March edition extended online by Ryan Crocker

THE ‘OUT’PORT

St. John’s LGBT Guide/Lifestyle Magazine

Flags Go Up Across Canada Around The World: NYC

Theatre Review

Edition 03/14 Extended

On Our Gaydar

www.theoutport.com

This Edition’s Contributors Writers Betty Boo betty_boo_kakke@hotmail Darryl Davis @darryl_m_davis Robyn Noseworthy vcarrie_1@hotmail.com

Josh Eddy (Publisher/Design & Layout) theoutport@outlook.com Ryan Crocker (Editor/writer) theoutport@outlook.com

DJFabian Newfoundland @DJFabianNL Taylor Stocks taylor.stocks@gmail.com

Check out the new things happening at www.theoutport.com

|DJ Fabian’s Top 10|

With videos becoming a staple of North American clubs, here are my current picks for some of the best club remix videos.

10. Dark Horse |Katy Perry ft. Juicey J| (Country Club Martini Crew remix)

Visit www.theoutport.com to watch these music videos

7. Counting Stars |OneRepublic| (HLM remix) 6. Story of my Life |One Direction| (VJ Chris “Love is in the Air” remix)

1. Timber |Pitbull ft. Kesha| (Funk3d Club remix)

Theatrical Events NightlifeEvents Other Events

LGBT Specific Events

Repeating Shows Evita Presented by TaDa! Events

EVITA, by Andrew Lloyd Webber, tells the story of Eva Perón and her rise from the slums of Argentina to the presidential mansion as First Lady. Arts & Culture Centre Feb 28-Mar 6 8:00pm

Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland presents Oil and Water

Oil and Water is based on the true story of Lanier Phillips, a young African American officer, who in 1942 was one of 46 men who survived the wreck of the naval ship Truxtun off St. Lawrence on the isolated south coast of Newfoundland. LSPU Hall Mar 13 & 16 2:00pm Mar 13-16 & Mar 18-22 8:00pm

The Good Doctor

In this Broadway hit, Anton Chekhov is the main character, a writer of stories. As he tells his stories, he walks into them and they come to life on stage. Arts & Culture Centre St. John’s Mar 13-16 8:00pm

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh

Rabbittown Theatre Company presents The Pillowman at the Barbara Barrett Theatre. It tells the story of Katurian, a writer living in a totalitarian society infamous for his macabre and twisted children’s fables. Arts & Culture Centre St. John’s Mar 27-30 8:00pm

Events Saturday Mar 1

RCA presents Stars in the Sky Morning by Rhonda Payne (created with Jane Dingle and Jan Henderson) A Bare Boards Theatre Production

Stars in the Sky Morning follows the stories of five women as they navigate the limited and difficult life choices available to them. Arts & Culture Centre St. John’s 8:00pm

Evita Presented by TaDa! Events Arts & Culture Centre St. John’s 8:00pm

Sunday Mar 2

Monday Mar 10

RuPaul’s Drag Race Viewing Party The Rose & Thistle 10:00pm

Thursday Mar 13

Arts & Culture Centre St. John’s 8:00pm

Monday Mar 17

RuPaul’s Drag Race Viewing Party The Rose & Thistle 10:00pm

March 18-22

Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland presents Oil and Water

OH WHAT A NIGHT!

Sunday Mar 23

LSPU Hall, St. John’s 2:00pm & 8:00pm

OH WHAT A NIGHT! is an exciting fast paced musical tribute to the legendary Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons coming direct from Las Vegas. Arts & Culture Centre St. John’s 7:00pm

The Good Doctor

Evita Presented by TaDa! Events

For up to date events check out the Events Section at www.theoutport.com

Arts & Culture Centre St. John’s 8:00pm

Friday Mar 14

LSPU Hall, St. John’s 8:00pm

Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland presents Oil and Water LSPU Hall, St. John’s 2:00pm

* Monday Mar 24

RuPaul’s Drag Race Viewing Party

Monday Feb 3

Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland presents Oil and Water

The Rose & Thistle 10:00pm

OH WHAT A NIGHT! is an exciting fast paced musical tribute to the legendary Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons coming direct from Las Vegas. Arts & Culture Centre St. John’s 7:00pm

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh

Arts & Culture Centre St. John’s 8:00pm

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh

The Rose & Thistle 10:00pm

Sunday Mar 23

LSPU Hall, St. John’s 8:00pm

RuPaul’s Drag Race Viewing Party

OH WHAT A NIGHT!

March 5&6

Evita Presented by TaDa! Events Arts & Culture Centre St. John’s 8:00pm

Saturday Mar 8 Fox Tale

This year’s side-splitting show features the adventures of Mr. Fox, the oldest resident in the community of Fox Tickle Arts & Culture Centre St. John’s 8:00pm

Sunday Mar 9

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Friday Mar 28

The Good Doctor

Saturday Mar 15

Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland presents Oil and Water LSPU Hall, St. John’s 8:00pm

The Good Doctor

Arts & Culture Centre St. John’s 8:00pm

Sunday Mar 16

SURSAUT DANCE COMPA- Artistic Fraud of NewfoundNY’S BOO! land presents Oil and Water Boo! Explores a series of vignettes that include a happy mixture of dance, silly characters interacting and a bit of theatre that brings forth wonder and smiles. Arts & Culture Centre St. John’s 2:00pm March

LSPU Hall, St. John’s 8:00pm

LSPU Hall, St. John’s 2:00pm & 8:00pm

The Good Doctor

Arts & Culture Centre St. John’s 8:00pm

LSPU Hall, St. John’s 8:00pm

Queer Prom Details TBA

March 29 & 30

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh LSPU Hall, St. John’s 8:00pm

Monday Mar 31

RuPaul’s Drag Race Viewing Party The Rose & Thistle 10:00pm

Rainbow Flags Go Up Across Canada Communities and organizations across Canada raised the rainbow flag

during the Sochi Olympic Games as a way to show support for our athletes and our values in a country where discrimination and harassment of LGBT people is commonplace. And it all started right here in St. John’s with an idea by Josh Eddy, Publisher of The ‘Out’port. Eddy’s idea started as a campaign, along side Robyn Noseworthy, to encourage individuals in the capital city to display the rainbow flag on their homes and vehicles. This was something The Travel Bug on Water Street was more than happy to support by selling deeply discounted rainbow flags.

But it quickly grew into something much more.

“I contacted Deputy Mayor Ron Ellsworth to see if council might be interested in raising the rainbow flag on the opening day of the Olympic Games,” Eddy said. “Soon after I received a reply: council voted unanimously to fly the rainbow flag for the duration of the Games. I’m so proud of this city for being so progressive and accepting.” Within hours, Corner Brook and Mount Pearl announced they too were on board. That’s when Eddy’s friend and columnist for The ‘Out’port, Robyn Noseworthy, decided to take a chance and see if they could convince her hometown in Central Newfoundland to do the same. “I’m originally from Gander and when they said they would raise the rainbow flag, when I got such a passionate, supportive response from them, I felt amazing,” Noseworthy said. From there, the campaign spread across Newfoundland and Labrador, from St. John’s in the east, to Marystown in the south, to Wabush in the west. And it wasn’t just municipalities getting involved. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, Steele Communications, The Sprout Restaurant, Flower Studio, RIAC, and numerous other organizations, businesses, and homeowners got involved. “I couldn’t believe how quickly and how far it was spreading!” Eddy said. Noseworthy added, “It seemed as though every time we turned around, a new town was on board.” Then through the help of Minister Steve Kent and Minister Darin King among others, the provincial government raised the rainbow flag for the first time at Confederation Building. (The flag was donated by Windco).

Soon the national media began to take notice. Radio Canada profiled the campaign and within hours the Mayor of Montreal announced that, inspired by St. John’s lead, his city would also be raising the rainbow flag. Then Quebec City joined in. Numerous LGBT activists from St. John’s and beyond then took up the campaign, contacting their municipal governments. There were people from Calgary sending emails to Toronto City Council, people from Montreal calling councillors in Vancouver. In just a couple of days the campaign spread to every provincial and ter-

ritorial capital in Canada - and then some. From St. John’s, to Victoria; from Windsor, to Iqaluit. The entire Canadian federation - despite some hiccups in cities with more conservative municipal leaders, such as Toronto - was painted in the rainbow. Eddy and Noseworthy became a common sight on the evening news, their inspirational calls for solidarity a common sound on the radio. “It was so humbling to see how easy it can be for a campaign like this to take off when you’re standing up for the right thing,” Eddy said. Noseworthy added, “I hope news of this made it to Russia, and it let Russian LGBT people know we care about them.”

Both agreed all LGBT people, everyone in the world, deserve to feel the tremendous love and support they received from Newfoundland and Labrador. The ‘Out’port wants to thank the people, the LGBT community, businesses, governments and organizations of Newfoundland and Labrador for kicking this off across Canada.

Communities and organizations that participated (among many others) The Province of Newfoundland and Labrador The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary The City of St. John’s The City of Mount Pearl The City of Corner Brook The Town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s The Town of Paradise The Town of Gander The Town of Torbay The Town of Marystown The Town of Stephenville The Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay The Town of Bay Roberts The Town of Conception Bay South The Town of Labrador City The Town of Wabush The Province of Prince Edward Island The City of Charlottetown The City of Saint John The Universities of New Brunswick The Province of Nova Scotia The Regional Municipality of Halifax The Regional Municipality of Cape Breton

The Province of Ontario The City of Ottawa The City of Toronto The City of Hamilton The City of Guelph The City of Kingston The City of Barrie The City of Orillia The City of Kitchener The City of London The City of Oshawa The City of Iqaluit The City of Winnipeg The Province of Saskatchewan The City of Saskatoon The City of Regina The City of Moose Jaw The Province of Alberta The City of Edmonton The City of Calgary The City of St. Albert The City of Medicine Hat The City of Jasper The Province of British Columbia The City of Vancouver The City of Victoria The City of Whistler The City of Yellowknife The City of Iqaluit

The Province of Quebec The City of Montreal The City of Quebec The City of Gatineau The City of Sherbrooke The City of Laval The City of Longueuil The City of Victoriaville The City of Rimouski

The City of Whitehorse

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Photos provided by the community

March

Around The World

NYC Photo by Nathan Johnson Photography

Photo by Nathan Johnson Photography

Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical There are few cities with an arts and culture scene as thriving as that of our fair capital. But New York City is definitely one of them. For this Around the World feature, we decided to invite The ‘Out’port’s theatre reviewer extraordinaire, Darryl Davis, to sit down and talk to the producers of an upcoming off-Broadway show in the Big Apple: When people think of popular disco divas for the 70’s, singers that usually come to mind are Donna Summers, Gloria Gaynor, Yvonne Elliman, and Thelma Houston. One artist that is often overlooked or forgotten altogether is Sylvester, an American disco and soul singer-singwriter who had a string of hit singles in the late 70’s. Ironically, he was commonly known and referred to as the “Queen of Disco”. Sylvester was definitely a visionary in terms of his race, music and sexuality. He identified as gay as a young child, and was always open about his sexuality at a time when it was far from socially acceptable. He left home at a very early age due to rejection from the Pentecostal Church and his mother. He dressed in flamboyant and androgynous clothing, although he repeatedly rejected the description of being a drag queen. Sylvester was truly a unique individual who lived life to the fullest and was unapologetic about being who he was. He was also a gay activist, aligning himself with people like Harvey Milk, and ultimately, became an activist who campaigned against the spread of HIV/AIDS. Sylvester pasted away from complications arising from the virus in 1988.

Photos credit: Nathan Johnson Photography Anthony Wayne & Kendrell Bowman

Beyond all this,

Sylvester was a talented singer, songwriter and performer. The song he is undoubtedly most known for is the disco hit “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)”, many others have been forgotten. Broadway Star Anthony Wayne, who has been featured in Broadway stagings of “Pippin”, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”, and “Anything Goes”, indicated that he first became interested in Sylvester while watching a television documentary of his life. He remembers being surprised that he knew so little about an openly gay African American man who made such a big impact on the world through his personality and music. As a result of the lost legacy that was Sylvester’s career and life, Anthony started researching, and this pursuit ultimately turned in to writing. With his life partner, Celebrity Stylist Kendrell Bowman, he started creating a musical show about the life and music of Sylvester.

The show was first staged as a concert in July 2012, and as interest and buzz continued to grow so did the show. The resulting show involves Sylvester, portrayed by Wayne, talking to the audience about his complete life story, from childhood right up to when he pasted away in 1988. Songs from Sylvester’s back catalog were selected and performed in the show to represent different periods of his life. Both Anthony and Kendrell stated that song selection often came down to the emotional resonants of a track or it’s ability to move the story forward. Despite some of the more darker aspects of Sylvester’s story, Anthony and Kendrell indicated that the show is really a celebration of his life and music, and that they focused on keeping the show up beat and fun.

|7| March

“Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical” has had sold out runs in New York City, Miami and Washington, D.C. The show is now returning for an Off-Broadway run in New York and opens October 5th, 2014, with preview shows starting September 5th, 2014. Joining forces with Anthony and Kendrell in producing the show is legend of the stage and screen, Sheryl Lee Ralph, as well as, the D.I.V.A. Foundation. As African Americans working in the field of musical theatre, Anthony and Kendrell indicated that Sheryl Lee Ralph has always been an inspirational figure for them given the great success she has had on the Broadway stage. When Anthony and Kendrell initially met with Sheryl Lee Ralph to discuss her becoming involved with the show, she indicated to them that there was no way she couldn’t be involved. She knew Sylvester personally, and is a huge HIV/AIDS activist herself. The D.I.V.A. Foundation, the charitable organization she founded, focuses on generating resources and coordinating artistic activities to create awareness and combat HIV/AIDS. Group tickets (10+) for “Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical” are currently on sale, and individual tickets go on sale June 2nd, 2014. Call OVATIONTIX at 866.811.4111 Or go to www.FABULOUSSYLVESTER.com Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter: @FABULOUSSYLVESTER On Facebook: www.facebook.com/fabsylvester

-Darryl Davis

|Theatre in St. John’s|

- Darryl Davis (@darryl_m_davis)

Surprisingly Good For You: TaDa! Events Presents

“Evita” O

ver the years, TaDa! Events and Artistic Director Terri Andrews have definitely raised the bar with regard to the musical theatre offered in St. John’s. The company has successfully produced some of the most famous and iconic musicals to ever hit the stages of Broadway. ‘Cats’, ‘Cabaret’, ‘Gypsy” and last year’s “Chicago” are just a few of the classic shows presented by TaDa! Events that have wowed audiences in this province. Starting February 28th, 2013, they will be raising that bar even higher when “Evita”, the epic musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, premieres at the Arts and Culture Centre.

“ vita” revolves around the life of Argentine political leader Eva Perón, the second wife of Argentine president Juan Perón. The story follows Eva’s early life as a child of the lower classes, her rise to power in becoming the First Lady of Argentina, her charity work, and her eventual death. Originating from a rock opera concept album released in 1976, the stage show went on to win the Laurence Olivier Award and the Tony Award for Best Musical a few years later. Since that time, there have been a string of professional tours and worldwide productions, an Oscar winning film adaptation staring Madonna and Antonio Banderas in 1996, as well as revivals of the show in London (2006) and New York (2012).

uditions for “Evita” started in November 2013. Both Terri and Pamela described and exhaustive process given the physical and vocal demands of the show. Six types of auditions were held: couples dancers, single dancers, singers, singers who move, singers who dance, and the primary roles. Given the many rhythm changes in the score and the fact that all text is sung rather than spoken, candidates auditioning for Eva were told not to prepare “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” and a more challenging number was selected. Terri indicated that this role ultimately came down to a short list of five very talented actors, one of them being Kelly-Ann Evans. Based on previously working together, Terri knew Kelly-Ann would have no problem with the aggressive and ambitious side of the role, but stated she wasn’t sure about the vulnerable and feminine qualities of Eva’s character. Terri indicated that Kelly-Ann nailed her auditions and callbacks, and there was no question who her Eva was. Justin Goulding was selected to play Juan Perón with Terri indicating he has the stature and presence to play against Kelly-Ann. Given that Che acts as the voice for those who felt disenfranchised by the Perón political regime, Terri viewed this character as devilish, dark, and angry. She felt that Justin Nurse was a great fit for this role. The primary cast is rounded out with Steve Power as tango singer Agustín Magaldi, and Kristin Murphy as Perón’s Mistress. Terri and Pamela both indicated they have a dream cast for this show.

“ vita” holds a special place in the heart for Director Terri Andrews. She indicated that “Evita” was the first professional musical that she saw in person, stating that this particular tour of the show was in Los Angeles during the 70’s. As a young actor and singer, Terri remembered being quite taken with the show, stating that there were moments from it that have stayed with her. She went on to say that Andrew Lloyd Webber completely revamped the show in 2006, giving it more of a latin flare, while making it darker and more complex. She also stated there were more discordant harmonies, as well as, the addition of eleven part harmony sections in this updated version of the score. All of these factors, along with the rapid time signature and tempo changes, made an already challenging show even more challenging to stage. Ironically, these factors were what drew Terri to this massive project.

n terms of the actual staging of TaDa! Events take on “Evita”, both Terri and Pamela stated they did have a degree of artistic freedom regarding the dramatic interpretation of the material. In October 2013, members of the crew went to Chicago to see the touring company’s production of the show. Pamela took notes throughout and indicated the show was very dance-oriented. She stated there were various tangos and waltzes that involve couples, as well as broader choreography with a latin flare for individual dancers. Pamela stated they took inspiration from various stagings of the show throughout the years, including the original 1979 production. Despite this fact, all dance routines are original for this new show. With a show as well-known as “Evita”; however, Terri suggested that audiences undoubtedly have some expectations in terms of what they will see. She indicated that Eva singing “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” from the Balcony of the Casa Rosada with her arms raised is such an indelible pop culture moment. Audiences would likely feel cheated if that imagine was not present. On the other hand, the staging of “A New Argentina” in this production looks completely different to what is presented in the 1996 film adaptation and various other versions of the show.

Photo by Philip Goodridge

minor complication initially arose in bringing “Evita” to St. John’s, as the rights of the show were not available for licensing. A theatre company in the States was currently touring the show across North America. This involved going to the holders of the rights and making a special case allowing TaDa! Events to stage the show. Once restricted rights were secured, Terri started assembling the cast and crew. Susan Quinn, Choir Director of Quintessential Vocal Ensemble, approached Terri about becoming involved when hearing about the project. She indicated that the score is extremely multilayered, rhythmically was very complex and required really good enunciation and diction. Pamela Pittman, an experienced dancer with accreditation in Latin American couples dance, also approached Terri about “Evita”, indicating she wanted to choreograph the show. With more than thirty years of relentless experience, musician Bill Brennan was brought on as the show’s Musical Director.

“ vita” opened on February 28th at the Arts and Culture Centre and plays until March 6th. Tickets are currently onsale at the Arts and Culture Centre Box Office in St. John’s, NL. In addition to an amazing performance, audiences can look forward to beautiful costumes designed by Amy Edwards and extensive sets by Karl Simmons. Terri Andrews hopes that audiences of this province will share in the passion she has for this beautiful story.

Art lessons For Adults & Children

|8| March

Call Sherry at 763-7921

painter-1@hotmail.com

“Les Misérables”

|TV Review|

Looking

he world of musical theatre is surely alive and well in the city of St. John’s, NL. The month of February alone will see the staging of not one, not two, but three huge shows at the Arts and Culture Centre. O’Donnell High School’s presentation of “The Sound of Music” bowed on February 20th, 2013, and TaDa! Events production of “Evita” opens on February 28th, 2013. First out of the gates; however, was the debut show from the newly formed Atlantic Light Theatre; the classic “Les Misérables”. Considered by many to be one of the most beloved musicals of all time, “Les Misérables” is hugely ambitious in scope and scale. It was undoubtably a challenge for Atlantic Light Theatre, but one that was a bonafide success.

he show started with the chant of prisoners wailing their plight while rowing and being whipped by attending guards. As the scene progressed, the vocal strength of the ensemble only seemed to grow, sounding deeper, richer and fuller. The audience was then introduced to prisoner Jean val Jean, portrayed amazingly by Jonathan Monro. He played the role with such passion, conviction and intensity that one almost felt the pain of his character while watching him. He displayed complete commitment to the role, not to mention a superb operatic range which clearly communicated a range of emotions, such as: anger, vulnerability, anguish and remorse. His interpretation of “Bring Him Home” was outstanding.

nother notable performance was that of Kiersten Noel as the tragic Fantine. She quite brilliantly communicated the rage, horror and extreme desperation of this character’s plight to save her child. As she performed the character’s signature song, “I Dreamed A Dream”, the audience saw every quiver of her mouth, the flash of despair in her eyes, the humiliation, and in the end, the fury she feels. Noel gives complexity to a character that could simply been portrayed as a martyr. Noel’s Fantine has sarcasm when she leads a sailor to her bed, prissiness when she defends herself against other factory workers, and sass when she rages against Jean val Jean for letting her be fired.

alvin Powell gave a commanding performance as the sinister Javert, and also infused the character with a sense of moral conflict. As the Thénardiers, Peter Halley and Shelley Neville were true scene-stealers. They had amazing chemistry with each other, and their rendition of ‘Master of the House’ was hilarious. Timothy Matson, as the revolutionary Enjoiras, was strong voiced and extremely convincing, as were his many cohorts that supported the cause. In a role that could have been played as a pathetic lovelorn girl, Erin Winsor, fresh off her winning performance in the Theatre St. John’s production of “Mary Poppins”, brought an element of feminist heroism to the character of Eponine. She sang “On My Own” with tremendous passion without concealing her breaking heart. Windsor’s strong, emotive voice contrasted nicely with the operatic pristineness of Sarah Loveys’ Cosette. The show was supported by an equally strong chorus of revolutionaries, factory workers and prostitutes who delivered anthemic numbers like; “Do You Hear the People Sing”, “At The End of the Day”, and “One Day More” beautifully.

aking a cue from the newly commissioned 2009 version of “Les Misérables” from producer Cameron Mackintosh, Atlantic Light Theatre’s production featured projections of paintings by Ian Sparks in lieu of elaborate sets. These projections were inspired by Victor Hugo’s original paintings, and were cleverly used to complete the visual representation of a scene without drawing attention away from the show. This allowed the audience to focus on the narrative rather than the spectacle.

ll-in-all, Jacinta Mackey Graham and Douglas Vaughan did a fantastic job in bringing “Les Misérables” to St. John’s. With it’s amazing cast and crew, the show was as epic and emotionally resonant as ever.

F I

t’s not easy doing a television series in 2014 about gay men, let alone other types of individuals encompassing the LGBT community. The responsibilities of representation has never seemed more urgent and complicated. This is in large partly due to the powerful platform, the internet, in terms of voicing opinions. To appeal to a gay audience, a series needs to be realistic and relatable. To appeal to everyone else, a show cannot be too gay as it may risk alienation. It’s a situation where it seems that television creators and networks are damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.

he new HBO series “Looking” debuted on January 19th, 2014, and will have an eight episode run for it’s first season. The series has generated a great deal of critical reaction with much written about it. Some critics have praised it as a revelatory, breakthrough series with honest realism on gay life. Detractors, largely from the gay periodicals, have indicated the show is too bland, dull, cliche-ridden, and have openly questioned when it will become exciting. “On this week’s episode of “Looking”, Christopher Rice, gay author and advocate, tweeted on February 14th, 2013, “Jonathan Groff looks at a computer, fog rolls in over San Francisco, and I throw a cup of tea at the TV.”. Five episodes in as of press time, it can be said that “Looking” is a slow-moving, endearingly low-key show. It has the look and quality of an indie film which focuses on character development over exposition, plot, dramatic tension or melodramatics. While the show has humour, it’s of the clever writing variety, rather than one-liners that are typically included to generate laughs. While not as quotable as HBO’s other hit series, “Girls,” the dialogue is always honest, and never comes off as contrived. The show centers on three friends: smiley-bland Patrick (Jonathan Groff); adventurous roommate Agustin (Franke J. Alvarez); and the older Dom (Murray Bartlett) – with a special focus on their sex lives, their romantic lives, and the occasional crossover therein. The show clearly aims for realism; its characters being presented as so normal that they are barely remarkable.

he introduction of the characters and their pasts is handled very effectively by the series. The performances have a lived in quality about them, an ingrained familiarity that makes viewers feel as if they have known the characters for years. As a bit of a refresher of the series thus far, the show begins with Patrick cruising in the park, a scene which turns funny quickly when Patrick’s phone starts ringing. Patrick is single and looking – for what, exactly, we don’t know. It might be to have a boyfriend, it might be something else completely. Later in the first episode, he goes on a date with a handsome older Doctor whose bluntness is at once hilarious and painfully true. He then shares a sexy encounter with Richie, a Latino barber, on public transport; an exchange that ultimately leads to awkwardness before a true connection is formed. During the day, Patrick works as a video-game developer, and starts engaging in a flirty relationship with his new boss, Kevin (Russell Tovey). Agustin; meanwhile, appears settled in an apparently happy relationship, and moves into his boyfriend’s place in Oakland by the second episode. Dom, just old enough to be cynical but still young enough to be hopeful, works as a waiter and has aspirations of opening his own restaurant. He later meets Lynn (Scott Bakula), an older, gay entrepreneur, at a gym steam room and the two exchange numbers. It is unclear at this point; however, if this relationship is about business, pleasure or both.

|9| March

rom the onset, the central protagonist of “Looking” is clearly Groff ’s Patrick. As the other main characters appear further along and settled, Patrick introduces the audience to the world of awkward sexual experiences for gay men, and thus is our entry point into “Looking”. The series hinges on the relatability and charisma of this character, and it’s a task that Groff handles admirably. Already a veteran of the stage, Groff has consistently shown himself to be a subtle, intuitive and nuanced actor. He is probably best known for his reoccurring role as Jessie St. James on Fox’s “Glee”, a role that generated a great deal of talk when ‘Newsweek’ magazine ran a story by Ramin Setoodeh, who suggested that Groff came across as too gay for the straight role he played on the show. The article was rightfully blasted for being homophobic. While his work on “Glee” spoke to his strengths as a musical theatre performer, his film work is a better gage of his talents as an actor. He was particularly strong in the 2013 indie film ‘C.O.G.’, the first adaptation based on the work of author David Sedaris. In this film, Groff plays a gay man who recently graduated from Yale University and decides to work on an apple farm under an alias. The film never identifies Groff ’s character as gay, but rather lets the subtlety of his acting inform the audience before it becomes obvious. While “Looking” is more direct, Groff still brings these subtleties to his performance in this series. In Groff ’s hands, Patrick comes across as cute, not only in appearance, but by default. It’s his general demeanor: the baby-like voice, blushing expressions, and permasmile; all which appear when he’s feeling awkward. Even while letting some guy give him a hand job in a park, he has the impish look of a kid who’s amused that he’s getting away with something. Although probably not as naïve as he appears, these qualities give the many embarrassing moments that Patrick goes through a greater sense of reality.

he other characters that popular the show are equally as endearing, In particular; scenes between Dom and Doris, his roommate and former girlfriend, spark with chemistry. All of the performances, led by Groff, are also restrained and believable. These men are complex and flawed but in small, relatable ways. Their individual quests for emotional and sexual intimacy are handled with matter-of-fact confidence and skill. This may be disappointing for some who expect “Looking” to be a broader representation of the LGBT community. Again, it seems fairly clear that what Lannan and Haigh want to do with this series is not just boundary-push or titillate, but depict dramatic circumstances that are relatable to anybody. It’s important to note that “Looking” doesn’t shy away from ‘Grindr’, ‘Manhunt’, three-ways and open relationships. All of these are a part of gay culture that the show celebrates rather than downplays. “Looking” also uses social media in a very appropriate way. The references to Instagram filters ruining everything to the proper use of emojis are dead on. One puzzling aspect of “Looking”; however, is the lack of male nudity. All sex scenes thus far have been artfully directed, shot and blocked. They are often done in a way which doesn’t show anything south of a stomach or north of bare thighs. This may change as the series progresses; all actors have signed nudity riders and Groff, for one, has done full frontal scenes in the film ‘Twelve-Thirty’ (2011). Considering many shows on HBO, such as “True Blood”, “Game of Thrones” and “Girls”, feature more risqué sex scenes, the network could undoubtedly level the playing field by extending this courtesy to “Looking”.

uch like “Girls”, “Looking” seems to be a show without formulas, or any sense of particular story-lines or plots to follow. It’s a show that, much like life, can go in any number of unexpected directions. This quality, and its realism, is what makes this series so thrilling.

-Darryl Davis

|TV Review|

The Evolution of LGBT Representation on TV I n 2014, television shows focusing exclusively or predominantly on the lives of LGBT individuals are still a rarity on major networks. There have been plenty of gay characters on television shows in the past; shows like: ‘Three’s Company’, ‘Golden Girls’, and ‘Will and Grace’ to name a few. In recent years, a growing number of LGBT characters with increasing levels of complexity and diversity have been featured on ‘Degrassi Junior High’; ‘Modern Family’; ‘Glee’; ‘Orange is the New Black’; and the recently cancelled ‘The New Normal’. Even with this trend, however, gay characters have still largely been depicted as either fun and funny, or as starkly sad, depressed, or as victims. Despite this fact, there have been a few groundbreaking television series from the past which have attempted to focus solely on the nuances and complexity of gay relationships, while pushing the boundaries of mainstream media.

ay back in 1982, the HBO network acquired the rights to Armistead Maupin’s ‘Tales of the City’, a cycle of novels set in late-’70s San Francisco, with the hope of adapting it into a weekly sitcom. The concept went into pre-production, but executives eventually decided that audiences would not accept a show celebrating gay sex in the face of the worsening AIDS crisis. The project eventually turned into a miniseries produced by Britain’s Channel 4 in 1993, and was shown on PBS in America in 1994. Then came the 1999 British television series ‘Queer As Folk’, written by Russell T Davis, which chronicled the lives of three gay men living in Manchester’s gay village around Canal Street. Arguably having a larger impact, the American adaptation premiered on Showtime in 2000. Closely following the original’s plot and storylines initially, the American version of ‘Queer as Folk’ eventually covered even more social issues as it aired for an additional four seasons. The show was the first hour-long American television series to portray the lives of gay men and women, and was also the first series on American television to air simulated sex scenes between men. Likely the result of the same zeitgeist, Showtime premiered ‘The L Word’ in 2004; an hour-long drama focusing on the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, straight and transgender individuals which aired for six seasons.

ow more than a decade after the debut of “Queer as Folk”, another show focusing on the lives and relationships of gay men has premiered. That show is “Looking”; debuting January 19th, 2014, on HBO. The show, which chronicles the lives of three gay best friends, was instantly hyped as the gay ‘Girls’ or the gay ‘Sex and the City’, and became the first must-see show of 2014. “Looking” is created and executively produced by Andrew Haigh, director of 2011’s acclaimed indie drama “Weekend”, and Michael Lannan, who’s memoirs are the basis of the show. The project initially fuelled a great deal of excitement and attention given Haigh’s involvement. “Weekend” is arguably one of the least pretentious films about a gay relationship that has ever been made. Set against a steely Nottingham backdrop, the film documented a chance, whirlwind relationship between Glen and Russell – two seemingly mismatched, but undeniably-modern gay men who have a one-night stand that promises to last forever. In many ways the film feels like a classic indie romance, with two opposites getting to know each other and talking themselves into love. The film likely felt like a breakthrough for audiences because it features two gay characters who weren’t struggling or grappling with their sexuality, hence the movie played more personal and intimate than political.

eemingly taking a cue from “Weekend”, “Looking” presents similarly drawn gay characters. As stated previously, the series focuses on three gay men in contemporary San Fransisco: Patrick (Jonathan Groff), is a 29-year-old genial but dorky video game designer exploring the possibilities of dating in the San Francisco LGTB community; Agustín (Frankie J. Alvarez), Patrick’s slightly older roommate, is an aspiring artist who is questioning his decision to move in with his boyfriend and its implications of monogamy and domesticity; and Dom (Murray Bartlett), their approaching-40 waiter friend who is undergoing a midlife crisis and a fear he hasn’t accomplished enough. Russell Tovey, Scott Bakula, and Raul Castillo also co-star.

his description of “Looking” and its characters undoubtedly brings to mind the seminal show about gay male friendships, Showtime’s “Queer as Folk.” A side by side comparison of these two series could provide no better testimony to just how far gay rights have progressed in the last decade. Homophobia wasn’t just an issue in “Queer as Folk”—it was the issue. On “Looking,” it hasn’t yet come up. “Queer as Folk” was a product of its time. It was a show about gay identity, self-acceptance and homophobia. The characters lived in a world where gay men were still mostly dying of AIDS and not a single state had passed same-sex marriage. In “Looking”, the character’s sexual identity is something they seem to take for granted; they’re more likely to fret about who they’ll bring to the joint bachelor party of an ex getting married than about the possibility of getting bashed walking home from a bar.

espite the stereotypes it perpetuated, and the salacious, soft-porn sex scenes it regularly offered, “Queer as Folk” deserves credit for its ballsy, early 2000’s approach to LGBT representation, even though it was a vague approximation of gay. Despite the fact that “Looking” is also not an all-encompassing portrayal of the LGBT community, it does offer characters who’s gayness is an important part of who they are without it completely defining them. Characters are fleshed out enough not to be dismissed as mere gay stereotypes, while also putting their sexuality front and center.

n terms of the show being the “new ‘Girls’” or “the gay version of “Sex and The City’” – “Looking” doesn’t quite hit that mark. The show could be compared to “Sex and the City” insofar that it’s about men navigating romantic relationships, or to “Girls”, in that the show also has that awkward coming-of-age component, and a protagonist who is in his twenties. “Looking”; however, is a much slower, low key show, which shares more in common with “Weekend” or “Tales of the City” than those previously mentioned. Interestingly enough, a series that comes closer to a gay version of “Sex and The City” than any network could hope to produce is the 2012 web-series “Hunting Season”. It features a group of four gay male friends in New York City. The series is inspired and largely based on the popular blog “The Great Cock Hunt,” which chronicled the love life of hot gay stud “Alex” from 2005 to 2008. It was later published as a novel of the same name.

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n the series, Alex (Ben Baur), a single, gay, 20-something Manhattanite, works as a successful blogger for Gawker, and inadvertently turns the spotlight on himself and his friends when he starts anonymously writing and blogging about their sex lives. It isn’t too much of a stretch to see the similarities between this character and Ms. Carrie Bradshaw. The other characters also follow the archetypes established by “Sex and The City”: Tommy (Marc Sinoway) is the sexually adventurous Samantha of the group; Nick (Jack Ferver) is comparable to the uptight Miranda; and TJ (Jake Manabat) is a character who values monogamy and domesticity much in the same way as Charlotte. Despite being a web series currently comprised of eight episodes, typically ranging in length from eight to twelve minutes, “Hunting Season” has lush production value on par with network television shows which cost millions of dollars to produce. It’s also all shot on location in New York City and looks stunning. The show’s creator and writer, Jon Marcus, financed the first season of the series completely out of his pocket. On November 8th, 2013, a project was launched on the crowd fundraising site Kickstarter to finance production of the second season. The project was successfully funded on December 6th, 2013, and filming is due later in the year.

uch like ‘Looking”, “Hunting Season” is another example of what some are calling a “post gay series”; all central characters appear to have no issues with their sexual identity. “Hunting Season” does move along at a brisker pace than its network counterpart and tends to focus on sexual hijinx rather than character development and storytelling. At present, the series is also a great deal more explicit than “Looking”. Every episode of “Hunting Season” features a sex scene, as well as full frontal male nudity in the uncensored versions. In the show’s premiere episode; for example, Alex goes home with an anonymous trick he meets on the subway based on a noticeable bulge in his gym pants. The coupling segues into a threesome when the man’s roommate arrives, and nonchalantly dives in. In episode three, a guy Alex met briefly at a bar in an earlier episode picks him up for a date only for the couple to have sex before the date starts. What results is an awkward night at a restaurant with very little communication between the two. While the sex scenes are salacious, they are more grounded than those seen in “Queer as Folk” a decade earlier. The series is also a great deal more relatable as a result of the boy next door charisma of Ben Baur, who plays Alex. He combines open-hearted charm with a playfulness that never comes off cocky or sleazy. Baur resembles the kind of guy that everyone either wants as their best friend, or who everyone wants to take home at the end of the night.

hile these shows are clearly different, even though on surface they appear to service the same demographic, both are indicative of the evolution of gay characters in popular media today. Society still has a long way to go before the extensive diversity of the LGBT community is fully represented and realized in mainstream media, but shows like “Looking” and “Hunting Season” are definitely steps in the right direction.

|In the Spotlight|

- Darryl Davis (@darryl_m_davis)

Robert Chafe

a last month’s edition of “The ‘Out’Port”, we published the first in a monthly series of profiles on local theatre actors, directors, playwrights; as well as, the crew behind the scenes. This month we are profiling famed St. John’s based playwright, Robert Chafe, whose work has been seen across Canada, the UK, Australia and in the United States. He is the author of eighteen stage scripts and co-author of another ten. He frequently collaborates with Siminovitch Prize winning director Jillian Keiley. He was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award for Drama for ‘Tempting Providence and Butler’s Marsh’ in 2004, and won the award for ‘Afterimage’ in 2010. He has been writer-in-residence at Artistic Fraud, Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre, and Forest Forge Theatre, Hampshire, UK, as well as a guest instructor at The National Theatre School of Canada. Robert Chafe is currently the writer-in-residence at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

obert grew up in the Goulds with his parents, William and Elizabeth Chafe, and his brothers, Howard, Greg, and Jason Chafe. He indicated that as a child he wanted to become a dancer, and that he loved the television show “Fame”. He stated that he imagined being the character Leroy Johnson from this series, and about going to a Performing Arts High School, like the one featured on the show in New York City. In reality, he was the son of a roof truss company owner, where he often worked during the summer. Robert stated that his family was Anglican, and as a result he attended Elementary School in the Goulds, and was later bussed out to St. John’s for Junior High and High School. He attended Bishop’s High School, and enrolled in the Theatre Arts class there, but stated his interest in the Performing Arts didn’t really spark until he attended Memorial University. Due to self doubt; feelings that a career as an actor were not realistic; the pressure put upon him by his parents to obtain a career oriented University Degree; and the student loans involved in doing the Theatre Acts Program at the Corner Brook campus, Robert initially had other academic aspirations. He indicated that when he first enrolled at Memorial, it was with the intent of doing Psychology, his second option was going to medical school to become a Doctor. He even enrolled in pre-med courses like Organic Chemistry. He stated that things changed pretty quickly, and he ultimately completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy. While attending university, his friend Steve O’Connell, who now portrays Sergeant Daniel Hood on the CBC show “The Republic of Doyle”, was doing a directing course at Memorial. He stated that one of the requirements of this course was to direct and film a piece to submit for evaluation, and indicated that Steve asked him to be a part of this project. As a result, Robert became connected with people like Jillian Keiley and Danielle Irvine, who would become collaborators in years to come. From that point on, Robert started focusing more on artistic and acting ventures.

n 1990, Robert indicated he remembers seeing a show at the LSPU Hall called “My Three Days” written by John Taylor. He said it was an amazing show, and that he remembers leaving feeling elated and excited about the show, and depressed that he couldn’t do something like that. When a friend suggested he should go ahead and give it a try, a then nineteen year old Robert Chafe wrote a one man show called “Urbanite”, and staged it with the support of the LSPU Hall. He indicated “Urbanite” was an autobiographical show about growing up in the Goulds, wanting to get out, and feeling trapped. His parents, who where skeptical about his career pursuits in the world of Performing Arts, changed their perspective after seeing this show, and have been extremely supportive ever since.

n discussing the various experiences he had as an actor and writer, Robert stated he became involved in a theatre company started by Sheila Guy Murphy. It was called “Newfoundland Young Peoples Theatre”, and it focused on creating and performing youth-oriented plays in schools. He stated that every Fall, Sheila would obtain her funding for this project, which was used to develop these plays and tour them. Robert indicated that other local artists, like Petrina Bromley and Sean Panting, where also involved with this project, and stated he worked with this company for a couple of years. He stated there was also a couple of plays he self-produced, or produced with friends, around this time. He referred to his second play, “Lemons”, as his comedic “coming out play”. The show debuted in 1993 and successfully toured in Halifax. Another local artist Robert mentioned working with was Aiden Flynn, who has acted, produced and directed several works for the RCA Theatre. He stated that Aiden encouraged fearlessness, ambition and to never view things as impossible. In 1994, Robert indicated that he did a show in St. John’s called “In Your Dreams Freud”, that it was a big success, and that the decision was made to tour it. It involved what initially felt to be the impossible, a crew of forty-five travelling to Halifax to put of this show. He also mentioned working on a project that Ana Stassis and Danielle Irvine developed called “Place of First Light”. He stated this project, with a budget of close to a half million dollars obtained from Rural Development Funding and Student Employment Grants, was a day long theatrical tour of Bell Island for tourist. He indicated that it was projects like these, which were innovative and ambitious, that really shaped his level of gumption. Robert stated these were the artists he surrounded himself with, people who had vision and took risks.

n 1995, Robert started working with Jillian Keiley, the founding Artistic Director of Artistic Fraud. A collaboration between Chafe, Keiley and Petrina Bromley in 1997 resulted in the show “Under Wraps”, as well as its successful tour. Described as a story of unrequited gay love and friendship, “Under Wraps” was critically praised and had a very successful tour. In May 2013, a recent staging of the show occurred at the LSPU Hall in St. John’s. Based on the success of this show, Robert stated that he became creative partners with Jillian, and that most of his work since this time has been done with her. He stated that ideas for projects often result from discussions they have together in coffee shops. In terms of their collaborative process, Robert indicated that he largely does the writing, whereas Jillian is responsible for the direction and visualization of a project. He went on to say that they seem to work best when they are in their primary roles, but that it helps that they are very forward with each other. Robert stated he has a true working relationship with Jillian; they constantly discuss matters, provide each other with suggestions, and negotiate with each other.

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he last project that Robert Chafe and Jillian Keiley completed together was a piece called “Oil and Water”. The show premiered in February 2011 to a sold out run in St. John’s, and continues to tour across Canada. “Oil and Water” revolves around the true story of African American sailor Lanier Phillips. Phillips was serving on the USS Truxton, which ran aground at St. Lawrence, NL, during a storm in February 1942, killing more than one hundred sailors. Local residents managed to rescue forty-six of the crew, including Phillips who was the only black man on board to survive. Phillips was taken to the home of a local woman, Violet Pike, who tried to wash the oil off his body only to discover it was his natural skin colour. Violet had never seen a black person before; Lanier had never been treated with kindness by a white person. Originally from the segregated south, Phillips was subjected to much racial discrimination and violence. Although he only spent two days in St. Lawrence, it was two days he talked about for the rest of his life. He left a changed man, returning to the States to become a civil rights activist. He became the U.S. Navy’s first black sonar technician and marched with Martin Luther King in Selma. Phillips stayed connected with the people of Newfoundland over the years, and often returned to visit. On one of his last visits to the province, he was inducted into the order of Newfoundland and Labrador. Phillips passed away in March 2012. “Oil and Water” returns to St. John’s on March 13th and runs until March 23rd, 2014, at the LSPU Hall

obert indicated that the next project he is working on with Jillian Kieley is an adaptation of the novel “The Colony of Unrequited Dreams” by Wayne Johnston. Coincidentally, Johnston is also a native of the Goulds. Released in 1998, the internationally successful novel is a fictional retelling of the life and career of Joey Smallwood. Robert indicated that he has been working on the stage version of this novel for the past four to five years, and stated that the show will premiere February 2015 in St. John’s. This will be the 25th Anniversary show for Artistic Fraud, one that Robert hopes to share with the rest of Canada in 2017.

n terms of major influences, Robert indicated that the roster of locally produced television shows on CBC from the late 1970’s and 1980’s had a huge impact on him. Shows like “Wonderful Grand Band”, “Up At Hours”, and “CODCO”. He stated these programs featured actors, legitimate television superstars, that actually lived in St. John’s. He indicated that he doesn’t even think he would have thought of acting had these shows not been on the air. Although he didn’t meet Tommy Sexton before he passed away, he has since met and become friends with Greg Malone and Mary Walsh. He commented that it was remarkable that he has had the opportunity to meet all of these actors and writers who he loved, and were heroes to him, while growing up. Canadian actor, playwright, film and theatre director Daniel MacIvor is another personal hero Robert has had the opportunity to meet and become friends with. He also stated that seeing people he has met, worked and associated with in the past, and becoming successful has also been amazing. He indicated that Allan Hawco, from the CBC program “Republic of Doyle”, was in the original production of “Under Wraps” as part of the chorus, took part in Shakespeare by the Sea, as well as acted in “Place of First Light”. Robert stated that seeing the journey of someone like Hawco, who went from having a mild interest in trying theatre to becoming a nationally known actor, has been an incredibly rewarding thing to watch.

Baking with

Betty Boo

Chocolate Guinness Cake

March is upon us and it’s time for us to get back into the

kitchen. St. Paddy’s Day will soon be here and, there’s nothing I like better then to get out and celebrate the day and have as my grandfather would say “a good nip”. To kick up my heels, have a sociable with friends, or pints amongst new ones. I also like to celebrate with some Irish themed treats. Now normally as I bake the booze goes in me – but in the spirit of the day that we are about to celebrate, where we are all a little Irish, I figure I’d save it for the recipes. - I hope you enjoy! Ingredients Cake: • 1 cup Guinness • 1/2 cup butter, cubed • 2 cups sugar • 3/4 cup baking cocoa • 2 eggs, beaten • 2/3 cup sour cream • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking soda Cake: • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened • 1 & 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions: 1.Grease a 9-in. springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper; set aside. 2. In a small saucepan, heat beer and butter until butter is melted. Remove from the heat; whisk in sugar and cocoa until blended. Combine the eggs, sour cream and vanilla; whisk into beer mixture. Combine flour and baking soda; whisk into beer mixture until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. 3. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Remove sides of pan.

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4. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar and cream; beat until smooth (do not over-beat). Remove cake from the pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Ice top of cake so that it resembles a frothy pint of beer. Refrigerate leftovers.

|12| thesproutrestaurant.comMarch

Chocolate Guinness Cake Directions: 1.Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9x13” pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray. Ingredients Brownies: • 1 & 1/2 cup flour • 1/2 tsp baking soda • 1/2 tsp salt • 11 Tbsp unsalted butter • 1 cup sugar • 4 Tbsp water • 1 tsp instant espresso powder • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 1 cup semisweet and 1 cup bittersweet) • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract • 4 large eggs Cream Cheese Layer: • 2 (8oz.) pkgs cream cheese, softened to room temperature • 1/3 cup sugar • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract • 1 large egg • 4 Tbsp Bailey’s Irish Cream

2. Prepare Brownies: Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl; set aside. In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the sugar and water. Bring just to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in the chocolate chips, espresso powder and vanilla. Stir until chocolate chips are completely melted. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Slowly blend in flour mixture, and mix until batter is smooth and shiny. 3. Prepare Cream Cheese Layer: Place all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and well blended. 4. Pour half of brownie batter into pan and spread evenly. Dollop cream cheese mixture on top of brownie batter and gently spread until evenly distributed. Spread remaining brownie batter over the cream cheese mixture. 5. Bake for about 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely before cutting. NOTE: Don’t Have Espresso Powder, Try These Substitutes: http://www.thekitchn.com/dont-have-espresso-powder-try-134785

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Enjoy! XO Betty

|A Patient Parting|

|On Our Gaydar|

-Taylor Stocks

For a long time, I lived in heteroverse. You know what I’m talking about- where all the Hollywood romances take place and sex is so obvious that they don’t even need to show it on screen for us to know what’s going on. Heteroverse: the universe according to the norms and practices of straight, cis-people who (seem to) have a fixed idea about how their own gender and sexuality work. I ascribed to this world in two ways, both able to play the part of a cis-woman and being attracted to the opposite gender. I could pass so easily as a fully integrated member of heteroverse and I benefited from the privileges allotted to my status as a white, middle-class, cis-straight woman. I built my life around this identity. That’s not to say I didn’t recognize the difference between me and

the norms generally associated with ‘woman’. I had outlets where I could exist outside of typical expectations surrounding gender. But in the end, I pursued, and was trained toward, the ideal of the straight cis-woman.

It has only been within the last year that I have seriously broken

with that long-constructed identity in the search of better language and practice that reflects who I am. Through my recent self-identification as genderqueer and my participation within the trans* community, I have discovered a new flexibility and agency that allows me to move through the world in a much more meaningful way. Moving to St. John’s, I found a queerverse that welcomed me in spite of my seeming betrayal of my queer self for twenty-odd years.

Have you heard? Of course you have: Ellen Page came out, and heterosexual men from Victoria to St. John’s mourned.

However giving up membership in heteroverse has not come with-

out its costs, and I’m not quite sure that one can truly be a part of queerverse without, at some point, throwing the middle finger up to those outside of the LGBT community. Relationships once thought to be stable and safe break down as they come under the new lens of the queer. Dynamics are shifted from family life to dayto-day errands as we bump into unfriendly pronouns or unwanted questions. Life changes when you begin to see through the empty charms of futures sold to us by the media, often in violent and unpleasant ways.

hat’s right, ladies, Ellen is playing for you team. The Halifax-born actress made quite a splash when she decided to leap out of closet last month with a passionate speech at a Time to Thrive banquet.

isibly nervous and choking up several times, she received a standing ovation for her bravery and honesty. “I am here today because I am gay... and because maybe I can make a difference to help others have an easier and more hopeful time. Regardless for me I feel a personal obligation and a personal responsibility. I also do it selfishly because I’m tired of hiding and I’m tired of lying by omission. I suffered for years because I was scared to be out. My spirit suffered, my mental health suffered, and my relationship suffered. And I’m standing here today with all of you on the other side of that pain,” She said.

So this month, as we grit our teeth against the ever-present winter, may we have some patience for those for whom the shelter and safety of heteroverse is too appealing to leave behind for the sake of more accurate identification. Let us be patient as we endlessly engage in defense of queer ideals in response to the normative universe. Most of all, may we have patience for ourselves as we grieve for what is lost and rejoice for what we have won.

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age added, “And I am young yes. But what I have learned is that love — the beauty of it, the joy of it and yes even the pain of it — is the most incredible gift to give and to receive as a human being.” Bravo, Ellen! And welcome to the out and proud club!

-Ryan Crocker

“She made a mistake.” “He didn’t mean it.” “...I deserved it.” By |When To Get Out| Robyn Noseworthy “But, she says she loves me and, she’s sorry.” When it comes to financial abuse there are many Emotional abuse is a roller-coaster. It is harder to Every couple fights. They yell, they argue, they cry examples that you can put yourself in where you may spot, and even harder to heal from. Bruises fade, but

Sexless In The City

and, hopefully, they forgive and come to an understanding and, move forward.

There is, however, a fine line between normal and un-

acceptable behavior when it comes to relationships, no matter sexuality or gender. Abuse can happen at different levels and can come in many forms. The difficulty oftentimes is drawing the line on what is acceptable behavior and interaction and simply, what is not.

’ve discussed this topic with many friends of mine. We exchanged anecdotes and opinions and sadly, one of the things we agreed upon is that a lot of things happen in straight relationships that when they occur within a couple from the LBGT community, it goes unreported or even in some cases excused. There are certainly double standards that arise. For instance, if two girls are fighting and verbally being abusive towards each other, that’s merely a cat-fight. If you see one man strike another man, they’re just boys. If something is happening in a relationship it is hard to see it sometimes, especially when you’re in it. However, when society begins to excuse it, that only solidifies the hardship of recognizing your own limits.

imits can have different degrees of importance. There are what I like to call soft limits and hard limits. A soft limit, could potentially be yelling in anger. While a hard limit could be cheating. They are as individual as it comes and nobody has the right to pass judgment on what your own personal limits are. What I want to remind people of when it comes to the relationships that you are in, there will be ups and downs but these limits set off instincts and, far too often instincts go ignored.

There are also many different areas in which your

instincts could kick in. They can arise at any point in your relationship and oftentimes the longer you are in a relationship the harder it is to listen to yourself. When people say listen to your head and not your heart, usually they are telling you to listen to your instincts. The little voice that tells you that something isn’t quite right. Warning signs are important to acknowledge as the rule you need to follow is simple: your own self worth should always be first priority.

hen it comes to abuse in a relationship again there are varying degrees. Four categories of abuse that

physical, emotional, sexual. All of them can hold two

I have found fall under

financial

and, sides to each tale.

question if the situation is manageable. Here’s what I believe, my parents have been married 32 years, they don’t keep tabs. If I just started a relationship, I keep tabs. Not in specific amounts but I’m not going into a relationship where I work my butt off for my money and I’m left with the bill every time my partner and I decide to go out on a date. I don’t believe people should be counting their pennies and nickels but if you personally feel that you are being taken advantage of financially, odds are you are somewhat if not completely valid in saying so. On the other hand, if money is constantly being held over your head and it’s to put you in a place deemed to be of lesser value, that is not okay either. The important thing to do is to speak up. Sometimes these situations can be clarified with a simple conversation. Explain your feelings and defend yourself, but be open to consider your partner’s voice on the other side. Maybe the last four times dates were paid for by you, but there’s a big difference in going to McDonald’s and going to the latest trendy fine dining experience. What I will say is this, express yourself. If your partner can’t see your side then another instinctual emotion will surface. Be assertive, not aggressive, again listen and try to reach a compromise with your spending habits. However if the situation doesn’t change, maybe the relationship should be reevaluated.

Sexual abuse can be very black and white, especially

if it the case of unwanted sexual advances. Conjugal rights, for the record, have been abolished for years in the Canadian Criminal Code. Meaning, even when married, your partner has no right to indulge in sex of any kind simply because they are married to you. While rape and sexual assault can be less difficult to spot, there is another way where sexual abuse can take place and this one plays way more on vulnerability and mental health of the victim. Let’s say for instance you’re not getting any. I’m not saying that you need to have sex seven days a week with your partner, but my best friend put it best when he said, “when you have to start asking for it, it’s never a good sign.”

hen sex is used as a reward or is held over your head, or there is a constant excuse going around about why your partner won’t be intimate with you, usually there are other things going on. Nobody can demand sex from another, but again in relationships we should be able to have a healthy discussion about things without fear of being emotionally manipulated into feeling guilty of our own feelings. Neglect in the bedroom can be seen as abuse especially when it makes you feel like you have to beg for it or do something completely amazing before intimacy can be achieved. Healthy relationships have a natural way about them. Schedules can come into play, especially if you and your partner are on different times and, especially if there are children, but effort must be made on both sides. Rather the desire to make effort must still exist. If it doesn’t red flags will pop up and once again you will need to trust yourself.

|15| This article is not the professional advice/opinion of The ‘Out’port Magazine, this is the personal opinion of the writer.

March March

memories can last forever. Respect in a relationship is something that should never be compromised. Yes you will fight, but name calling and being made to feel less than is never something that you should have to tolerate. Emotional manipulation is a form of abuse. It occurs when you try to speak up but the table gets turned and you are left feeling like the whole thing was blown out of proportion or that it was your fault. A sign of emotional/mental abuse is when a partner tries to isolate the other from their friends and/or family. When someone does this, the next time a problem arises it makes it that much harder to speak up and say that you were hurt by something. Communication is absolutely necessary in a partnership, and with speaking also comes listening and taking acknowledgment of what is being conveyed. Own up to it, respect your partner. It takes a big person to admit their faults and when your partner does, or when you do, it is important to show appreciation of that as well. It is the only way you both will ever be able to comfortable expressing yourself to your partner.

Physical abuse can be the easiest to spot. Nobody,

and I mean nobody, has the right to put their hands on you in a way that you feel threatened or harmed. It should be black and white and in most cases it is. However, alcohol and other factors can always seem to find their way into the victim’s head and create selfdoubt. Stop. Listen. Protect yourself first and foremost. I know that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side but violence is never okay. Ever. Do not go down that road alone, confide in a friend or a relative and seek advice on what to do. Many times the solution is to walk away and this can be the most difficult thing to ever concede in doing, however it can also be the only resolution. You come first. It is not your fault and you do not need to put up with it.

I said in the beginning, relationships will go through hard times and good times. Expect to cry and expect to fight, that is normal. However when you feel like something isn’t quite right, or fair, or dignified, usually it isn’t and you need to take yourself into account. Nobody else will care more for you than yourself. Be strong, be aware and be trusting in your own instincts. Normalcy can be achieved and you will know when something doesn’t feel quite right. Trust yourself and know that you deserve to be happy!

Resources for people in abusive situations:

NL Sexual Assault Crisis & Prevention Centre Phone: (709) 747-7757 Website: nlsacpc.com 24 hour toll-free crisis, information and support line: 1-800-726-2743 (Province wide) 726-1411 (St. John’s region) The Coalition Against Violence Phone: (709) 757-0137 The website has links to many additional resources. Website: www.coalitionagainstviolence.ca

|16| March