent for building going in the area.”

Despite his concerns about the building’s size and impact, Helten agrees that the proposal’s affordable housing component would be a positive step for the community.

“For any community, to have nonmarket rental housing, a church and a preschool are valuable,” he says.

City planner Kevin McNaney says discussions regarding building form and use are still underway between the city, the church and the developers.

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Changes to liquor laws welcomed While gay-bar owners and the Vancouver Pride Society (VPS) welcome the BC government’s recent announcement about proposed changes to antiquated liquor laws, they say more details are needed to determine how they will be implemented.

“I think it’s definitely modernization; I think overall it’s a good step forward, but we still need to see details of how it will unfold through legislation,” says Vince Marino, owner of the Junction and PumpJack Pubs in Davie Village.

The province announced its support for all 73 recommendations of the BC Liquor Policy Review Jan 31.

If the recommendations are passed, they would bring an end to fenced beer gardens, simplify the process of obtaining a special-occasion licence, MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM

permit the sale of spirit-based drinks at sporting events and concerts, allow liquor to be sold in grocery stores, and permit minors entry into bars when they are accompanied by adults.

VPS manager Ray Lam welcomes the changes, especially the fencelessbeer-garden recommendation. “It means that we can potentially open up the street,” he says. “It’s definitely great news, but we’re still in the very early stages,” he adds, unsure if the changes could take effect in time for the annual Davie Street Dance Party.

Calls to the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch were not returned by press time. — Shauna Lewis

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XTRA! FEB 13–26, 2014 9

COVER STORY

You’re HIV-negative.

You’d like to stay that way.

Is a daily dose of pre-exposure prophylaxis the solution?

Take a

t works like the birth control pill.

It’s a once-a-day tablet. It can have side effects, but for most, it’s relatively safe. Like birth control, it works only if you actually take it every day. And it doesn’t prevent sexually transmitted infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea.

The difference is this pill doesn’t prevent pregnancy. It prevents HIV. The drug is Truvada, which is a common first-line treatment for people who are HIV-positive. But doctors are beginning to prescribe it to people who are HIV-negative as a way of keeping them negative, part of a strategy called preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP for short.

In the United States and the United Kingdom, PrEP has sparked a protracted, public shouting match between its supporters and opponents, who ask whether PrEP is good — not just whether it works, but whether it is something scientists should be researching.

The debate about PrEP has not reached a fevered pitch in Canada, at least not yet.

However, the intensity of the international debate about PrEP has left its mark.

Most of the Canadians I spoke to for this story — on and off the record, inside and outside the AIDS establishment — are to some degree hesitant.

In on-the-record interviews, a common rhythm developed. I would ask a question.

The question would hang in the air for several seconds before I received a careful, measured sound bite.

The drug is not approved for use as PrEP in Canada, yet some doctors are prescribing it anyway, an arrangement that is unusual, although not illegal. Health officials in Quebec have even released guidance for doctors who are prescribing PrEP — even though it’s not approved.

Stranger still, Gilead, the company that makes Truvada, has not even applied for approval in Canada. Has the controversy over PrEP made Gilead shy about seeking approval? Or is there another reason?

CANADIANS ARE ALREADY TAKING PREP

BY MARCUS MCCANN

10 FEB 13–26, 2014 XTRA!

Marc-André LeBlanc began taking PrEP in 2013.

LeBlanc, who lives in Gatineau, Quebec, read about PrEP’s deployment in the US. He found himself thinking a lot about US guidelines — guidance that recommends PrEP for people who are unable or unwilling to consistently use condoms and who are at high risk for HIV. He’d noticed his own condom use slipping over the previous three years. Eventually, he concluded that PrEP was right for him.

He gathered material, including pamphlets, scientific studies and the American guidelines. He took the information to his doctor.

It turned out that his doctor — a gay man with lots of HIV-positive patients — already knew about PrEP. They discussed LeBlanc’s risk profile. His doctor ordered a full round of tests for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, as well as a test to determine kidney health. At a follow-up appointment, his doctor prescribed Truvada. LeBlanc returns for STI and kidney testing every three months. “I just take it with my vitamins, which I’ve been taking for years,” he says. “It’s already part of my routine, so that made it super easy to add Truvada. It’s been seven months, and as far as I know, I haven’t missed a pill.”

LeBlanc’s story highlights some of the hoops Canadians must jump through to access PrEP. First, you have to have a family doctor. And not any doctor will do: you have to feel comfortable talking to him or her about sex. And your doctor has to be knowledgeable (or at least prepared to learn) about HIV — and willing to prescribe a drug off-label.

But the bigger barrier may be price. It costs more than $850 a month. LeBlanc, who is covered by Quebec’s provincial prescription drug plan, pays just $80 a month, with the rest of the tab picked up by the province.

“Cost is a big [problem]. If I had to pay the almost $900 a month, that was going to be a nonstarter. If I had to pay that out of pocket, I absolutely wouldn’t be on PrEP,” he says.

It’s a different story in the rest of the country, which doesn’t have a universal prescription drug coverage. For those with private drug plans, coverage will depend on how Truvada is listed in the plan. In any insurance scheme, a drug may be covered generally or it may be covered only for particular uses.

VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

Without health coverage, PrEP can cost more than $850 a month.

Go to dailyxtra.com for a four-part video series on PrEP.

0.8–3.2% Risk of HIV infection from unprotected anal sex. As with most of this research, the precise number depends on which study you believe.

For Toronto’s Len Tooley, who uses PrEP, the drug is covered by his employer’s insurance plan. He agrees with LeBlanc that cost — along with access to a non-judgmental doctor — can be a major roadblock for those who might otherwise be interested in PrEP. A third factor, Tooley says, is knowledge.

Both LeBlanc and Tooley have worked in the AIDS movement; for them, reading the latest research on HIV is all part of a day’s work. But for the rest of the country, awareness about PrEP remains low.

DOES PREP WORK? The first study to conclude that PrEP reduces HIV risk was released three years ago. It immediately became controversial, and it’s cited by both PrEP supporters and skeptics. To explain why requires a little background on the study itself.

Researchers tracked 2,499 gay men and trans women; half were given Truvada and half a placebo. Researchers asked them all to take the pill every day.

On first blush, the results were less than stellar. The study concluded that the Truvada group experienced a 44-percent reduction of their risk of HIV transmission. Such a reduction is large enough to show that the drug has an effect but perhaps not strong enough to recommend it as an effective prevention strategy.

But here is where things get complicated.

In the study, blood testing revealed only about half of participants given Truvada were actually taking the pills. And, in particular, these tests revealed that every one of the men who tested positive for HIV in

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that group either took the drug irregularly or not at all. The study concluded, tentatively, that Truvada is 92-percent effective, if taken every day. And a subsequent study using the same data and different modelling produced an even rosier number: if Truvada is taken seven days a week, it’s 99-percent effective, researchers found.

Now, these conclusions are less reliable, because the sample size is smaller — 34 newly HIV-positive people, compared to almost 2,500 in the larger study — and not protected by randomization. Therefore, other behavioural factors, such as condom use, could have influenced the results.

So why weren’t participants taking the pill every day? Darrell Tan, a doctor and researcher at St Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, says that people’s attitudes during trials can distort research. “The motivations for taking a drug consistently in a clinical trial could be different than the motivations for taking it in real life,” Tan says.

Tan is launching a new pilot study of PrEP in Toronto in the coming months. He’ll be putting PrEP into the hands of participants outside the clinical trial setting. In other words, the people he will be studying know that they are taking Truvada, not a placebo, and they will be told that the drug has been shown to work.

“PrEP is not a purely biomedical thing. It’s also a behavioural thing. Therefore, the only way to know for sure how effective PrEP will be in real life is to try it in real life.”

Adherence has become one of the central questions of PrEP. Tan’s study will come on the heels of other studies that have had less optimistic results. Researchers halted one study of women in Kenya, Tanzania and

44–99% The amount that PrEP reduces this risk, depending on whom you believe.

PrEP works best when you take it every day.

$850+ The monthly cost of Truvada as PrEP, not counting doctors’ visits or liver screenings.

However, some private drug plans already cover Truvada.

South Africa early because it found no correlation between those given Truvada and those given a placebo. Again, poor adherence was blamed for the results.

There’s a big difference between 44 percent and 99 percent, obviously. The most partisan players in the US will often use one or the other of these stats, usually without explaining the bigger picture.

James Wilton, coordinator of the biomedical science of HIV prevention project at CATIE, has been following PrEP. He’s excited by what he’s seen so far. The bottom line, he says, is that PrEP works — and it works better when taken consistently.

He says there is some promising research showing that consistent use of PrEP may be more than 90-percent effective, but we don’t know for sure because of the limitations of the studies. However — because of study limitations and difficulties in identifying study participants who are taking PrEP consistently — right now we can’t be more precise than that.

Robert Grant, the lead researcher on the first major study, recently told Xtra that he believes PrEP is “more than 99-percent” effective. (Find that interview on dailyxtra.com.)

Wilton adds that most common side effects of PrEP are relatively minor, like nausea, and they tend to disappear after the first few weeks. In a small number of participants, Truvada has led to more serious side effects, including kidney damage and reduced bone mineral density. But even kidney risks have tended to return to normal once patients stop taking the drug.

“So far, the randomized clinical trials do show that Truvada is generally pretty safe for HIV-negative people to take,” Wilton says. “But you have to understand, for HIVpositive people, treatment is taken for the rest of your life. Whereas PrEP is not necessarily an intervention that would be used for a long period of time. It may be months or a few years, but probably not your whole life, and therefore, the long-term impacts, the side effects, the toxicities may be smaller.

But it is certainly something someone needs to consider before taking PrEP.”

WILL CONDOMS BECOME ANTIQUES? You must wear a condom every time you have sex, even if you’re on PrEP. That is the message Tooley received when he was prescribed it by his doctor.

Tooley’s doctor was following American guidelines, which is itself something of a paradox: they recommend PrEP for folks who are at high risk for HIV transmission and who are unable or unwilling to use condoms. But they also recommend using a condom every time you have sex, even after you start taking the pills.

Let’s admit that it’s difficult to talk about

the realities of condom use among gay men.

We tend to think of ourselves as either condom users or barebackers. But the reality is that most gay men have had sex both with and without condoms at some point in their lives.

At the same time, safer-sex messaging for 30 years has had a singular message: use a condom every time you have sex.

“Wearing condoms became associated among gay men with being a good citizen,” LeBlanc says. “So now that there are prevention options — plural — we’ve sort of painted ourselves into a corner.”

If you’re already barebacking, PrEP will reduce your risk. But if you start taking PrEP and drop condoms — well, no one is recommending that. Why? For one thing, condom use is highly effective, at least in theory. In practice, it depends on proper usage, lube and the condom not breaking. It also depends on people actually using them, and we know that people tend to over-report condom adherence in research studies.

Given those variables, it’s hard to say that condom use as it’s actually practised is more effective than PrEP, or the other way around.

But if PrEP can even roughly approximate the risk reduction of condom use, we have to admit that it will change the math on condoms for some gay men, especially those who find the downsides of condom use — reduced sensation, reduced pleasure or reduced intimacy — to be significant.

Both LeBlanc and Tooley say they used condoms before starting PrEP but not always. And now?

“I am curious to know how people would react differently depending on how I answered that question. PrEP or not, my behaviours have changed over time, my relationship status has changed over time, but I think that’s not out of the ordinary,” Tooley says.

LeBlanc, who has been keeping a journal of his sexual practices over the last several years, says that his trend away from condom use pre-dated PrEP. “I’ve committed to looking at my risk behaviour over the last several months to see if it’s changed my behaviour,” LeBlanc says. “My gut instinct is that condom use has not increased. But it’s that old question: is it cause or is it effect? The fact is, I introduced Truvada when I was already taking more risks.”

But LeBlanc also points to a curious research finding. From the randomized control studies, people who have been on PrEP have reduced their risk behaviours, not increased them, he says.

“And you can understand that, because when you’re on Truvada, you have to constantly report to your doctor, and that is an opportunity to stop and reflect on your sexual practices and risk behaviours and be more conscientious about what you do.” continued next page E

XTRA! FEB 13–26, 2014 11

PrEP E continued from previous page

ANOTHER WAY OF THINKING ABOUT RISK Most studies are presented in the media in a way that makes them sound more dramatic than they are. Think of the risk of infection as a pie chart. If you reduce your risk by 90 percent, your remaining risk is a 10th of the pie. Easy.

Easy, that is, but wrong, according to Cindy Patton, a professor at Simon Fraser University. Without introducing PrEP, the risk isn’t 100 percent. For unprotected anal sex with an HIV-positive partner, your average risk is actually pretty small, in the neighbourhood of 1.2 to 2 percent, although, again, it depends on which study you believe.

But all studies of per-act risk of transmission agree: most of the pie chart is already empty. That means that a 90-percent reduction would change the preexisting risk much less, probably reducing it by roughly one percentage point (for instance,

effects, and those were more pronounced in the pill’s early days. As well, there are many ways to reduce the risk of pregnancy without taking a pill, in the same way there is with HIV transmission.

And so, before the pill could be adopted, large numbers of women needed to be convinced that transmission was otherwise impossible to control and very likely to occur, Patton points out.

If you take those lessons and apply them to PrEP, the warning is potentially very chilling. There’s a danger that, in order to sell PrEP to a broad demographic, HIVpositive people will be painted as extremely infectious or reckless or even duplicitous.

Or that condoms will be publicly slagged as inconvenient, imperfect and a buzz kill.

IS IT WORTH IT? At heart, the two biggest and most controversial questions are bound up together: who should be taking PrEP and is it worth it? It’s a point where Tan, who is doing research on PrEP, and Patton, one of its critics, may actually agree.

Consider this. In one scenario, we draw the boundary narrowly. Only the highest-

PrEP makes sense only for people who are at high risk. But what behaviours, exactly, would put someone into that category? At this point, Tan admits, we just don’t know where to draw the line.

WILL HIV-POSITIVE PEOPLE LOSE OUT? How common is inconsistent condom use?

Percentage of participants in a 2008 M-Track study who reported inconsistent condom use with casual partners during receptive anal sex in the six months prior to the study.

51% 44% 57% Toronto

WHEN YOU’RE ON TRUVADA, YOU HAVE TO CONSTANTLY REPORT TO YOUR DOCTOR, AND THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO STOP AND REFLECT ON YOUR RISK BEHAVIOURS AND BE MORE CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOU DO. MARC-ANDRÉ LEBLANC, PATIENT

from 1.2 percent to .12 percent). It’s a lot more modest than what the headlinegrabbing stats suggest.

“So, the touting of a ‘dramatic reduction’ for any individual is simply unknowable.

One percent is very small,” writes Patton, who is on sabbatical and corresponded with Xtra by email. “Basically, you’re a little un-careful, and very unlucky if you get infected with HIV. You are among a good minority if you have a side effect from Truvada.”

It’s also worth remembering that risk fluctuates depending on what people are actually doing in bed.

“Getting infected on any given occasion depends on whether the other person has HIV, how infectious they are at that moment, and whether you ‘receive’ their semen anally, vaginally or orally. That is a lot of contingencies.”

And that gives rise to another, less flattering comparison between PrEP and the birth control pill. The risk of pregnancy, for most of a woman’s ovulation cycle, is relatively low, in the same ballpark as HIV transmission during anal sex, Patton says.

Like Truvada, the birth control pill has side

12 FEB 13–26, 2014 XTRA!

risk people should be on PrEP, folks who, for instance, never use condoms and have sex with multiple unknown partners a week. In that scenario, we don’t have to write very many prescriptions to prevent a new HIV infection.

In another scenario, you draw the boundary more broadly. In this scenario, we include people who have sex less often and who usually wear condoms but sometimes slip up. This larger group’s risk profile is already much lower, and so you’d have to put more people — 10 times more, say — on PrEP to prevent each new infection.

If you’re weighing the costs of giving the drug to many people to prevent one new infection, then the costs are high. There’s no doubt that PrEP as it’s currently used is resource intensive: doctors’ appointments every three months, lab tests and more than $10,000 of pills per patient per year. And there are also the health costs, including nausea and other symptoms when a patient starts, the risk of serious kidney problems in the medium term, and longer-term effects that may not be totally clear yet.

In that sense, the first generation of

Ottawa

Victoria (Vancouver data not available)

1 in 5

Men whose HIV transmission came from gay sex who don’t know their HIV status (about 6,500 men).

SOURCE: DAVID MCLAY STUDY, XTRA INTERVIEWS, CATIE FACT SHEETS

Perhaps most troubling, there is a risk that if HIV-prevention becomes more PrEP focused, it will divert attention and resources from people who are living with HIV. In a recent article in the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, Patton sharply criticizes the South African study of PrEP for women. It was halted because of poor adherence, meaning that the women in the study weren’t taking the pills. One theory of their poor adherence was that, because there was a 50-percent chance that they were getting a sugar pill, there wasn’t a sense of urgency about taking it.

The other theory is that, in areas where HIV medication isn’t widely available, the women in the study were giving the pills to their HIV-positive loved ones, hoping it was the real deal. The study highlights an ethical dilemma about giving HIV-negative people pills that are urgently needed for people who are positive.

A milder form of this conundrum has been raised in Quebec. If there is a surge in prescriptions for Truvada used off-label as PrEP, health officials may be inclined to tighten the rules, for instance by requiring proof that you are HIV-positive before your drug plan will cover the costs. And that would be an extra barrier — essentially more paperwork, perhaps an extra doctor’s visit — to HIV-positive people getting treatment.

Given that PrEP is resource intensive, we can’t yet say for sure what the implications are for others who are HIV-positive and whose access to treatment is already precarious.

But Tooley says there’s another way of looking at PrEP. It’s not a zero-sum game, in which providing Truvada to an HIVnegative person takes the pill away from folks who are positive. “If there are more people who are impacted by access, including now some HIV-negative people, it has the potential to improve access for all.”

PrEP isn’t a bogeyman that will keep pills from HIV-positive people. Instead of restricting access to PrEP, we need to double down on our commitments to eliminating barriers for positive people who need treatment, Tooley says. “Real factors affecting access to HIV meds by poz people are things like lack of comprehensive drug coverage, institutional barriers to healthcare access, being homeless or street-involved and deemed unable to be treated, or being non-status and having difficulty accessing medical services — to name a few.”

WILL PREP EVER BE APPROVED IN CANADA? PrEP is available in Canada, if you can find a doctor willing to prescribe it off-label. But PrEP hasn’t been approved by Health Canada. In fact, Gilead, the maker of Truvada, hasn’t even applied for approval. Why not?

Gilead won’t say. In correspondence with Xtra, Cara Miller, one of its California media reps, would say only that, while they haven’t applied, “discussions are ongoing with the Canadian regulatory agency.”

What does that mean? It’s hard to say.

It could mean that Gilead wants special treatment for PrEP in the approval process (which it got in the US). Or it could mean an application by Gilead was submitted but deemed incomplete. Or it could be a simple blow-off to a journalist thousands of kilometres away from Gilead’s headquarters.

Nonetheless, the fact that Gilead doesn’t have an application in the hopper at Health Canada is significant. One possibility is that Gilead isn’t strongly committed to using Truvada as PrEP. In the high-stakes world of drug patents, the goal is to keep generic drug companies out of the market. One of the main ways to extend the life of a patent, and to therefore keep generics out, is to find what’s called “a new indication” for the drug. By doing so, you make it harder for a generic drug company to enter the market.

Truvada’s main use is as a first-line treatment for people who are HIV-positive.

Doctors like to prescribe it because it’s relatively safe, in terms of side effects, and because it’s a simple once-a-day pill.

Using Truvada as PrEP is a new indication, but it’s essentially a side show for Gilead.

After PrEP was approved in the US in 2012, fewer than 1,300 prescriptions were filled for it in the whole country. Those numbers are expected to rise this year, but not by much. Predictions for 2013 peg PrEP scripts at around 2,000. And that’s in the US, known for having some of the most inclusive formularies in the world.

Insurance companies tend to cover a much broader range of drugs in the US. It’s entirely possible that Gilead has done the math, and given the dismal uptake in the US, decided it’s not worth the cost of the application here in Canada.

Or, at least, not yet. It’s possible that interest in PrEP among gay men or other higher-risk groups may climb gradually, as more and more people become aware of it as an option. And research on other drugs and other methods of delivery that could be used as PrEP — for instance as an injectible — are coming down the pipeline, which will likely create more buzz.

But in the meantime, don’t expect a PrEP revolution anytime soon.

Go to dailyxtra.com for a four-part video series on PrEP.

VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

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VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

OutintheCity

Throwing good shade requires a bit of wit, something most of the girls lack. Raziel Reid E17

Turning into our mothers Comedian brings her 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother to Vancouver She also points to a common thread that links the Jewish mothers she met.

“They all communicate with their children For many women, the possibility of someday regularly,” says Gold, who admits to at least turning into their mothers is terrifying; for one telephone conversation with her mother self-described “loudmouth Jew lesbo” every day, too. “There was this very, very deep Judy Gold, it’s already come true. While connection with their kids.” the actress/comedian may not Woven among the interviews — which infully embrace the idea, she can’t clude questions such as “What makes Jewish help but laugh about it. moms better than other moms?” and “Are “Oh my god, yes, and it is Jewish mothers really more paranoid?” — Gold awful! She has taken over shares stories of her own 91-year-old mother me! I think it is inevitable, as much as I try onstage. While she says her mom doesn’t object not to,” she says. to being discussed in her act, she does have a Gold mimics her mother’s broad New York problem with her daughter’s refusal to keep accent (“What do I want for my birthday? her sexuality to herself. After all, her mother I just want the two of you to get along for a says, Ellen doesn’t talk about it. day”) before highlighting one big difference But Gold, who revealed she was gay after between them. her first son was born, says she won’t keep “She wasn’t particularly affectionate physi- quiet now. cally,” she reveals. “For me, there is a lot “If I’m not who I am, I can’t live with myself. of ‘I love you’ and physical contact with I need to be true to myself,” she says. “Every my two sons that wasn’t there when I was comic talks about their family onstage, and I growing up.” knew that if I hid this from my That difference aside, Gold children, it would send a message 25 QUESTIONS FOR A JEWISH MOTHER began to suspect that there to them that we were somehow Sun, Feb 23, 7:30pm really was something to the different.”

Vancouver idea that Jewish moms beget Being true to herself may have Playhouse Theatre 600 Hamilton St Jewish moms and set out to hurt her career at some point, chutzpahfestival.com test her hypothesis. The result she says, but it didn’t stop her is her one-woman show 25 from winning two Daytime Emmy Questions for a Jewish Mother, which she Awards for her work as a producer and writer will perform as part of this year’s Chutzpah on The Rosie O’Donnell Show.

Festival in Vancouver.

“I had such a great time,” she says. “It was Based on interviews conducted with really nice to be part of such a successful and a variety of Jewish mothers across the positive show.” When what was supposed to United States — from Holocaust survivors be a 13-week writing gig became a two-year to ultra-Orthodox women to converts stay on the show, Gold found herself yearn— the idea for 25 Questions grew out of ing to perform again. Now, she says, she has a accusations in the Jewish press that Gold particular affinity for her new show. was portraying her mother as a stereo“There is a special bond between women as type in her standup routines. Having we see ourselves become our own mothers,” she conducted the interviews, she maintains says. “There’s a little Jewish mother in every that many of the stereotypes hold true. mother.”

ONSTAGE MARK ROBINS

Comedian Judy Gold, who describes herself as a “loudmouth Jew lesbo,” will perform at the Chutzpah Festival in Vancouver this month.

CHUTZPAH FESTIVAL/LESLIE BOHM

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Tormented trailblazer From Winnipeg to Stratford, John Hirsch shaped Canadian theatre THEATRE MARK ROBINS

A life filled with darkness and creativity is celebrated in Hirsch, an exploration of gay Canadian theatre trailblazer John Hirsch’s journey from Nazi-occupied Hungary to his death from AIDS in 1989.

“He touched so many people’s lives who have become major players in the theatre, and at the same time he lived through so much darkness and he wore his darkness on his sleeve,” says Alon Nashman, who plays the title character in the production that will be presented at this year’s Chutzpah Festival.

Born in 1930 in Hungary, Hirsch found himself orphaned when the Nazis invaded and killed his father, brother and sister. Displaced and alone at the age of 17, he was rescued by the Canadian Jewish Congress, which brought him to Winnipeg, a location he felt would be safe from potential invasions.

There he would establish the Manitoba Theatre Centre, in addition to playing key parts in the early days of the Stratford Festival and the National Theatre School.

Alon Nashman captures John Hirsch’s Though Nashman says Hirsch was darkness and creativity in Hirsch, very private about his sexuality, his playing this month at the Chutzpah being gay figures prominently in Festival. THEATURTLE/CYLLA VON TIEDERMANN the play. “Brian was kind enough to share letters that were both beauNashman says that Hirsch often tiful and illuminating,” he says of shared stories from his own life that Hirsch’s long-time partner. “That he would underscore a theatrical prodied of AIDS, that he was part of the duction he would be working on at bloodletting in the ’80s, is also quite the time. significant to the play.”

“In Mother Courage, John told that “There is a letter that John wrote as a young refugee, one of their favoufrom Tel Aviv that is in the show, and rite games was when they came across it is one of the most a pile of dead bodies, touching letters I have they would try to guess HIRSCH ever seen on the stage,” which feet came from Tues, Feb 25–Sat, March 1 Firehall Arts Centre Hirsch co-creator Paul which faces,” Nashman 280 E Cordova St Thompson says. “It is says. “During The Three firehallartscentre.ca a beautiful piece about Sisters, he told the stotheir relationship, a ry of how he was only love letter that shows the depth of his allowed one suitcase when he left mind, the pressures of work and the Hungary and that he had chosen one demands that his career took on his filled with toys instead of photos of personal life and emotional stability.” his family and heirlooms.”

VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

Reading the queens Vancouver’s Next Drag Superstar contestants compete for NYC

February 1–28, 2014

BLITZ & SHITZ RAZIEL REID

Gentlemen, start your engines, and may the biggest bitch win!

But wait, I’m not competing in the search for Vancouver’s Next Drag Superstar . . . That isn’t stopping me, though, because I consider Blitz & Shitz to be my drag character (she’s a razor-tongued slutty drunk — isn’t that all it takes?).

In round two of the contest at Celebrities Nightclub, which will see the winner off to New York City for the official finale party of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 666, the queens had to do some reading. No, not actual reading.

They’re drag queens, for fuck’s sake; we can’t expect them to be able to focus their eyes! Reading as in sizing each other up and being total judgmental cunts about it. I’m president of the book club, in case you were wondering.

Throwing good shade requires a bit of wit, something most of the girls lack.

However, there were a few standout lines that got some big laughs.

It was Cruella De Vag who gave the best reading, getting roars from the crowd with each zinger. “I need to change my glasses for the rest of the girls,” Cruella said as she pulled out an oversized pair of specs from her cleavage. “Nope, still don’t see any talent!”

And because I get a sadistic thrill out of getting paid to be a horrible person, allow me to do some reading of my own: Ginger Bush, you and Prince Harry have some things in common. Not only are you both ginge, but you will never wear the crown.

Kady Heroine, I would say I hope you overdose, but it’s more fun watching the other girls kill you in this competition.

Is it Valynne Vile or Valynne Bile?

Because every time I look at your face I feel like I’m going to puke.

Raye Sunshine, too bad all that juicing doesn’t bulk up your creativity.

Cruella De Vag, you may not have 101 dalmatians, but you sure have a 101-year-old face.

Kitty Litur, I’m not surprised you performed as Pocahontas because you’re about as refined as “Savages!

Savages! Barely even human.”

Jizzabelle, you may be named after the oldest profession in the world, but when you perform, it’s obvious that MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM

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Ivana Phoque (right) escapes Raziel’s reading after the Feb 6 edition of Vancouver’s Next Drag Superstar at Celebrities. TALLULAH

you’re new.

Delica C your way to the nearest exit, and Amanda Pushawn through

the door (if you can fit).

Now that I’ve started, I can’t stop!

Even the judges aren’t safe: Tommy calls himself Tommy D because TommyC(UNextTuesday) wasn’t available on Twitter.

Anita Wigl’it speaks English, but when she’s judging, Anita Translator.

Joan-E can’t get a twink to stuff, so she stuffs twinkies.

Lord, I needed to get that out of my system! Best cleanse ever. Although I should point out that to step onstage as a queen takes actual guts, whereas sitting behind my computer screen throwing shade while simultaneously jerking off to a Christian Wilde porno takes none at all. I love all of you girls, and I want to be as brave and sparkly as you when I grow up. Especially the bitches I’m already declaring the top-three finalists. It’ll take some well-synched treason to dethrone these queens: #3 Raye Sunshine: It was a Disneythemed challenge last week, and Raye

clawed her way to the top made up like a lion. She performed as Mufasa from The Lion King and was baring her fangs, but it was everyone else who bit the dust. #2 Valynne Vile: Valynne is Sharon Needles without the ego — or the shitty album. She performed a song from The Nightmare Before Christmas wearing a giant pumpkin head, which carved her a place in my heart (the doctor swears I have one). #1 Cruella De Vag: Everyone can go home! We have a winner. She started her performance as Ariel from The Little Mermaid, and she really is the girl who has everything. “You want thingamabobs? I’ve got plenty,” she sang, pulling out a dildo from her treasure chest and using it to brush her hair.

When she transformed into Ursula, the poor unfortunate souls were her competitors.

Check out the semifinals of the search for Vancouver’s Next Drag Superstar on Feb 13, followed by the finals, with guest judge Alyssa Edwards, on Feb 20.

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The Sundown The Cobalt hosts a laid-back clubhousestyle night for queer women and their allies every Thursday.

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Friday Yoga Drop-In The Health Initiative for Men offers yoga sessions every Friday night. 7–8:15pm. Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie St. Free, but donations gratefully accepted. checkhimout.ca

PCAN Naked Heaven Valentine’s Day Party The Pacific Canadian Association of Nudists presents a naked party.

Underwear is accepted, but nudity is preferred. 8pm–2am.

Club 8x6, 1775 Haro St. $15, includes locker. p-can.org

VML Social The Vancouver Men in Leather host their monthly social in the back of the PumpJack Pub, for everyone from the curious to the serious. 9pm until late.

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Drag queen Panti Bliss challenges homophobia in Ireland

The Vatican Heaven’s Door hosts a new men’s leather and fetish party, with guest DJs, performers and a play space.

9pm. Heaven’s Door, 1216 Bute St. Tickets $20 at Little Sister’s, 1238 Davie St. heavensdoor.ca Not So Strictly Ballroom Vancouver’s gay ballroom dancers host a Valentine’s Day party, with a free dance lesson at 8:45pm. 8–11:30pm. Let’s Dance Studio, 2nd Floor, 927 Granville St. Tickets $12–15 at Little Sister’s, 1238 Davie St or brownpapertickets.com.

Sun, Feb 16 dailyxtra.com 18 FEB 13–26, 2014 XTRA!

Joan-Eleveneightyone Joan-E hosts an evening of drag fun and special guests, followed by

Dean Wolverine and Del Stamp present a house music event, hosted by Nicki Ravange. 10pm. Electric Owl, 926 Main St. Tickets $12 at Little Sister’s, 1238 Davie St or on Facebook (search for ElectricOwlSocialClub).

AJ’s Café Join other HIVpositive gay men every Friday for this free social gathering/ support group sponsored by Positive Living BC. 3–6pm. The Junction Pub, 1138 Davie St. positivelivingbc.org

Fƒ Soldier of Love Adam Dreaddy hosts the first in a three-part series tonight. 9pm.

Lux Lounge (formerly The Helm), 1180 Howe St. Tickets $15 at eventbrite.ca.

Thickset Valentine Hangout Thickset hosts a one-off hangout/dance party in the Davie Village. 9pm. Heaven’s Door, 1216 Bute St. No cover before 10pm, $5 between 10 and 11pm, $7 after. thickset. wordpress.com

Fri, Feb 21

Truckerdisco Taffi Louis and Waxwork are back in the Village for a monthly party. 9pm–3am.

Heaven’s Door, 1216 Bute St. $6.12 advance at eventbrite.ca or $10 door. truckerdisco.com

Valentine’s Day Underwear Party Show off your favourite underwear for Valentine’s Day at the PumpJack. 9pm.

PumpJack Pub, 1167 Davie St. No cover. pumpjackpub.com

&

Timberline Vancouver’s country-western dance group meets every Thursday. Dancers of all levels are welcome. 7pm.

St Paul’s Anglican Church, 1140 Jervis St. $10 donation partially benefits A Loving Spoonful. timberlinedance.org

Garcon: DJ Dave Huge (NYC)

Thurs, Feb 13

VANCOUVER RECITAL SOCIETY

Konrad, 8–10pm, then dancing with DJ Cho Cha until 2am.

Ginger 62, 1219 Granville St. $6. ginger62.com

Sat, Feb 22 DJ Mumbles. 10:30pm–3am.

1181, 1181 Davie St. No cover.

Wed, Feb 19

Get Jacked Up Vancouver Jax presents a jack-off party for guys who like to stroke together. 2–5pm. Club 8x6, 1775 Haro St. $10, includes locker. 8x6.ca

Connect with HIM The Health Initiative for Men offers a space for gay guys to meet other guys, discuss gay life and build community. Wednesdays, 6:30pm. HIM, 1033 Davie St. checkhimout.ca

Mon, Feb 17 The Bobbers Vancouver’s favourite queer improv comedy troupe is back in the Davie Village, with a whole new show in a whole new format. 7–9pm.

Heaven’s Door, 1216 Bute St. Free. heavensdoor.ca

Tues, Feb 18 Shifting Geography Vancouver choreographer Alvin Erasga Tolentino launches his 14th season with a world premiere. The Cultch, 1895 Venables St. $18 and up at thecultch.com.

Show runs until Sat, Feb 22. companyerasgadance.ca Men on Men A weekly discussion group for all men who love or have sex with men.

Every Tuesday, 6:30pm. Gordon Neighbourhood House, 1019 Broughton St. checkhimout.ca

Gay & Grey Join this group of gay senior men every Wednesday for friendly, casual discussions. 7pm. Roundhouse Community Centre, 2nd-floor boardroom, 181 Roundhouse Mews.

Gab Youth Drop-In This fun, inclusive drop-in group for LGBT youth and their allies meets Wednesdays at 4pm and Fridays at 7pm. Qmunity, 1170 Bute St. gabyyouth@ qmunity.ca

Thurs, Feb 20 Woof Night Vancouver’s newest gay sex club hosts a bear and cub night. Dress code: less is better. 8pm. Club 8x6, 1775 Haro St. $10 members, $15 guests; includes locker. 8x6.ca Lipstick Jungle This month’s party for the “cosmopolitan lesbian” and her friends features performer Peter

Pride House Revisited A double feature, with Born This Way, from Cameroon (7pm), and Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride, from Vancouver (9pm).

Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema, GoldCorp Centre for the Arts, SFU Woodwards, 149 West Hastings St. Free.

Man Up: Forbidden Fruits The Man Up kings and some of Vancouver’s top burlesque performers take advantage of The Cobalt’s grandfathered “skin” licence. 9pm–2am.

The Cobalt, 917 Main St. $7 before 10 pm, $12 after. manupvancouver.com Gear Saturday: VML Join the Vancouver Men in Leather for their monthly get-together.

Dress code: leather, rubber and fetish. 9pm. PumpJack Pub, 1167 Davie St. No cover. pumpjackpub.com

Mon, Feb 24 GPS: Gay Poz Sex Positive Living BC presents a weekly sexual health program for gay and bisexual HIV-positive men. 6:30–8:30pm. Positive Living BC, 1107 Seymour St. Contact Michael or Jonathon at 604-240-7205 or gps@ positivelivingbc.org.

Submit your event listing to oitc.vancouver@dailyxtra.com.

Deadline for the Feb 27–March 12 issue is Wed, Feb 19.

VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

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A world of gay adventure

Travel

Reinventing Curaçao The Dutch island finds new life as one of the Caribbean’s most gay-friendly vacation spots DANNY GLENWRIGHT

Emlyn Peters leans against the nondescript tree and raises a hand to protect his eyes from the prodigious sunshine elbowing its way through the branches.

He points upward at a human figure carved into the variegated trunk. The tree’s splotchy olive-coloured bark resembles an army-issue camouflage pattern, but the relief-like carving inside is a smooth mahogany.

Curaçao artist Mac Alberto has whittled several of these human-like forms into a row of wayaka trees outside the historic Fort Amsterdam in downtown Willemstad, the capital of this tiny Caribbean island. Peters, a local history buff, says Curaçaoans compare the wayaka to a snake because it constantly sheds its bark “so it can stay young forever.” The indigenous tree, also known as lignum vitae — Latin for “tree of life” — is in a perpetual cycle of renewal.

It is not unlike Curaçao, which, despite a dark history as one of the largest slave depots in the Caribbean, has managed to continuously reinvent itself while also respecting and preserving its past.

Curaçao today is proudly Dutch (it is one of four countries that make up the Kingdom of the Netherlands). This is evident in its well-preserved colonialstyle Dutch architecture that combines a modernist European aesthetic with a distinct Caribbean colour scheme. While the entire historic Willemstad city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site, its oldest and most famous architectural strip is a saltwater-taffy-coloured row of buildings along Handelskade Street, in the Punda neighbourhood.

Most locals will tell you that Curaçao has maintained its Dutch architectural heritage better than its Leeward Antilles sister islands, Aruba and Bonaire. But it’s been at a cost. Unlike in Holland, Caribbean construction

Floris Suite Hotel is Curaçao’s first adult-only gay hotel. FLORIS SUITE HOTEL

20 FEB 13–26, 2014 XTRA!

materials are basic, mostly plaster made from coral stones and sand. It means the government pays thousands of dollars each year to preserve its historic buildings, plastering and painting over what Peters calls “wall disease” — when salt creeps into the walls, peeling off layers of paint and eating into the loose coral stone. “It’s the greatest challenge for the last 20 years; the government is spending a lot of money renovating buildings,” he says, noting that Curaçao’s well-preserved architectural landmarks, including its landhuizen, former plantation houses dotted around the island, remain a major tourist draw.

That’s another quality Peters says Curaçao has inherited from the Dutch: a progressive and adaptable government that, in stark contrast to many others in the Caribbean — not to mention other parts of the world — recognizes what needs to be done to keep this speck of coral solvent. The island is home to just 150,000 people, and it imports more than 90 percent of its food. The island also has few natural resources, yet it’s managed to maintain one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean. This is mostly due to its knack for reinvention. Over a few hundred years, Curaçao’s economic engine has successively been powered by a variety of commercial activity, beginning with salt mining and slavery and later shifting to shipping, trading, tourism and oil (which continues to represent the lion’s share of the island’s exports, thanks to an ugly refinery built in 1920). Most recently, the Curaçao Tourist Board, with full support from the government, is attempting to reinvent the island as the Caribbean’s most gay-friendly destination.

“Dutch people have always been known for their controversial progressive mentality,” Peters says, noting that this is one reason Curaçaoans are proud of their connection to Holland. To prove his point, he’s led me through Willemstad’s narrow laneways to another Curaçao anomaly: the Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue. The bright-yellow synagogue’s congregation can be traced to 1651, when 12 Sephardic Jewish families migrated to Curaçao from Amsterdam, where they had fled following religious persecution in Spain and Portugal. The current building dates back to 1730, and its temple is the oldest in continuous use in the Americas. About 350 Jewish families still live on the island. In the daytime, the synagogue’s azure-stained

windows cast a blue light on the rows of pews carved from wayaka wood. The tree of life is resistant to termites and doesn’t burn easily, another reason it’s wood is so cherished here.

Curaçao’s Jewish Cultural Historical Museum has a Torah scroll dating back to 1320 and a 200-year-old silver tray that is still used for the smashing of the wine glass at weddings. The museum is also home to a copy of Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl that has been translated into Papiamentu, the island’s local Creole language that includes a mixture of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English and French, with some African and Arawak Indian influences.

The people of Curaçao embrace this distinct historical potpourri today, but VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

much of it was suppressed for decades, according to Dinah Veeris, a woman known as the island’s plant lady. Veeris has spent years consulting with local spiritual healers in an effort to revive the use of traditional herbal and naturopathic medicine. Veeris excitedly walks me through her public herb garden when I stop by (if you plan to visit, call ahead to book an English-language tour). She opened it in 1991, but it feels like she’s telling her stories for the first time. At one point she pauses in a shady spot and takes a deep breath as if she’s tired. But then she raises her head, lifts her arms into the air and bursts into song — her thunderous singing voice carrying over the entire compound. She grabs my arm and begins dancing, kicking up MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM

Clockwise from top left: Curaçao has dozens of beach options; Willemstad’s oldest and most famous architectural strip is this saltwater-taffy-coloured row of buildings along Handelskade Street; Dinah Veeris, known as the island’s plant lady, in her public herb garden; goat stew and fried plantains can be purchased from local food vendors in Willemstad’s Old Market.

DANNY GLENWRIGHT

dust as she drags me in a circle. I smile awkwardly and attempt to shuffle my uncoordinated feet, deferent but also completely unsure of what I’m supposed to do next. She eventually stops, explains the song’s history as a harvest chant, and then quickly moves on to the next exhibit. Veeris snaps off a twig and shoves the end of it in her mouth. It’s what the islanders once used as a toothbrush, she says. A moment later she is lovingly stroking the ossified remains

of a cactus, a plant that is ubiquitous on Curaçao and used in many of Veeris’s concoctions. Next up is the moringa tree, whose roots were eaten by slaves in order to build strength. She pulls a seed pod from its branches, cracks it open like a pea and offers me a small black pip.

“Eat it,” she says. “You’ll have energy and won’t be tired until late tonight.” I’m not sure that’s what I want, but I’m also not sure how to say no to this formidable herbalist. The seed is both astringent and sweet, a natural Red Bull.

She pauses as she approaches the next tree, kicks aside a large pile of iguana crap, and looks reverently into the branches. “This is a very old and potent tree,” she says as she leans against the familiar olive-coloured bark. You guessed it — the wayaka, Curaçao’s tree of life and renewal. “If people feel weak, they stand under this tree,” she says.

As I’m in no need of a lean, instead energized from the moringa seed, I thank Veeris and head back to Willemstad to check into Curaçao’s first gay hotel.

In 2011, the Argentine owners of the Floris Suite Hotel decided to take a risk.

They asked Frank Holtslag, who was then managing one of their Miami properties, to move to Curaçao and turn Floris into the island’s first gay, adult-only hotel.

“We decided to go very slow in the gay market,” Holtslag tells me over dinner at Sjalotte, Floris’s excellent restaurant.

“Of course, we still want to make money.”

But over the last two years, Holtslag and Jurandy Regina, Floris’s sales and marketing manager, have worked incrementally to completely change the look and feel of one of the oldest hotel properties in Willemstad. Along the way they lost three staffers who were uncomfortable with the gay thing, but they’ve also gained new employees who help give the hotel a genuine gay boutique vibe. “A lot of people from the community want to be part of it,” Regina says, noting that many of the hotel’s staff and about 30 percent of its clientele are now LGBT. The Floris transformation is a key element in the island’s latest makeover as a gay destination, says Andre Rojer, the

Curaçao Tourist Board’s North American marketing manager. Like the divers who travel to Curaçao to jump into its clear blue water, the country’s decision makers seem to have leapt feet first into the gay market. “We don’t secretly [promote Curaçao as a gay destination]; we openly do it. It’s in every sector, in every market, even in parliament, even the prime minister,” says Rojer, who is gay.

And it appears to be working. Floris now plays host to the island’s most happening gay night, the Rainbow Lounge.

The Friday-night happy-hour party is a gathering spot for local gays and tourists who often later move on to one of the island’s other gay-friendly nightspots.

The hotel is also the main venue for Curaçao’s annual Pride festival, and in May 2014 it will host the first South Caribbean Pride. “The idea is to have a Pride for those islands that can’t celebrate Pride for political reasons,” Holtslag says. “We’re the most tolerant island in the Caribbean.”

Arcusio Arruda Massa agrees. He’s a local journalist I meet at Floris’s Rainbow Lounge party. He tells me about Pink House, the island’s LGBT multipurpose centre, and says Curaçao has always been gay-friendly — he came out at a young age and says he’s rarely encountered homophobia. “We are ready for everything,” he says when I ask about the tourist board’s push to turn the island pink.

I think he’s right. While Curaçao will never have the population to sustain large gay bars and clubs, it has all the other credentials necessary to become the beloved gay destination its proponents have been pitching it as — not to mention glorious beaches, heaps of natural beauty and compelling historical sites. Perhaps most auspiciously, Curaçao’s gay hotel is home to a healthy stand of wayaka trees, surely a sign that some of the island’s most ancient residents endorse its latest experiment in revitalization.

For the full-length version of this story, go to dailyxtratravel.com.

XTRA! FEB 13–26, 2014 21

A world of gay adventure

Travel

Delray Beach delights A stylish, laid-back beach town LESLEY FRASER

Delray Beach is the Cinderella of South Florida. In the 1990s, this Gold Coast town was plagued by drug-related crime; in 2007 it was labelled the drugrecovery capital of the US. In 2012, thanks to a 20-year effort by a passionate and determined band of residents, Rand McNally/USA Today named it the Most Fun Small Town in North America.

Nicknamed the Village by the Sea, Delray, population 60,000, has so far escaped the condo explosion that has blanketed Fort Lauderdale and Miami to the south. Visitors will discover a laid-back, stylish town with a surfer vibe; six and a half kilometres of wide, pristine beaches; an indie spirit (aside from a Starbucks, a Subway, and a Ben and Jerry’s, there are no chain stores or restaurants downtown); a vibrant arts scene; and plenty of urban amenities.

What to see Start at Old School Square, the heart of town and home to its many special events, including the annual lighting of the 100-foot Christmas tree. There you’ll find the Cornell Museum of Art and American Culture and the Crest Theatre, in the old school buildings. On the ground level of the square’s parking garage is the wonderful Arts Garage; its mission is to put “arts in every life every day,” via live theatre, music, art exhibits and education.

From there, stroll through the funky Pineapple Grove Arts District, rife with public art installations and artists’ studios (on the third Thursday evening of each month, many open to the public for Artists Alley).

ON THE WEB For more on Delray Beach, visit delraybeach.com and downtowndelraybeach.com.

22 FEB 13–26, 2014 XTRA!

West of downtown, the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens’ beautiful grounds, rotating exhibits and renowned café are an ideal spot to pass an afternoon.

COURTESY OF DOWNTOWN DELRAY BEACH

Where to dine With its house-roasted coffee beans and homemade pastries, the family-run Caffe Luna Rosa is a great spot for any meal, but breakfast is particularly good. Try to get one of the tables outside, facing Ocean Boulevard and the beach just beyond.

Along with many other South Florida restaurants, the ambitious Max’s Harvest has embraced the farm-to-fork concept. Highlights from chef Eric Baker’s menu include shrimp-stuffed shishito peppers, from Swank Farms in Loxahatchee, and burrata, made by Vito Mozzarita in Pompano Beach, served with caviar that’s sustainably raised in Sarasota.

At 50 Ocean, above the lively Boston’s on the Beach, chef Blake Malatesta’s menu focuses on local seafood with a Louisiana twist. Go before dark to get the full effect of the ocean views from the second-floor verandah.

If you’re planning to be in South Florida March 27, be sure to make a reservation at one of the restaurants participating in Savor the Avenue, which sees 1,200 people seated down the middle of Atlantic Avenue at the nation’s longest dining table.

COURTESY OF MAX’S HARVEST

restaurant and a late-night lounge that draws a diverse crowd.

There are a number of lively bars along Atlantic Avenue, Delray’s famous main drag, which bustles from morning until late at night.

Where to stay The Marriott, at the eastern end of Atlantic Avenue, is slightly dated in décor and amenities, but its location can’t be beat (its recently built one-, two- and three-bedroom villas are spacious and modern and surround a private pool area): it’s just steps from the beach and a short walk from the centre of town.

Where to hang out Stop at Sandbar, just steps from the ocean, for some post-beach refreshment. With its plastic cups, trucked-in sand and scantily dressed waitresses, you won’t feel underdressed.

The most recent attempt at a gay bar failed just over a year ago, but Dada on Swinton Avenue is both a respected

EMILIANO BROOKS

Clockwise from top: Delray Beach boasts six and a half kilometres of pristine beaches. The shrimp-stuffed shishito peppers, sourced from nearby Swank Farms, at Max’s Harvest. Savor the Avenue sees 1,200 people seated on Atlantic Avenue, Delray’s famous main drag, at the US’s longest dining table.

For more on Florida’s Gold Coast, read our features on Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale (“Beyond Wilton Manors”) at dailyxtratravel.com.

VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

The Spa Retreat Boutique Hotel in Negril, Jamaica.

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Study shows opposition to Vatican’s teaching about sexual morality

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SOAK UP SOME SUN Take a break from winter and pamper yourself at The Spa Jamaica It’s that time of year again. The holidays are over and the rest of the winter stretches ahead of us, long and grey and almost certainly full of slush and freezing rain — or worse. If the lack of vitamin D has you at the point where the long-range forecast makes you twitch and you can’t stop looking at other people’s vacation photos on Facebook, it’s time to shut down your laptop and dig out your flip-flops. And if you’re in need of a winter getaway that involves sun, sand and pampering, The Spa Jamaica has what you’re looking for.

Situated on the picturesque cliffs of Negril, Jamaica, The Spa Retreat Boutique Hotel has a local connection.

Owned by Ottawa couple Christine and Shane Cohen, it’s a resort-style extension of their two Ottawa locations.

After travelling to Jamaica for years, the Cohens decided to expand their business, offering visitors a destination experience. Guests can enjoy a huge range of treatments, from manicures and pedicures performed by the sea to body scrubs and wraps, facials and a range of massages, including Swedish and deep-tissue sports massage, which can be enjoyed in the Oceanside Spa or the privacy of your room. Many of their

ON THE WEB For more information, go to thespajamaica.com or facebook.com/thesparetreatjamaica.

The Spa has two locations in Ottawa: The Spa, at 2027 Robertson Rd in Bells Corners, and The Spa Day Retreat, at 26 Castlefrank Rd in Kanata. For more information, go to thespaottawa.ca or facebook.com/thespaott.

MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM

body treatments include local ingredients, like the Java Sugar Scrub, which incorporates Jamaica’s famous Blue Mountain coffee, and the Lemongrass and Brown Sugar Body Scrub, recommended to help hydrate the skin before long hours of sun exposure. If you do end up spending too long soaking in the rays, The Spa offers a rejuvenating Aloe and Cucumber Body Wrap to soothe and soften skin.

Of course, Jamaica is also known for its poor human-rights record when it comes to the LGBT community, something The Spa staff is very mindful of. “It was very important to create a warm, welcoming environment for all guests and all travellers from every different walk of life and community,” says Jamie Keeley, The Spa’s communications manager. All staff members at the Jamaican location receive sensitivity training, ensuring a welcoming and inclusive experience for LGBT guests. And the word has spread — The Spa has gained a reputation within the community, and both tourists and locals now seek it out as a safe space where they’re free to be themselves and enjoy a bit of luxury. “We have had native Jamaican guests come and stay with us because they have heard of our open environment,” Keeley says. Shuttle service to and from the airport is provided, as are private drivers for day trips and excursions.

Can’t make it to Jamaica? Recreate the experience at home.

If you can’t manage a trip this winter but still need some pampering, The Spa has two Ottawa locations where you can go for a tropical pick-me-up

without paying the airfare. The Spa Ottawa, located in Bells Corners, occupies a 115-year-old ex-church that has been restored and renovated to include all the modern amenities. All the standard spa services are offered, and there are registered massage therapists and a full hair team on-site.

Makeup artistry, hand and foot care, facials, and body scrubs and wraps are all offered, including a special Coconut and Mango Wrap inspired by The Spa Jamaica. There’s also a full suite of specialty services just for men.

The Spa Day Retreat in Kanata is also located on a historic site, having taken up residence in an 18th-century farmhouse once owned by the Sparks family. It offers all the same services as the Bells Corners location, with the ability to host large groups and corporate parties. If you’re hoping to spend some quality time with your honey, the Couple’s Retreat package offers a 45-minute couple’s massage followed by facial treatments. If you’re in the mood to really splurge, the Royal Day package includes a body wrap followed by a relaxation massage, a facial treatment, a mani-pedi, makeup and a hairstyling session for a full day of pampering. Both locations offer the One Love package, which includes a tropical organic body wrap coupled with a 30-minute relaxation massage to recreate the Jamaican experience.

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The Spa Jamaica is located in Negril, Jamaica, and offers a full destination-resort experience, including accommodation, dining and retreats.

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VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

E indexdirectory.ca

Healthcare Services HIM - Health Initiative for Men checkhimout.ca Sound Hearing Clinic 604-687-1488 STOP HIV/AIDS Team 604-838-1331 Vancouver Coastal Health 604-736-2033

Hearing Aids Sound Hearing Clinic 604-687-1488

THE BEST OF GAY & LESBIAN VANCOUVER

Home & Garden Bedding

Dental Services

Mr Mattress 604-255-2113

Aarm Dental Group 604-647-0006

Airlines

Boat Cruises & Charters

Harbour Air 604-274-1277

Waterway Houseboats 1-877-WATERWAY

Daher Orthostyle – Dr Sam Daher 604-662-3290

Addictions

Business & Professional Organizations

Orchard Recovery 604-947-0420

AIDS/HIV Resources AIDS Vancouver 604-893-2201 AIDS Vancouver Island 250-384-2366 1-800-665-2437 ANKORS 1-800-421-2437 Dr Peter AIDS Foundation 604-608-1874 HIM - Health Initiative for Men checkhimout.ca Positive Living 604-893-2200 Vancouver Coastal Health 604-736-2033 STOP HIV/AIDS Team 604-838-1331

Alternative Health Ignite Smoke Shop 778-786-0977 Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary 604-255-1844 My CannaMeds mycm.ca YoGuy Men’s Yoga 778-995-1970

Apartments Capreit caprent.com

Archives Vivo Media Arts vivomediaarts.com

Art Galleries Vivo Media Arts vivomediaarts.com

Audio Visual Equipment Vivo Media Arts vivomediaarts.com

Bakeries Andy’s Bakery 604-251-5667

Beauty Enchante 604-669-9166

Dr Dean Wershler 604-688-4080 Dr Langston Raymond 604-687-1008

West End Business Improvement Association 604-696-0144

Redtree Dental 604-873-3337

Chiropractors

iRepair.ca 778-987-2571

Downtown Chiropractic 604-685-9444

Cleaning & Maid Services The Maids 604-987-5651

Clinics Travel Clinic 604-736-9244

Device Repair

Education & Instruction Vancouver Elementary School Teachers’ Association 604-873-8378 Vivo Media Arts vivomediaarts.com

Entertainment

Community Groups & Services

Ballet BC 604-732-5003

West End Seniors Network 604-669-5051

Museum of Vancouver 604-736-4431

Community Organizations

PlayLand Amusement Park 604-253-2311

Community Based Research Centre 604-568-7478 Vivo Media Arts vivomediaarts.com

Construction

Amherst Funeral and Cremation Services Inc 604-831-3023 Valley View Funeral Home 604-596-8866

Home Improvement & Repairs Maison D’Etre Build Inc 604-484-4030

Interior Design

Pacific Coast Massage Therapy – Christopher Robins RMT 604-687-4078 Rick Girardeau, RMT rickgrmt.com

Media Vivo Media Arts vivomediaarts.com

Men’s Services BC Society for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse (BCSMSSA) 604-682-6482

Motorcycles & Scooters Motorcycle World 604-582-9253

East Van Graphics eastvangraphics.ca Mail Box Plus 604-683-1433 Minuteman Press 604-572-8558

Poncho’s Restaurant 604-683-7236

Dr Joachim Sehrbrock, Registered Psychologist 604-366-3112

Sex

Psychotherapy Edward Sandberg, Counsellor/Therapist 604-728-6569

Freeway Mini Storage/U-Haul 604-251-2017

Publications Pink Triangle Press 1-800-268-9872

Optical Services Abasa Optical 604-687-3937

Xtra (Ottawa) 613-986-8292

Mail Box Plus 604-683-1433

Scotiabank Dance Centre 604-604-6400

Theatre

Rodrozen Designs 604-558-4443

Laundry Services

Valley View Memorial Gardens 604-596-7196

Bruce Eyewear 604-662-8300

Xtra (Toronto) 416-925-6665

Laundry Valet 604-568-2020

Pet Care

Real Estate Agents

Lawyers

Kitty Kare 604-813-4239

Darryl Persello 604-306-1340

Dahl & Connors 604-687-8752

Pet Stores & Supplies

Ian Eggleton, RE/MAX 604-773-1443

barbara findlay 604-251-4356

Dog Country 604-558-1995

North Shore Law LLP 604-980-8571

Libraries

Happy Pups Quality Pup Clothing 604-770-365

Lyn Hart, Macdonald Realty Ltd 604-724-4278

Vivo Media Arts vivomediaarts.com

Pets First 604-590-7387

Renovations & Restorations

Liquor

Tisol 14th & Main St: 604-873-4117 12th & Arbutus: 604-730-1768 Grandview Hwy: 604-436-3001 Gilley Ave, Burnaby: 604-434-2812

Maison D’Etre Build Inc 604-484-4030

Gallery Café & Catering 604-688-2233

2 Dears and a Queer 604-306-1340

Physiotherapy & Rehab

Joe’s Grill 1031 Davie St, Vancouver: 604-682-3683

Yoga

Martin Brothers Funeral 778-330-7799

Furniture Instant Bedrooms 604-270-BEDS(2337)

Grocery Safeway Davie: 604-669-8313 Robson: 604-683-6155 Urban Fare (Bute Location) 604-975-7556

Hair Stylists & Barbers Enchante 604-669-9166

West End Liquor Store 604-689-3100

Marketing C&C Communications 604-664-8995

Health

Farmers’ Markets

The Dance Centre 604-604-6400

Dr Aaron VanGaver BSc ND 604-629-1120

Vancouver Farmers’ Markets 604-879-3276

Financial Services

Health - Men’s

DeVie Business Solutions 604-298-4148

HIM - Health Initiative for Men checkhimout.ca

Andrea Martens, BScPT, CAFCI Urban Active Sport Therapy Clinic 604-669-8233

Susan Cameron 604-266-1364

Mr Build 604-732-8453

Restaurants & Cafés

Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival bardonthebeach.org

Transportation Harbour Air 604-274-1277 Helijet International 800-665-4354

Travel British Columbia Black Rock Oceanfront Resort 877-762-5011 Tourism Harrison 604-796-5581

Websites squirt.org squirt.org twospiritwolf.com 604-688-6648

Weddings

YoGuy Men’s Yoga 778-995-1970

THE BEST OF GAY & LESBIAN VANCOUVER

Gastown treasures Gearing up for winter The Drive’s organic soul The heart of gay Vancouver

Joe Ramirez Integral Counselling 778-227-9423

Couriers

Studio Space

Richmond Funeral Home 604-273-3748

Iosono Counselling Services – Ron Paviglianiti, RPC 604-290-1445

Willow Tree Counselling 604-521-3404

twospiritwolf.com 604-688-6648

Storage

Counselling BC counsellingbc.com

Tricia Antoniuk, MSW, RSW 778-378-2633

Shopping

C&C Communications 604-664-8995

Counselling

Monique Silverman, MA, RCC, CCC 778-228-8456

squirt.org squirt.org

Public Relations

Xtra (Vancouver) 604-684-9696

Maison D’Etre Build Inc 604-484-4030

Lehmann Counselling Service 604-614-8121

948 Denman St, Vancouver: 604-642-6588 2061 West 4th Ave, Vancouver: 604-736-6588 3048 Main St, Vancouver: 604-879-6586

Psychologists

NOV 2013–APR

Felicity Webb 604-721-7537

Funeral Services

Linda Duncan, RMT 604-630-0101

Printing

2014

Accounting Services

Eden Accents 604-523-3433

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THE BEST OF GAY & LESBIAN VANCOUVER

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