Ottawa - Daily Xtra

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Ottawa - Daily Xtra

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#261 NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013
OTTAWA’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
THE NEW LEATHER
Ottawa’s thriving kink scene is embracing a younger,
more diverse demographic E24
2 NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 XTRA!
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XTRA
Published by Pink Triangle Press
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PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Brandon Matheson
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EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE
Zara Ansar, Adrienne Ascah, Natasha Barsotti,
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NOV 30
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#261 NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013
Roundup
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Exploring the
Conch Republic
one bite at
a time E14
The Half Shell Raw Bar, in the
Historic Seaport, is a great
place to start your Key West
food crawl. LESLEY FRASER
Editorial
Is Pope Francis really
a reformer?
By Natasha Barsotti E6
From the archives
Charlotte loved Margaret
Was Ottawa’s former mayor
in a “Boston marriage”? E20
Feedback E6
Xcetera E7
Out in the City
Upfront
New HIV testing program
targets couples in the US
and Ontario “It’s frightening
to a lot of people that the
greatest number of new
infections comes from
couples”: researcher E9
Local news Vanier residents
discuss crime prevention E11
National news
Priape saved from extinction
by new owners E13
Daily Xtra Travel
Montreal snow job The city
famous for its hot summer
nightlife also provides a
brilliant winter escape E18
with the men in Ottawa’s
welcoming and vibrant leather
community E24
Fit For A Queen
Retelling Shakespeare
GCTC resurrects Ann-Marie
MacDonald’s beloved 1988
play E26
The poster boy
for dreams come true
Andrew Binks’s novel Strip
translates painful experiences
to art E23
Heroes, heroines and
whimsy Instantly recognizable
individuals theme of Bhat Boy’s
new exhibition E26
Cover story
Changing of the guard
Mindful of tradition and history,
a “new guard” of youth, women
and trans people joins forces
What’s On E29
Xtra Living E30
Pho Bo Ga Truc
RESTAURANT
Xposed By Zara Ansar E28
COVER PHOTO
BY RÉMI THÉRIAULT
online at dailyxtra.com
E The cock carnival and other naughty competitions
E Montreal activists fundraise for new doc about
Russian LGBT kids
E The erotic art of the male nude
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PR and the pope
Is Pope Francis really a reformer?
EDITORIAL
NATASHA
BARSOTTI
Pope Benedict XVI once
told us that homosexuality is an “objective disorder.”
On another occasion, he deemed it
“a strong tendency ordered toward an
intrinsic moral evil.”
His predecessor, John Paul II, found
it “legitimate and necessary” to ask if
gay marriage is part of a clandestine
and more insidious “new ideology of
evil, which attempts to pit human rights
against the family and against man.”
Juxtapose those choice statements
with the reported words and actions
of the latest successor of St Peter to
take up residence at the Vatican.
Challenged about his stance on homosexuality, Argentina’s Jorge Mario
Bergoglio, aka Pope Francis I, throws
the ball back in his interrogator’s court.
“Tell me: when God looks at a gay
person, does he endorse the existence
of this person with love, or reject and
condemn this person?”
But his promising rhetorical start
ends with an equivocal “We must always consider the person,” followed by
a more obscure statement about “the
mystery” of human beings.
More recently, an Italian Catholic
LGBT group that reached out to Fran-
cis later claimed that he gave them “his
blessing.”
What’s not to like from a cleric who
has embraced the name of a saint heralded for his prayer about bringing
faith where there is doubt, hope where
there is despair and light where there
is darkness?
In an era that is gluttonous about
celebrity, Francis, with his friendly
countenance, gregariousness in the
presence of crowds and understanding of the importance of optics and
the well-turned phrase, is poised to
become a religious rock star.
And while his words and deeds thus
far are flummoxing the Church’s more
conservative segments, they are giving
its more liberal adherents a glimmer of
hope that his tenure will bring about
much-needed change, including bringing its disillusioned sheep — who’ve
been departing in droves — back to
the fold.
Moreover, in the context of contemporary rightwing nuttery, Francis’s
outreach, if not substance, feels like a
gale-force cleansing of the homophobic
stench issuing from the likes of the
American Family Association, the Na-
comment dailyxtra.com
& facebook/dailyxtra
email [email protected]
tweet @dailyxtra
tional Organization for Marriage, Pat
Robertson and the unrepentant Scott
Lively, now facing a human-rights
trial over his alleged role in fostering a
hostile environment for gay Ugandans.
But really, how different is Francis’s
cajoling rhetoric from that of a corporation or PR firm pitching a client’s
new and improved product as a real
departure from its classic version?
As a number of Church observers
have pointed out, especially in the
wake of the short-lived hope invested
in the Second Vatican Council of the
1960s, the changes — such as what language should be used for Mass — were
more cosmetic than revolutionary.
As much as I’d like to flirt with
this latest successor to Obama’s
Yes We Can–ism, I am as yet reluctant
to fall for this smiling, twinkly eyed,
avuncular man in robes who seems to
be offering more than he realistically
can, or really intends, to deliver.
Just recently, the Vatican announced
that a synod of bishops will convene to
discuss the “pastoral care of families.”
How far, if anywhere, will it go toward
acknowledging families with same-sex
parents or families with gay and trans
children?
If asked, I hope, but truly doubt,
that Francis will provide an answer
that doesn’t rely on the ambiguity of
a rhetorical question.
Natasha Barsotti is Xtra Vancouver’s
staff reporter.
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.
FEEDBACK
)!.-#!24%2
Criminal Lawyer Bayne Sellar Boxall
[email protected]
C: (613) 808-0820
6 NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 XTRA!
InterPride and diversity
privilege of others.
As someone who helped fight the battles against HIV discrimination, for
marriage equality and against stigma,
it’s my opinion that it may be time for
the transgender community and their
supporters to move forward on their
own [“InterPride’s Lack of Diversity a
Problem, Board Says,” dailyxtra.com,
Oct 13]. The [gay movement’s] social
and political agenda has matured and
softened, by virtue of our own work. I
see little in common with the transgendered (bi-curious-transvestite/
drag) group and their supporters. They
stay involved with the “community” at
their own peril. They need their own
political voice, agenda and leaders,
just as we did, and not filtered by the
GEOFF CHAULK
TORONTO, ON
I’m inclined to agree that the genderqueer community should withdraw
its support for InterPride. By virtue
of our visibility... trans people have
always been at the forefront of civil
rights battles. InterPride appears to
be populated by tone-deaf leaders who
are pleased to accept resources in the
name of trans people but who will not
provide benefit. Depending on your
politics, this [is] either a crap business
model or a flat-out misappropriation of
funds. Either way, it is unsustainable
and unsupportable.
Protests against Trinity
Western University
Years ago, I knew somebody who was
given a referral to an individual with
an MA from this school. That person
never went back because he could
detect the underlying religious bias
[“Toronto Students Protest Trinity
Western University’s Bid for a Law
School,” dailyxtra.com, Oct 18]. If a
straight male could pick that up, I hate
to think what their attitude would be
towards those who identify as LGBT.
CAELAN
TORONTO, ON
NICKI WARD
TORONTO, ON
XCETERA
Alex Stepanov
Russian man who auctioned
off his virginity via an
online contest.
Marie Robertson,
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$2,600
Amount Stepanov
gave it away for.
‘Give It Away’
Lead single from
the Red Hot Chili
Peppers’ 1991 album
Blood Sugar Sex Magik.
RAINBOW CRUZ
A PUGILIST’S PRIDE
Gay fighter Orlando Cruz
may have lost his bid for the
World Boxing Organization’s
featherweight title, but he
made quite the entrance
into the ring, accompanied
by a rainbow flag and
sporting rainbow trunks
patterned after the flag
of his native Puerto
Rico. During the third
round, the crowd began
chanting “puta” at
Cruz, who lost the fight
by knockout to favourite
Orlando Salido of Mexico.
Because I think gay
people love glamorous
women, and I think
I’m glamorous. And
I’m not blowing my own
trumpet, but I’ve been told
it often enough. Also,
they know I’m a nice
person, haha.
Joan Collins, asked why she thinks the gays
love her so much, in Out magazine
STAMP OF APPROVAL
‘The USPS will
confirm this
week that my
uncle, Harvey
Milk, will be
commemorated
on a 2014 US
postage stamp.
Another first!
My deep gratitude
to everyone
that supported
this effort!’
— Harvey Milk’s nephew,
Stuart, on the news that
the United States Postal
Service intends to honour
the legacy of the late gay
rights activist and San
Francisco city supervisor
counsellor
Helping clients reach their personal goals since 1987
Nina Hagen
The woman who
inspired Anthony Kiedis
to write the song (they
dated in the ’80s).
‘God loves the
homosexual’
According to a 2010
interview Hagen did
with anti-gay GermanCatholic website
kreuz.com.
‘Intersection’
The English
translation of kreuz.
Willy Bogner
Designer of
Germany’s 2014 Sochi
Olympics uniforms,
hailed as a pro-gay
fashion statement.
71
Bogner’s age.
Lou Reed
Died Sunday,
Oct 27, also 71.
www.talktomarie.com
The name
just about
says it all
ottawamensyoga.ca
JOB OPPORTUNITY
Mobile Journalist (Ottawa)
Xtra Ottawa needs an intrepid part-time mobile journalist
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You thrive on being a news reporter. Thick-skinned, you’re not
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within a small, tight-knit community. A creative thinker, you
have a natural “nose for news” to identify great story ideas.
You are outgoing and skilled at networking with sources,
newsmakers and community leaders.
You must be an aggressive self-starter who gets things done.
A quick and thorough reporter, you will generate daily stories
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Your commitment to fairness matches your meticulous
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CANADA’S
GAY& LESBIAN
NEWS
XTRA! NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 7
8 NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 XTRA!
Upfront
I’m sorry, I really take offence to the term ‘crack ho.’
Zahrah Hajali, Vanier resident E11
New HIV testing program targets
couples in the US and Ontario
‘It’s frightening to a lot of people
that the greatest number of new
infections comes from couples’
HIV NEWS
NATHANIEL CHRISTOPHER
Researchers in the United States are
expanding an HIV testing program
focused on testing gay men in couples,
after finding that up to two-thirds of
new HIV infections come from couples.
The program, called Testing Together,
seeks to combat the growing rate of
new HIV infections among gay men by
encouraging couples to get tested and
develop a sexual health plan together.
“Two guys go into a room and they receive pre-counselling together, they test
together, they get their results together
and build a plan together,” says study
co-investigator Rob Stephenson, who
is an associate professor at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.
The program follows a 2009 study by
Stephenson and co-investigator Patrick
Sullivan that estimates that one- to
two-thirds of new HIV infections come
from main partners among gay couples.
The pilot project was launched in
2011 in five American cities with support from the MAC AIDS Fund, which
will continue to support the expanded
initiative with ongoing funding. The
testing program will now be available
in 21 cities.
“We are 30 to 32 years into the epidemic, and those of us in prevention are
really focused on the risk of casual sex
and the ABCs of HIV prevention, such
as abstinence, being faithful and wearing
condoms,” Stephenson says. “Relationships are encouraged, but, if you think
about it, men in relationships have more
sex, more anal sex and are less likely to
use a condom with each other.
“In our HIV-prevention method we
focus on condoms for casual sex, and
we almost ignore the fact that gay men
form relationships and couples like any
other couples. It’s frightening to a lot of
people that the greatest number of new
infections comes from couples.”
Stephenson says their research revealed that many gay men in relationships believed they had a low risk of
acquiring HIV and were also less likely
to be tested regularly.
“It’s kind of this relationship bubble
where it’s thought that ‘because I’m in
a relationship and only those out in a
bar are having casual
sex, so I don’t need to
worry,’ but that’s not
true,” he says.
“On average, guys
in relationships have
sex 100 times a year
with their partner and,
incidentally, this is the
same as heterosexual
couples; we’re not different,” Stephenson
says. “If you’re in a relationship and you haven’t discussed
your HIV status with your partner, or
you assume that if he was positive he’d
tell you, or if you really don’t know,
then that is potentially 100 exposures
a year. If you met someone on the bus
and have sex with him once, that’s just
one exposure. It’s very different.”
Stephenson says Testing Together
was inspired by the work of the Rwanda
Zambia HIV Research Group, led by
Susan Allen, which provides couples’
testing and counselling across subSaharan Africa, where the epidemic is
highest among straight couples.
“What’s fascinating is that our studies
in Africa showed that the main risk is
your partner,” Stephenson says. “Back
in the 1980s, Susan Allen moved to
Rwanda and set up the very first cou-
“If you think about it, men in relationships have more sex, more anal sex and
are less likely to use a condom with each other,” says researcher Rob Stephenson,
who helped develop the Testing Together program.
ples’ counselling to get tested together,
and it worked. The [Center for Disease
Control] now labels it as a high-level
intervention in that it significantly reduces HIV transmissions.
“After 25 years of success in Africa,
we had this light-bulb moment to say,
‘We should do this with male couples in
the US doing what worked in Africa.’”
The Testing Together model will soon
be available in Ontario, too, after Stephenson trains 12 facilitators from four
Ontario programs that offer anonymous
HIV testing and counselling.
“We were really interested in this
model because nobody in Ontario is
doing that at the moment, and they had
such positive results in the research,”
says Jean Bacon, director of policy at
the Ontario HIV Treatment Network.
“Many people they were serving wanted to be counselled as a couple, and so we
want to help people develop that expertise,” Bacon says. “There hasn’t been a lot
of innovation in test counselling over the
years, and I think this is very innovative.”
Bacon says she hopes the programs
will be implemented soon, after training
is completed. The service will be offered
at the Hassle Free Clinic in Toronto, the
Options Clinic in London, Somerset
West Community Health Centre in
Ottawa, and Hamilton Public Health.
“We will monitor it in these agencies,
and if clients like it and agencies find it
has value, then we will scale it up across
the province,” Bacon says.
While Vancouver’s Health Initiative
for Men (HIM) has no plans to implement this particular program, executive
director Wayne Robert notes that many
guys already come into its clinics to get
tested together.
“The nurses and people who work
in our clinic are familiar with people
coming in to get tested as couples,” he
says. “When testing as couples, they
have a way of talking about these issues
that are respectful of different kinds of
relationships. Most guys who come in
are ‘monogamish.’ They may have one
partner or only have a certain kind of
sex with one partner. In all those cases,
you have to manage your health given
those realities.”
HIM featured couples’ testing in one
of its latest poster campaigns. “Many
guy guys get tested with their partners,”
reads the poster, which depicts two men
sitting together on an exam table. “HIM
operates two health centres that offer
STI & HIV testing, and counselling.”
Robert says testing as a couple is an
effective way to facilitate a conversation
about sexual health and overall wellbeing among gay men.
“It’s important to be able to discuss
your HIV status with your partner,
and that’s sometimes a really difficult
thing for guys to bring up because it
brings up issues of trust and the status
of your relationship,” he says. “It’s not
like people sit down and say, ‘Here are
the rules about sex with me’ when they
start a relationship. There are two different people with their own histories
and ideas, and it’s important to talk
about it, and sometimes talking about
getting tested is a good starting point.”
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613.567.1234
Vanier residents discuss
crime prevention
Community has
long suffered
from ‘us versus
them’ mentality,
residents say
The Glebe Minyan:
A queer-friendly spiritual community
grounded in Judaism, open to all!
Offering regular prayer services, educational
and social events.
Rabbi Anna Maranta, Spiritual Leader
Tel: 613.867.5505
Email: [email protected]
LOCAL NEWS
ADRIENNE ASCAH
Using the term “crack ho” can really
change the energy in a room.
Approximately 15 people gathered at
the Vanier Community Service Centre
on Oct 10 for a “crime-prevention
coffee house.” Nancy Worsfold, the
executive director of Crime Prevention
Ottawa (CPO), discussed the beautification efforts in Vanier, from cleaning
up graffiti to getting rid of shrubbery
that can offer “hiding places” for drug
dealers. Using city services, from callJulie Lalonde (left), the site director of Hollaback Ottawa, and Nancy Worsfold,
ing the city when garbage hasn’t been
the executive director of Crime Prevention Ottawa, at the community meeting.
picked up to calling police when crime
ADRIENNE ASCAH
occurs, has also helped the community
to address safety, she says.
Resist (POWER) has steadfastly said street harassment where there’s zero
Worsfold was talking about the con- that sweeps put sex workers in danger, harassment.”
nection between community spirit and forcing them to choose between their
According to Hollaback Ottawa’s oncommunity safety when a resident safety and their need to make a living. line survey, which was released in July,
raised the issue of incidents of breaking
Despite using the term “crack 97 percent of people said they’d expeand entering. Another Vanier resident, ho,” Derry says in an interview with rienced street harassment in Ottawa in
Geoff Derry, said a “crack ho” had Xtra that he recognizes sex workers the past year. Of about 350 respondents,
committed numerous burglaries in his as fellow community members. In 84 percent identified as women and 54
neighbourhood.
fact, he says, he attended a community percent identified as LGBT.
“I’m sorry, I really take offence to the meeting with POWER, adding that it’s
Although it wasn’t a scientific study,
term crack ho,” said Zahrah Hajali, who important to build bridges.
Lalonde says the numbers are in line
lives in Vanier.
“Right now it’s even questionably with national and international statisAfter a brief back and forth, during legal,” he says, referring to Bedford v tics, including the low number — six
which Hajali said it’s fine to object to a Canada, which is awaiting a ruling by percent — of people who say someone
person’s actions toward you and your the Supreme Court. “I’m fully in favour interceded on their behalf after witcommunity but not to
of legalized prostitution. nessing public harassment.
use oppressive language,
I’m fully in favour of
Lalonde encourages residents to
HOLLABACK
ottawa.ihollaback.org
Derry said, “I’m not that
prostitutes having full take a stand against harassment,
patient.”
recourse to protection whether by calling out street harass“But patience is what’s needed to under the law in every way and having ers directly, checking in with someone
build a safer community,” Hajali said. full access to health services.”
who’s been harassed to see if they’re
“You can’t build a safe community
After Worsfold spoke, Julie Lalonde, okay, or sharing experiences on Holby isolating a section of it. This is the the site director of Hollaback Ottawa, laback’s website and social media.
problem. Vanier is becoming the place talked about street harassment.
Hollaback’s website also has practiwhere you’re pushing people out who
“Your neighbourhood is the same cal, detailed advice on how to safely
have called Vanier their home for as every other neighbourhood when intervene when one sees harassment,
many, many years.”
it comes to street harassment, but the Lalonde says.
From Vanier’s gentrification to on- perception is that it’s sketchier here,”
For past coverage connected to
going sex-worker sweeps dating back Lalonde said. “The fact that we exist in
this story, visit the Ottawa
several years, efforts to make the com- 64 cities in 22 countries tells you that
munity safer often create an “us and there isn’t a neighbourhood, there isn’t section of dailyxtra.com and search
them” mentality. Prostitutes of Ot- a city, there isn’t a country in the world for “Hollaback” and “sex worker
tawa/Gatineau Work, Educate and that’s really figured out how to address sweeps.”
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18 Clarence St.
12 NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 XTRA!
Priape saved from
extinction by new owners
Montreal only Priape store reopening;
three others closed permanently
BUSINESS NEWS
ANDREA HOUSTON
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Priape’s flagship Montreal store is staying open, but the Toronto, Calgary and
Vancouver locations are gone for good.
Denis Leblanc, formerly the general
manager at Priape Inc, has announced
he is one of two new owners of the company. The other new owner is Stephen
Pevner, a New York film and theatre
producer, reports Fugues magazine
in Montreal.
“As of today around 10:30, I am now
co-owner of the new Priape 2.0! Our
purchase offer was heard and granted
by a Qc Superior Court Judge!” Leblanc
announced Oct 30 on his Facebook
page.
On Oct 21, LeBlanc confirmed the
gay retailer had been under bankruptcy protection since June 27. He
said that Priape had been struggling
since Health Canada demanded retailers take poppers off the shelves.
Now, LeBlanc says the Montrealbased company has been rescued from
bankruptcy. However, the company
will continue to exist only on Ste Catherine Street in Montreal. The Toronto,
Calgary and Vancouver stores will not
reopen.
Priape Montreal
has been saved;
however, the Toronto
store, shown here,
will not reopen.
“Our purchase offer was heard and
granted by a Quebec Superior Court
Judge,” LeBlanc says. He declined to
comment further or provide details
of the sale, promising a press release
“soon.”
When Xtra called, LeBlanc was in
the process of reopening the Montreal
store. “I am just calling a locksmith
now to change all the locks back to
what they were,” he says. “We have to
change the accounting system. I want
the lights to stay on, the phones to stay
on. I need the insurance to stay on. I
have to call 250 suppliers of stock to
tell them I need everything yesterday.”
Customers outside Quebec can
continue to buy products online at
priape.com.
For more on this story,
go to dailyxtra.com.
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XTRA! NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 13
A world of gay adventure
Travel
Edible
Key West
Exploring the Conch
Republic one bite at a time
STORY & PHOTOS
BY LESLEY FRASER
As the days get shorter and the temperature drops, Canadians start to daydream
about sunny, southern getaways.
Gay and lesbian foodies should consider an old standby: Key West. Like
Provincetown in the northeast, the continental United States’ southernmost
city was geographically isolated until
well into the 20th century and also became a haven for artists and homos. But
even if it looks a bit like New England,
its lush vegetation, riotous colour and
Spanish feel make it more Caribbean
than Floridian. And as the Conchs, as
the locals are known, like to say, “the
Puritans never made it this far south.”
Maybe that’s why the food’s better.
If you like your travel themed, consider one of the many festivals and
events that fill the calendar, from
the bacchanalian Fantasy Fest to the
Hemingway Days Festival to the annual
fishing tournament. Sadly, the shortlived ChickenFest (which celebrated
the town’s ubiquitous free-roaming
poultry) is no more, but food tourists
have other options.
A highlight is the five-year-old Food
and Wine Festival, which this year
kicks off with a beach party on Jan 22
and runs through the 26th (if you’re really keen, you could start the weekend
before, at the Key Largo and Islamorada Food & Wine Festival). Mustdos include the Let Them Eat Cake
masquerade party at the Green Pineapple boutique; the mile-long Duval
Uncorked, a drinking and eating tour
of the famous strip’s restaurants, shops
and galleries; the Key West Kitchen
14 NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 XTRA!
Tour, which stops at a number of local
restaurants; the Master Chef’s Classic
culinary tasting and competition; and
the wonderful shrimp boil (where you’ll
gorge on the famous Key West pinks) at
the Hogfish Bar & Grill, located one island over at the decidedly down-market
Stock Island shrimp docks. Various
seminars are still being scheduled, but
if chef Martin Liz’s Conch cooking class
is offered, go.
Key West has a number of high-end
food spots — Latitudes, in the Westin
Resort on Sunset Key, is a standout
(their poached lobster on polenta was
voted best main at last year’s Master
Chef ’s competition) — but some of
its best are very casual. Blue Heaven
is famous for its breakfast but also its
key-lime pie, so plan more than one
visit if you’re not the sort who eats pie
in the morning. The shaded patio at the
beautiful Azur restaurant makes for a
relaxing start to the day. Be sure to stop
for Cuban coffee at the 5 Brothers sandwich shop. Their Cuban mix sandwich is
also top-notch, as is El Siboney’s, which
offers a range of authentic Cuban food
in a sit-down environment.
Pepe’s Cafe, established in 1909, is
the oldest restaurant in the Keys, and
its low-key patio is the perfect spot for
an afternoon refresher. The Half Shell
Raw Bar, at the Historic Seaport, has
50-cent oysters at happy hour. East
Coasters craving the accents of home
should brave the cruise-ship crowds
on lower Duval and stop for fritters at
the Conch Shack, run by transplanted
Newfoundlander Matt McKnight; it’s
always open except during the Super
Bowl and hurricanes.
For lunch or dinner, Paseo’s is
Western Union’s cruises, top, sail on one of the oldest working wooden schooners
in the US. Above, participants at Chef Martin Liz’s Conch cooking seminar, offered
at last year’s Food and Wine Festival, learned how to roast a whole pig. Hogfish
Bar & Grill, right, is located on gritty Stock Island, next to the shrimp docks.
renowned for its Caribbean fare,
particularly the fire-roasted corn.
Italian-influenced Salute, sister resto
to Blue Heaven, is right on Higgs Beach
and a great place to drop in after a
swim. Abbondanza is an old-fashioned
Italian-American joint (think eggplant
parm, shrimp scampi, pasta puttanesca) with huge portions.
A visit to Garbo’s Grill is a must, provided they’re not closed because it’s
raining or they went to the beach or
their fish suppliers didn’t deliver. Run
by Eli and Kenna Pancamo, it’s the
only food truck in town; word is that
the loophole they came in through has
been closed and they’ll soon move into
a bricks-and-mortar location, so get
there while you can, just in case any of
the magic is lost. The shrimp and mahimahi tacos are fantastic.
If your sweet tooth calls, stop in at
Getting around
Key West is easily navigated by foot or
on two wheels, so if you arrived by car,
park it and leave it and consider renting
a bike: there are no hills, traffic moves
slowly, drivers are respectful, parking
is free, and with all the booze and food
you’ll be taking in, you’ll want to burn off
some calories. There are lots of shops
to rent from (most offer bikes and mopeds), and many will drop off at and
pick up from hotels. Moped Hospital’s
one-speed cruisers aren’t fancy, but the
big baskets up front are handy and their
rates are among the lowest in town.
A trolley tour is a great way to get an
overview of Key West’s geography and
history. The Conch Tour Train, which offers a 90-minute narrated tour, has been
in operation since 1958. Old Town Trolley
and City View tours let passengers get
on and off at various points, and every
Saturday at 4pm, the slightly cheesy
gay and lesbian trolley tour, operated
by the chamber of commerce, takes
a 70-minute spin through the town’s
queer points of interest.
Where to stay
PEARL’S This charming guesthouse
used to be women-only and is now
“all-welcoming,” but it’s still very
female-centric. Located near the quiet
end of Duval Street, its buildings include
a former cigar factory and the attached
workers’ cottages. The patio bar is a
popular spot for an afternoon drink.
ISLAND HOUSE I can speak only from
hearsay, since this all-male, clothingoptional resort has a strict no-women
policy. Word is that things get fun around
the pool in the afternoon. And the rooms
sound fine, too.
ALEXANDER’S This lovely 17-room
gay-owned guesthouse has tasteful and
simple décor, clothing-optional decks,
delicious breakfasts and a congenial
happy hour peopled by its many return
guests.
THE GARDENS HOTEL If money’s no
object, this is your spot. At one time the
largest private estate in town, it was
named “the prettiest hotel in Key West”
by The New York Times. Even if you can’t
afford to check in, check out the Sundaynight jazz in the stunning garden.
Top, the Garbo’s Grill food truck is a must-visit. Above, the shrimp boil at Hogfish
Bar & Grill is a highlight of the annual Food and Wine Festival.
Key West Cakes for delicious cupcakes and baked goods or for a slice of
key lime pie at any number of places;
you’ll find four of the big purveyors
along Greene Street — look for the
green-and-white-clad baker outside
Kermit’s, at the corner of Elizabeth,
and take it from there. If you’d like to
try your hand at making your own, pick
up a copy of David Sloan’s definitive Key
Lime Pie Cookbook at the wonderful
Restaurant Store, a cook’s paradise.
Of course, Key West isn’t all about
eating and drinking. It’s surrounded
by the ocean, after all, so you’ll want
to spend some time in the water, on
it, or plopped on a beach chair beside
it. And it’s chock full of fun spots to
explore: whether historical, cultural,
architectural, horticultural or just
plain sexual. Whatever your tastes,
you’ll find plenty to gorge on in this
charming and fascinating town.
For more Key West adventures,
visit dailyxtratravel.com.
On the web
fla-keys.com
gaykeywestfl.com
keywestfoodandwinefestival.com
What to read
KEY WEST ON THE EDGE: INVENTING THE CONCH REPUBLIC Robert
Kerstein’s fascinating, scholarly yet
accessible book examines how this unlikely city became a tourist mecca.
THE FLORIDA KEYS: A HISTORY &
GUIDE Acclaimed novelist Joy Williams’s
anti-guide is one of the most candid and
unlikely travel books ever written — it
never shies away from the dark side of
Florida tourism while displaying the
author’s passion for the region.
QUIT YOUR JOB AND MOVE TO KEY
WEST: THE COMPLETE GUIDE Part
guidebook, part self-help, part practical
how-to, lots of silliness, from Christopher Shultz and David Sloan, who write
from experience.
XTRA! NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 15
STAY AND PLAY IN MONTEBELLO
gras, beef tartare and roast piglet.
The extensive wine cellar can provide
the perfect pairing for any dish. For
more casual meals, the Seigneurie
Bar serves bistro fare — French onion
soup, steak-frites and duck confit
— prepared to the same exacting
standards. Guests can also arrange to
dine poolside or on the terrace.
Activities around the hotel vary by
season. Summer vacationers can enjoy golf, kayaking, tennis, white-water
rafting and horseback riding. Winters
offer unbeatable skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing and romantic sleigh
rides. Autumn and spring provide
spectacular views of the changing
foliage or the budding greenery in
unspoiled forests.
Adjacent to the stunning indoor
pool and fitness centre, guests will
find a world-class spa facility
offering a wide array of treatments
and packages. Services range from
basic facials and pedicures to
couples’ fireside massages complete
with champagne and skin treatments that incorporate local mud.
And since it’s Quebec, maple syrup
isn’t just for the kitchen; guests will
find it blended into a number of
unique facial and body-scrub treatments. —Chris Dupuis
The central château features
a massive six-sided fireplace.
Into the
woods
Fairmont’s Château Montebello
is the ultimate in rustic elegance
Situated along the Ottawa River,
between Ottawa and Montreal, with
a view of the Laurentian Mountains,
the Fairmont Le Château Montebello
has that perfect blend of rustic elegance and modern-day amenities.
Built originally as a private retreat
in 1930, it opened its doors to the
public in 1970 and has played host
to numerous foreign dignitaries and
celebrities, including Ronald Reagan,
Margaret Thatcher, Bette Davis and
Joan Crawford.
Its 211 guest rooms range from
basic accommodations to luxurious suites equipped with Jacuzzis.
Constructed from giant cedar logs
shipped from the West Coast, the
building’s chalet-inspired décor complements its natural charm. The central château that houses all the guest
rooms has a three-storey atrium with
a massive six-sided fireplace at its
heart; it’s a perfect place to cuddle
up on a romantic getaway.
Quebec native Jean-François Fortin
serves as executive chef, overseeing
Château Montebello’s renowned cuisine with a focus on regional flavours.
Aux Chantignoles restaurant provides
a fine-dining experience with an everchanging menu, including vegan, raw
and macrobiotic fare, along with such
French-influenced staples as foie
fairmont.com/montebello
e v e r yo n e ’ s a n o r i g i n a l
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Includes accommodation in a Fairmont guest room
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cross country ski trails, and more!
*Per night, double occ. Taxes not included. Valid until April 30, 2014.
16 NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 XTRA!
Unwind in the wilderness.
Nestled in the rolling hills of the Outaouais valley on the banks of the Ottawa River, Quebec’s historic log château
is surrounded by forests, rivers and mountains. Our famed resort offers rustic elegance, tranquil surroundings,
fine dining, a luxurious spa, warm hospitality and a host of year-round activities. Take some time to unwind!
R E S E RVAT ION S
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STAY AND PLAY IN MONTEBELLO
A great escape in the Outaouais
In contrast to typically
noisy, gas-powered
ATVs, Camp Explora’s
Bombardiers run
in near silence
without polluting
Camp Explora combines treasure
hunting, history and ATVs
Camp Explora, in Montebello, Quebec, has quickly become one of the
Outaouais region’s number-one
attractions.
Exciting outdoor activities are the
game-adventure company’s expertise, specifically its ATV mystery
safari, in which participants board
electric ATVs for a 90-minute iPadguided tour of the region. In contrast
to typically noisy, gas-powered ATVs,
Camp Explora’s Bombardiers run in
near silence without polluting. Visitors travel along trails and secondary
roads, exploring the area’s natural
beauty while collecting clues hidden on Mount Wescott and trying to
solve a mystery. Those who uncover
the secret have their names entered
in a monthly draw.
Hot summers and cold winters
mean participants should consider their wardrobes in advance.
Staff members recommend winter
coats, ski pants and boots as early
as November. Mud gets tossed up
from the ATVs, so light colours are
discouraged and raingear is always
handy for unexpected storms. ATV
outings end Dec 1, when the trails are
turned over to cross-country skiers.
However, the fun continues with a
snowshoe treasure hunt for the winter months.
After your scenic escapade, head
indoors to warm up. Built in 1931 by
Swiss-American entrepreneur Harold M Saddlemire, Camp Explora’s
base camp was once the vacation
home of the private and exclusive
Seigniory Club, whose members included heads of state and business
leaders. Nestled among gigantic
white pines and granite boulders,
the red-cedar structure was built by
the same architects and craftsmen
who constructed the nearby Château
Montebello.
Electric ATVs transport guests on
Camp Explora's mystery safari tours.
The base camp houses a minimuseum on the history of the Club and
Mount Wescott. It features original club
magazines, promotional material and
furniture, as well as details on the rich
and famous who spent time there.
You’ll also find the Africaninfluenced tearoom, which serves light
meals from locally sourced produce,
including a homemade cream-of-carrot soup that is quickly winning fans.
Cuddle up on one of the large couches
in front of the two-storey fireplace
and enjoy the amazing view and the
beautiful Siberian huskies playing outside before heading back out into the
snowy forest. — Chris Dupuis
campexplora.ca
XTRA! NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 17
A world of gay adventure
Travel
TOURISME MONTREAL, FRÉDÉRIQUE MÉNARD-AUBIN
TOURISME MONTREAL, MIGUEL LEGAULT
Montreal snow job
The city famous for its hot summer nightlife
also provides a brilliant winter escape
MATTHEW HAYS
When people hear the word “Montreal,”
they tend to think of gorgeous, hot
nights and raunchy sex in back alleys.
Well, I know some of you do, anyway.
But given its European architecture,
vibrant cultural institutions and beautiful parks, Montreal is a city that’s well
worth checking out in winter.
Cold weather makes for a great excuse
to spend time indoors, in particular at
several of Montreal’s beautiful museums. The Montreal Museum of Fine
Arts has a vast permanent collection
but also features strong rotating exhibits
year-round. The museum itself is an
architectural wonder; the old building
sits on the north side of Sherbrooke
Street, and the new progressive bit of
architecture sits on the south. The gift
shop is one of the best in the city and the
second-floor restaurant is divine. The
Canadian Centre for Architecture has
one of the largest collections of prints,
drawings, photographs and models relating to architecture in the world. The
building itself is worth a tour and the
bookshop is unbeatable. The Montreal
Museum of Contemporary Art focuses
on the works of Quebec artists but also
boasts an intriguing number of works by
Canadian artists. The current exhibit,
18 NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 XTRA!
Beat Nation: Art, Hip Hop and Aboriginal Culture (which runs until Jan 5,
2014), is getting rave reviews.
Essential to any stay in Montreal is
a visit to the Biodome, an eco-museum
where visitors can sample various climates and the plants and animals that
inhabit them. Since its opening in 1992,
the Biodome has seen millions check
out vast rooms that recreate faraway
climes, including “tropical rainforest,”
“Laurentian maple forest,” “Labrador
coast” and “Gulf of St Lawrence.” The
people behind the Biodome also run the
Botanical Gardens — which features all
sorts of rare, exotic plants — and the
Insectarium, a museum of unusual bugs.
Another fun museum is the Montreal
Science Centre, in Old Montreal, which
features year-round exhibits on various
topics and includes an IMAX theatre
that screens educational films.
Wintry fun can be found at the Parc
Jean-Drapeau, where every year a massive snow village is created. There is a
25-room hotel made entirely of ice and
a restaurant that seats 100, but kitsch
enthusiasts will really get a kick out of
the snow-and-ice replica of New York
City. For those who are travelling with
children, there are train rides and snowsculpture workshops specifically for
kids. There is ice skating at the Parc La-
fontaine, a delightfully picturesque park
that lies just north of the Village. And on
a mild, clear day, a walk up Mount Royal
Park is just fantastic and offers a beautiful view of the city. The lookout features
a panoramic view, and hot chocolate is
served in the colder months.
The Highlights Festival (or Festival
Montréal en Lumière, is a celebration
of light in the winter, to be held this
year Feb 20 to March 2. It’s based in
scenic Old Montreal and the downtown
arts district and features food, film
screenings, music and dance performances, and art exhibits.
The newest event is Igloofest, which
will run Jan 16 to Feb 8. When it started
seven years ago, it proved an instant hit,
with thousands of fans dancing in the
snowy Old Port to the beat and hum of
electronic music. What is basically a
wintry outdoor rave continues to grow
in popularity.
Montreal, home of the legendary Canadiens, is a hub for our national sport
of hockey. Jock enthusiasts will want
to check out the Montreal Canadiens
Hall of Fame, where the history of the
team, founded in 1909, and Montrealers’
longstanding love for it, is recounted
in a number of exhibits. Another bit of
hockey history can be found in the Montreal Forum, where hockey games and
TOURISME MONTREAL, STÉPHAN POULIN
Clockwise from top left: Montréal en Lumière is a dazzling showcase of
performing arts and gastronomy; Igloofest guarantees one of the hottest nights
of winter; Mount Royal Park has sleigh rides and one of the best views of the city.
concerts were held from 1924 to 1996,
when the complex was transformed into
an entertainment centre, featuring a
22-screen cinema complex, restaurants,
pool tables and bowling alleys. There
are statues of famous hockey players to
commemorate the centre’s origins. You
can grope them if you’re feeling really
hard up.
Okay, I know who I’m writing for.
I realize many of you may be rolling
your eyes at this point and thinking,
“Enough with the culture! Who do you
think you are, Peggy Guggenheim?” So
I’ll end with a reminder that Montreal’s
nightlife remains intact, even in winter.
Get off at Metro Berri-UQAM, then
head east. There are a bunch of drinking holes and clubs to check out, all in
close proximity.
As well, after walking around in a
bunch of layers, you will undoubtedly
want to take off some clothes at the
end of the day — and you might want
to watch others take off their clothes,
too. The top strip clubs in Montreal
include the jock-centric Campus, the
raunch-infused Stock Bar, and the
borderline-NAMBLA headquarters
Taboo. And then there are the one-ofa-kind Montreal queer institutions:
Cabaret Mado, run by the city’s legendary drag queen Mado (and featuring
nightly drag shows), and the Royal
Phoenix, the city’s sole out-of-Village
queer nightclub, located in the hipster
Mile End neighbourhood.
On the web:
museesmontreal.org
montreal.com/tourism/festivals
tourisme-montreal.org
MY
Up on
the roof
Montreal
The Norwegian Breakaway will feature
a screening of After Stonewall. NCL
From favourite events to hidden
gems off the beaten path,
My Montreal gets the inside
scoop from local residents about
what not to miss when visiting
the city. In this installment
we asked actor/performer/
genderbender Antonio Bavaro
to name a favourite haunt. FILM FEST CRUISES
“My answer to what to look
out for in Montreal may sound
unconventional, but it’s rooftops — all and any of them!
They are the best places to
see Mount Royal, some of the
world’s best graffiti art, multitudes of bronzed church spires
looming over quickly gentrifying neighbourhoods, and to
watch your neighbours getting
dirty in the condo next door
while having some brewskies
with your buds. A bit of privacy
and uplifting perspective in an
oft-busy yet beautiful city!”
Check out other
recommendations
in the My Montreal series
on dailyxtratravel.com.
Two upcoming Pride of the
Ocean cruises, billed as the
only “floating film festival,” will commemorate the
45th anniversary of Stonewall
and National Coming Out Day. In June 2014, a Pride of the
Ocean cruise will mark the
June 1969 Stonewall rebellion
— and the company’s fifth anniversary. The new Norwegian
Breakaway will set sail June
1 from New York City for a
seven-day cruise to Bermuda.
Featured films will reflect
the many changes that have
Montreal’s rooftops offer
spectacular views of the city.
STÉPHAN POULIN, TOURISM MONTREAL
taken place since Stonewall in
politics, history, religion and
America’s “second religion” —
sports. Confirmed is a screening of After Stonewall, which
first aired nationally on PBS
for the 30th anniversary of
Stonewall.
In October 2014, a Pride of
the Ocean cruise will set sail
from Honolulu on National
Coming Out Day, Oct 11. The
seven-day Hawaiian Islands
cruise aboard Norwegian’s
Pride of America will focus on
Asian/Pacific LGBT films.
A sampler weekend cruise,
A Taste of Pride of the Ocean,
will sail in January 2014. It departs from Miami for Nassau
on Jan 31, returning to Miami
on Feb 3.
Organizers say that since
the ship is heading for the Bahamas, the cruise will feature
a screening of Bahamian film
director Kareem Mortimer’s
film Children of God. For more information or to
register for these cruises, visit
prideoftheocean.com.
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Everything
gay, every day.
XTRA! NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 19
Charlotte
loved Margaret
Was Ottawa’s former mayor in a ‘Boston marriage’?
FROM OUR ARCHIVES
DEREK MEADE
To celebrate Xtra’s 20 years of publishing to Ottawa’s gay
and lesbian community, we’re digging through our archives
to reprint a selection of noteworthy stories that highlight
our community’s rich history. “Charlotte Loved Margaret”
first appeared in Capital Xtra #66, Feb 19, 1999.
L
ast month, the National Archives
of Canada opened the last and
most eagerly awaited of Charlotte Whitton’s 134 boxes of personal papers, making the outspoken former
mayor of Ottawa and child-welfare advocate once again the subject of controversy.
The box, which Whitton wished to remain closed until 1999, contains hundreds
of letters written by Whitton over the
course of two years to her housemate and
long-time companion, Margaret Grier.
Grier died in 1947.
The box contains a file folder filled with
correspondence between the two women
and letters to Grier that appear to be Whitton’s attempt to purge the guilt she felt for
being absent when Grier died. Whitton
was in Alberta, where she was facing libel
charges because of her harsh criticisms
of adoption policies in that province at
the time. It is the nature of these letters
that has sparked the controversy, for they
reveal an intimate and loving relationship
between the two women that spanned the
course of 30 years.
Charlotte Whitton was an aggressive
feminist to be sure, but was she also a
lesbian?
There will never be a definite answer to
this question, but a glance at her life and
at her relationship with Grier may provide
some clues. It’s important to remember
that Whitton’s coming of age was at a time
vastly different than the one we live in today — a time when women were expected
to marry and never live alone. Those who
did pursue a career over marriage faced a
bleak and lonely future.
Whitton was often described as “mannish” and “unladylike” because of her
20 NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 XTRA!
masculine hairstyle and distaste for fashion. She explained away her short hair by
saying it was “less trouble in the wind.” In
school, she excelled at sports, especially
field hockey and basketball. It was while
she was studying at Queen’s University
that she had her first and only romance
with a man, by the name of Bill King. This
“courting” was done mostly through correspondence, and it appears that King was
rather more of a handsome and convenient
escort for Whitton than a serious romantic
relationship.
Whitton, who was fiercely independent, could not accept the role of wife and
mother for herself but fully believed that
a woman’s place was either in this traditional role or as a celibate activist for social
welfare. She believed celibacy was the
only route for an independent woman to
achieve her goals, since it allowed a woman
to focus all her energies on social work.
One of her most important role models
was Elizabeth Tudor, the virgin queen,
who seemed to epitomize this attitude.
Whitton’s parents had a strained marriage;
there was a lot of tension in her family
home, and this too could have influenced
her decision not to marry.
Whitton also had a profound fear of dying in anonymity, which surely would have
happened if she had opted for marriage.
Whether or not she hid her lesbianism
behind these ideals will never be known.
An important factor to consider is that
Whitton was also a devout Anglican, and
to be a lesbian during her era would have
been very traumatic for her. Also, as a
woman who needed a paycheque, any risk
of scandal would have been disastrous to
her career.
As a feminist, Whitton believed in and
fought for equal pay and equal opportunities for women in the public and private
sector, although she did not believe in
married women working outside of the
home and held very conservative views
on abortion and divorce. Her views on
sexuality have been described as “prudish.”
Her relationship with Margaret Grier,
however, indicates a kinder, gentler side
of Charlotte Whitton.
The two women met in Toronto, where
they were both residents at the Kappa
Alpha Theta society house on the campus
of the University of Toronto. Whitton
accepted a position in 1918 as assistant
secretary with the Social Service Council
of Canada, and Grier worked with the
juvenile court, the Big Sisters Association
and the Girl Guides. In Grier, Whitton had
found a soul mate, even though the two
seemed to have very diverse natures. Grier
is described as shy, fair and quiet, with
delicate features and a calm spirit. Whitton, younger by four years, was considered
intimidating, confrontational, ambitious
and egotistical. Whatever their differences,
the pairing was perfect for them. In 1922,
they moved to Ottawa together in order to
advance Whitton’s career in social work
and to allow her to pursue her goals in
government.
They set up house together and lived in
a “Boston marriage” type of relationship,
a term used in the late 19th century to
describe a long-term monogamous relationship between two unmarried women,
most likely feminists, who were financially
independent of men either through inheritance or career. This arrangement
was socially acceptable at the time, since
women sometimes chose a career over
marriage, or for whatever reasons found
themselves “spinsters.” Living alone was
neither socially acceptable nor financially
possible.
The two women had many nicknames
for each other, such as “Mardie,” “Putty,”
“Pussy” and “Red Cat” in reference to Grier,
while Whitton’s nicknames included “Lawrie,” “Charlie,” “Charles,” “Sharl,” “Lot”
and “Rags.” Whitton often wrote poetry to
Whatever my
sex, I’m no lady.
Charlotte Whitton was an aggressive
feminist, but was she also a lesbian?
COVER PHOTO FROM LIBRARY
AND ARCHIVES CANADA, PA-121981
Grier. A sample verse is sure to raise a few queer
eyebrows, although it was not uncommon for
single women of that era to romanticize their
same-sex friendships:
So softly your tired head would lie
With gentle heaviness upon my breast
And knowing but each others’ arms
Desiring nothing more we two would rest
They also owned a cottage together, on McGregor Lake, and escaped many a humid Ottawa
summer weekend there. One letter written by
Grier to Whitton while she was away on business
— which was often — seems to sum up the nature
of their relationship: “Just two nights gone and
I’m so lonesome I could cry whenever I stop to
think for a minute — Oh Lawrie, dear, I’m just
about crazy all the time you are away from me.”
In letters written to Grier after her death,
Whitton bares her soul. She wrote flowery
and romantic prose to Grier, such as in a letter
written on Dec 31, 1947, her first letter to Grier
after her death:
“Oh! Mardie, Mardie, Mardie, how can I go on?
Ours wasn’t love, it was a knitting together of
mind and spirit; it was something given to few
of God.”
In another letter:
“Mardie, dear. Once again, just you and I together
alone tonight veiled from my sight and withheld
from my embraces.”
Whitton was also upset that Grier had burned a
majority of the letters sent her prior to her death,
an act that raises the question, why? Was Grier
embarrassed or ashamed of the relationship or
just a particularly fastidious housekeeper? There
is also the question as to why Whitton requested
the final box of papers sealed for 24 years after
her death in 1975. Was she concerned that the
contents would be misconstrued and point at
a lesbian relationship? Did she think the late
1990s would be a more accepting time for the
contents to be revealed? Or was it out of respect
for the reputations of colleagues that she often
criticized in her correspondence? Again, we’ll
never know the real answers to these questions.
One thing is clear, however. Whatever the
relationship between Charlotte Whitton and
Margaret Grier, it was indeed one based on
love, admiration, compatibility and respect.
Grier’s death was a severe blow to Whitton, and
aroused in her profound feelings of loneliness
and regret. Whitton felt a strong need to keep
Grier as close to her as possible in the years following her death.
From the letters, it appears that Grier’s
memory gave Whitton the strength she needed
to become a political force in a man’s world — a
force we remember — who caused more than
one man to curse in exasperation, “That damn
woman!”
Was it lesbian love?
Was former Ottawa mayor and child welfare advocate Charlotte Whitton a
lesbian?
The question was the basis of an Ottawa Citizen story last month
featuring newly released personal letters from Whitton to her long-time
“companion,” Margaret Grier.
“The bottom line is that we don’t know for sure,” says Barbara Freeman,
who covered Whitton’s funeral in 1975 for CBC Radio.
“We do know that they had an extremely passionate relationship that
certainly could be called emotionally lesbian, whether or not they actually
had sex,” says Freeman, a lesbian scholar and now associate professor of
journalism at Carleton University. “When she was alive, people might have
suspected that she was a little queer.”
Freeman says the debate generated by the Citizen story shows how
people are labelled. “People aren’t ready to call [Whitton] a lesbian unless
they know [Whitton and Grier] had sex together.”
“People are still assuming that the labels belong with sexual activity,
whereas there are lots of people who are celibate who are also gay.
Whether or not she got it on with this woman has absolutely nothing to do
with whether or not she was a lesbian,” Freeman says.
Queer historian Steven Maynard is familiar with the kind of debate
surrounding the Whitton identity. “These are debates that have been
playing within lesbian historiography for a long time,” he says. “It’s a fairly
central debate about whether there has to be evidence of sexual relations
between two women in the past to qualify them as belonging to lesbian
history, or do we also include that whole other gamut or range of —
sometimes fairly intense — emotional relationships between two women
without evidence of sexual relations?”
Maynard cautions that it isn’t a yes or no answer. “Yes, we should claim
her for lesbian history, but let’s be careful about it. Let’s not be uncritical.
She had some fairly contradictory political impulses — quite a few of them.”
While Whitton is known for her efforts as a child-welfare advocate, at a
time before the development of social work, she fell behind contemporary
social values, says Norman Dahl.
“She got out of step with child welfare and the social welfare movement
because she was a very conservative person. She thought communities
should look after their own, whereas we [in the 1950s and ’60s] were
moving into a whole new philosophy of government social programs,” he
says.
Dahl worked as an information officer for the Canadian Council on Social
Development, the descendant of the agency Whitton led between 1922 and
1941. “I’m 70 years old, and there are not many of us left who remember her
legacy as a very important person in the field of child welfare,” says Dalh,
who has lived in the Ottawa area with his lover, George Wilkes, since the
1950s.
Dahl believes Whitton wanted to come out posthumously. “She wanted
us to know all about this. I think it was a very beautiful thing to do. She
wanted us to know, and it was very important to her.”
Dahl says it was important to Whitton that her letters become public
given that — at the time — Pierre Trudeau’s Liberal government was
decriminalizing gay sex. “When she was living with Marty [Grier] all those
years, we were still illegal. You couldn’t talk about being gay in those days,
certainly not [as] a public figure.”
Was Whitton’s relationship to Grier sexual?
“She exuded energy and she looked like a very well-put-together person
and, I think, very fulfilled at home, but you don’t know,” he says. “What’s
wrong with thinking that this was a physical relationship? If it was, fine. If it
wasn’t, it’s really none of our damn business,” he says. “I like to think it was.”
“She was a beautiful writer,” he says. “The woman had a real command of
the language.”
“For goodness sake, I think the warmth of those letters is quite clear,” he
says. “I like to think she had a wonderful relationship.” —Philip Hannan
XTRA! NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 21
22 NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 XTRA!
Out in the City
I like things to be fun. I like things to be pretty. I’m a little bit serious
because I’m not a total wingnut, but I don’t think there’s anything
wrong with trying to be fun and being happy. Bhat Boy E26
The poster boy for
dreams come true
Andrew Binks’s novel Strip
translates painful experiences to art
Though it continues to thrive in different form,
the Le Folichon of the early 1980s was a kind
of club that no longer exists, a transition point
Despite setting up as a downward-spiral narrative, between the burlesque theatres of old and the
Andrew Binks’s second novel, Strip, is actually flesh palaces of today. Performances included a
more an optimistic coming-of-age story that walks feathers-and-sequins show along with convena fuzzy line between memoir and fiction.
tional stripping and table dances. The clientele
“It’s certainly not an autobiography, because was divided equally between men and women,
my life wouldn’t have been that interesting in who often came as couples, and the club featured
the space of one year,” the Ottawa native laughs. both male and female dancers.
“At one point I was definitely extremely naive
When Binks was first hired, he thought he could
and lost. Writing this book meant plumbing the just put his dance training to use in the Vegas-style
depths of certain decisions I’d made. There were show, but he was quickly informed he’d have to
days I was working on this when I looked back at bare all if he wanted to keep working.
my life and wondered what the hell I was doing
“Of course I was nervous, but part of me was
and why I made certain bad decisions.”
very intrigued by the idea of stripping,” he says.
The book opens with his wide-eyed protagonist, “There was this voice inside that said, Someday
John, naked in a stairwell. The 20-something it will make a good story, even though it took me
ex–ballet dancer now working as a stripper has a long time to write about it.”
escaped a violent trick clothed only in a bed sheet.
Despite working in the sex business, Binks —
Forced to confront his situation, he makes a men- and his character — maintained a certain naiveté
tal survey of the last year of his life, pondering about sex.
exactly how it came to this.
“Growing up, my only reference point for being
“John isn’t self-destructive as much as a naive gay was the dirty old men that wanted to fondle
dreamer who gets himself into bad situations,” children my parents warned me about,” he says.
Binks says. “There’s a lot of life he hasn’t lived, “I avoided sex for a long time because of that. I
so he doesn’t always make the best decisions. wasn’t going to clubs, doing poppers, all the stuff
But he’s also very lucky in certain circumstances. that was a part of sex culture at the time. When
At one point, he calls himself the poster boy for I finally started to accept myself as gay, I was
dreams come true.”
dreaming of sex and love together, which meant
While successfully climbing the ranks of a finding a monogamous partnership.”
Western Canadian ballet company, John falls for
His relationship with sexuality during that
a Montreal choreographer, abruptperiod also reflects in the book’s
ly quits his job and heads for La
treatment of AIDS. Like any gay
STRIP
BY ANDREW BINKS
Belle Ville in search of true love.
narrative set in the 1980s, the
Reading and launch party
When both the relationship and
disease looms in the background,
Thurs, Nov 14, 6–8pm
his dance career quickly fizzle, he
though less overtly than in most
After Stonewall
370 Bank St
finds himself hard up for cash and
writing about the time.
andrewbinks.ca
takes a job stripping, a narrative
“AIDS felt like something hapthat loosely parallels Binks’s own
pening in New York City more than
life. After attending the Royal Winnipeg Ballet something happening around me,” Binks says.
School, the Ottawa native bought a one-way ticket “I wasn’t a very social person, so I didn’t have as
for Montreal, hoping to launch his dance career. much of a community to be destroyed. I felt like
But when things failed to spark, he took a job at more of an observer than a participant.”
the eccentric suburban Quebec City strip club Le
He pauses, tearing up. “At the same time, I reFolichon (rechristened Chez Moritz in the book). gret not being there as much as I could have been,
IN PRINT
CHRIS DUPUIS
knowing how quickly people were going to die. But
I was so tied up in my own drama at that point, I’ve
had to forgive myself for a lot of what happened.”
Translating painful experiences to art requires
a certain distance, something Binks has found two
decades later, living comfortably in rural Prince
Edward County with his partner of 14 years and
their poodle, Hugo.
“There’s a kind of nostalgia that happens in my
writing when remembering a place or situation,”
he says. “It’s more about how I would have liked
things to be than how they actually were.”
At one point I was
definitely extremely
naive and lost. Writing
this book meant
plumbing the depths
of certain decisions
I’d made.
XTRA! NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 23
Mindful of tradition and history, a ‘new guard’
of youth, women and trans people joins forces
with the men in Ottawa’s welcoming and vibrant
leather community
Changing
of the guard
COMMUNITY
JULIE CRUIKSHANK
You could say that Ottawa is a city
with two faces. On the one hand, it’s
a government town full of public servants and politicians, giving it an air of
bureaucratic nine-to-five respectability. This staid, official image probably
goes a long way in contributing to the
oft-repeated, tired trope that Ottawa
doesn’t know how to have fun.
On the other hand, Ottawa is a city
with a young and vital population and
is rife with live shows and art festivals,
board game nights and craft workshops.
The city many of us inhabit is a vibrant,
active place where there’s something
happening every night. And with a burgeoning leather scene that boasts one of
the biggest competitions in Canada, Mr
Leather Ottawa (MLO), it’s clear that
for many people when the ties come
off, the hoods go on.
The leather community can trace
its origins back to the 1940s and the
Second World War, when the combination of all-male battalions living in close
24 NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 XTRA!
quarters and specialized militaristic
gear gave rise to a new subculture.
Today, that subculture includes other
aspects of kink and fetish, including
BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism and
masochism) play and the now iconic
“biker” look. It also isn’t limited to men,
with plenty of women and genderqueer
folks getting in on the action. In Ottawa,
the scene includes a growing number of
young people in their 20s and 30s who
are making it their own.
“I think there’s definitely a perception that the leather community is only
for men, specifically middle-aged men,”
says Valerie Bishop, 27, a relatively new
face in the leather community who
has become involved with the MLO
organizing committee.
“Being a young female entering the
leather community, the case can be
stated that I am a double minority. With
that said, I haven’t found that my gender has affected my reception at events
I’ve been to, nor has it affected how my
peers in the community see me... I have
been treated as an equal, even though I
am new to the scene and still learning so
much from others,” Bishop says.
That willingness to learn is very
much key when it comes to breaking
into the leather community.
“There’s a misconception that the
leather community isn’t welcoming of
younger folks, but don’t believe it for a
second,” says Jeremy Feist, who runs
a meet-and-greet night in Toronto for
people aged 19 to 35.
“I would, however, say to young people looking to get into the community
that it is something of a meritocracy.
You don’t get a medal just for showing
up. If you’re willing to learn, help out
where you can, and show due respect to
others, that’ll go a lot further than any
leather jockstrap or harness,” he says.
Like any community, the leather
scene has had to move with the times,
becoming more accommodating and
making room for new faces.
“[The Ottawa leather scene] has
changed tremendously,” says Pat Croteau, executive producer of MLO. “I’m
actually very proud of how we’ve opened
[MLO] up. We now welcome trans men
to the competition, we welcome every-
body to the event, and I think that’s the
key to our success, and it’s something
other events need to consider.”
The proof is clearly in the pudding
— MLO is now in its 21st consecutive
year, and in 2012, more than 600 people
attended the stage show alone. Lack of
interest is obviously not a problem the
organizers have to contend with.
“You have to open yourself to people
of different sexual orientations, different genders, different interests, so
that you can have an event anybody is
comfortable going to,” Croteau says.
Being open and accommodating is
especially important in Ottawa, where
the overall fetish scene is relatively
small compared to bigger cities. People
with all kinds of varied interests, from
leather to puppy play to rubber and
beyond, find themselves intermingling
and overlapping at venues and events
simply because the community isn’t
large enough for groups to have their
own dedicated spaces and gatherings.
“Ottawa, because of its size, is much
smaller and more condensed,” says
John Letke, 25, aka Nizzi Greatpup.
There are times when it has to be serious,
but the majority of time it’s play, chilling with
friends, just having fun. KARL COUTURE
From left, John Letke, aka Nizzi Greatpup, Valerie
Bishop and Karl Couture, aka Pup Rolph, are three
young members of Ottawa’s leather community.
RÉMI THÉRIAULT
A contestant for the MLO 2014 title,
Letke is a relative newcomer to the city,
having moved from Toronto in June.
“You get different groups and cliques
within such a large city as Toronto,
whereas here everything is much more
compounded, and everyone has to get
along at the same events,” he says.
These close quarters have encouraged an environment of respectful
camaraderie in Ottawa’s fetish scene.
“Probably the biggest common phrase
in Ottawa is ‘Your kink might not be
my kink, but it’s your kink and that’s
fine,’” Letke says.
“Ottawa’s much more open in that
regard,” adds Karl Couture, 29 (aka
Pup Rolph), the outgoing 2013 titleholder. “You don’t have a strict cookiecutter form; you can be whoever you
are and still be able to represent.”
When he competed in 2012, Couture
didn’t try to fit himself into the mould
of what a leatherman is “supposed”
to be. “I competed as myself. I didn’t
dress the part to be someone I wasn’t;
I dressed as who I was,” he says. “The
community at large is very open in
terms of who it accepts in.”
“It’s true that the community is predominantly males, but that in no way
means women are not accepted or
welcomed,” Bishop adds. “Personally,
I’m hoping to work with our other
younger members to be living examples for those wanting to get involved.
You can be a younger person looking
to find a sense of community. You
can be a female, wanting to share her
passion for leather. I’m hoping that
by seeing people like myself, a young
female member of the community, it
will empower people to reach out and
take that first step.”
To help things along, MLO and the
Ottawa Knights, Ottawa’s main leather
organization, are beginning to use
social media as a way of reaching out.
This allows them to be more targeted
in their approach and circumvent more
mainstream methods of advertising,
which can sometimes be less effective,
thanks to the popular misconception
funny stories, so I have no idea what
that the community is entirely sexual.
it’ll entail. I think it’ll just be a blast.”
As Letke and Couture explain, for
Having a sense of humour is another
many people the fetish community is
important aspect of the leather comprimarily about camaraderie and conmunity that tends to be overlooked.
necting with others who share similar
“There are the times when it has
interests. The sexual component is
to be serious, but the majority of the
present, but not for every individual.
time it’s play, chilling with friends,
MLO takes place over the weekend
just having fun,” Couture says. “And
of Nov 8 to 10, with attendees mostly
again, that’s what people will not see
showing up on the Friday night to meet
from the outside.”
and mingle before things get into full
A lot of the play that takes place is
swing on Saturday. Each year the event
a way for people to relax and wind
offers a number of workshops and
down. “It’s different for everybody, but
seminars, taught by experts from the
everyone is just out looking to enjoy
fetish and kink community.
themselves after a hard day of work,”
“The workshops for us are at the heart
he explains.
of the event,” Croteau says. “People in
For those who are interested in the
this city have a real thirst to learn about
scene but unsure of how to get involved,
sexuality and sexual topics.”
Couture has the following advice: “If
The workshops are changed up every
you’re curious about it, find somebody
year to cover a broader range of topics,
or find a resource or group that can help
but the mandate is always “safe, sane
you get into it... Get a group of friends
and consensual,” or RACK (risk-aware
who you know might be interested to
consensual kink).
support you. Go to the bar, go to the
“It’s one thing we worry about and
event, even if it’s just a
we feel a responsibilmatter of putting your
ity to tell people. Go
MR LEATHER OTTAWA
toe in the water.”
out, yes, and have fun
XXI WEEKEND
Fri, Nov 8–Sun, Nov 10
With brunches,
and do all sorts of
Weekend pass (three meals;
munches, bar nights
crazy stuff and enjoy
all events), $145
and meets, as well as the
yourself, but first unPackage details and tickets:
mrleatherottawa.ca/tickets
MLO competition and
derstand how to do it
events and a growing
safely,” Croteau says.
MLO COMPETITION
& DANCE
social media presence,
This year, workDoors 8:15pm; contest 9pm
there are plenty of ways
shops include talks
Dance and after-party, 11:30pm
St Brigid’s Centre for the Arts
to get familiar with the
on urethral sounding,
310 Patrick St
community and options
navigating powerContest tickets $25 at
for every type of interexchange relationmrleatherottawa.ca/tickets
est and comfort level.
ships, and the alwaysWhether you prefer
controversial breath
bark or bite, the Ottawa leather scene
play. There will also be a used gear and
clearly has something for everyone.
clothing swap, the proceeds of which
will benefit the Venus Envy Bursary
For more information on the Ottawa
Fund. And lest you make the assumpKnights and Ottawa’s leather scene,
tion that the leather community is
visit ottawaknights.com.
all rules and seriousness, one of the
highlights of the weekend is a roast of
Women interested in the leather scene
the outgoing Mr Leather.
can check out unholyharvest.ca. The
“I am not even sure [what to expect],”
main event is based in Toronto, but
Couture says. “I know there’s a few
there are also happenings that take
people who have actually been contactplace in Ottawa.
ing everybody and anyone who’s ever
come into contact with me to try to find
XTRA! NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 25
Retelling Shakespeare
GCTC resurrects Ann-Marie
MacDonald’s beloved 1988 play
Playing the lead in Goodnight Des- reading. I was panicking and judging
demona (Good Morning Juliet) was a myself the whole way through. A week
two-decades-long dream for Margo later they called and offered me the
MacDonald. Enraptured with the play part.”
since seeing the 1990 touring version
Author Ann-Marie MacDonald’s
as a first-year University of Ottawa feminist rethinking of Shakespeare
student, she’d always hoped the role follows the exploits of a PhD candidate
would someday be hers. That’s why it caught under an academic glass ceiling
was so disappointing to walk out of the who sets out to prove the Bard’s greataudition for the current Great Canadian est tragedies were actually comedies.
Theatre Company proAfter learning that the
duction last summer
position she wanted
GOODNIGHT DESDEMONA
(GOOD MORNING JULIET)
thoroughly convinced
at Oxford University
Tues, Nov 26–Sun, Dec 15
she’d blown it.
has been offered to anGreat Canadian
“Auditioning is alother professor, ConTheatre Company
1233 Wellington St W
ways nerve-wracking
stance finds herself
gctc.ca
and even more so
accidently transported
when you’re going for
into the middle of both
a part you want so badly,” MacDonald Othello and Romeo and Juliet, where she
says. “The show had a huge influence rearranges both plots and finds herself
on me in my early days, and I’d always in the process.
wanted to play Constance. But I didn’t
“I was already a big fan of Shakespeare
feel like I did a great job on the first when I saw the play, but it really changed
the way I thought about his writing,”
MacDonald says. “It opened up this idea
that we don’t just have to worship him
because he’s great. We can also poke fun at
the mediocre parts while being respectful
at the same time.”
In the more than 40 productions
staged since its 1988 Toronto premiere,
numerous actors (including the author
herself ) have taken a stab at the lead.
Stepping into a part with so much history can be intimidating, but MacDonald seems unfazed by donning a mantle
worn by so many others.
“I’ve done a lot of Shakespeare, so
I have the experience of taking on
iconic roles that audiences may have
seen done many times,” she says. “The
only way to approach it is to not worry
about how it’s been done before and
focus on why you were cast and what
the director thought you could bring
to the role that was unique.”
MacDonald found an easy parallel
in her own life for accessing her character’s struggle for self-actualization:
coming out as queer in a deeply religious
family. Though she was already strug-
In accessing her
character’s struggle for
self-actualization, Margo
MacDonald rediscovered
the old cliché that art
imitates life.
gling with religion as a teen, it wasn’t
until her early 20s she was able to leave
the church.
“At the end of the play we find Constance at the point where she’s just
about to embrace herself for who she
is, and we know she’s going somewhere
Heroes, heroines and whimsy
Recognizable individuals theme
of Bhat Boy’s new exhibition
Bhat Boy is a whirl of energy, enthusi- and heroines, from Anne Boleyn to
asm and stories.
Margaret Atwood to Mayor Jim Watson.
For many, being photographed by
The idea evolved from his earlier
a journalist is something to submit work, which depicted nuns and Mountto politely but without enthusiasm. ies. He was fascinated by iconic cosBhat Boy, a queer Ottawa artist who tumes like nuns’ habits and RCMP
in an earlier life was known as Ian Van uniforms, and as he grew more imLock, responds with unprecedented mersed in faceless figures identified
exuberance. He runs excitedly to his only by their costumes, he was inevicar to change his shirt and, despite the tably drawn to its opposite — people
rain, is happy not only to stand outside who are instantly recognizable as
but impulsively jumps in the air for his individuals.
photo op.
“I didn’t want to do movie stars and
“I like things to be
celebrities,” he says. “I
HEROES AND HEROINES
fun,” he says. “I like
wanted to do people
Fri, Nov 15–Sat, Nov 30
things to be pretty.
that I thought were
Vernissage Fri, Nov 15, 6–10pm
I’m a little bit serious
heroes and heroines.”
Orange Art Gallery
because I’m not a total
Inspired by St
233 Armstrong St
orangeartgallery.ca
wingnut, but I don’t
George and The Dragthink there’s anything
on, the medieval legwrong with trying to be fun and being end that’s been the subject of art for
happy.”
centuries, he created Atwood vs Harper,
Heroes and Heroines, Bhat Boy’s most which depicts the award-winning aurecent show at Orange Art Gallery, is an thor as St George while the felled dragexhibition of 40 paintings that pay trib- on is none other than Prime Minister
ute to historical and present-day heroes Stephen Harper. With the Parliament
26 NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 XTRA!
Artist Bhat Boy and
gallery owner Ingrid
Hollander outside the
Orange Art Gallery.
buildings in the background and a Canada goose flying down to place a crown on
Atwood’s head, it’s clear who the painter
considers the heroine, but the overall
feeling of the painting is whimsical. In
fact, that’s true of the whole collection,
from Sir John A Macdonald and Pierre
Trudeau floating through the air holding umbrellas like Mary Poppins, to our
current mayor brandishing his water
gun atop his Capital Pride float.
While taking in Bhat Boy’s exhibition,
you’ll certainly notice the gallery itself,
especially if it’s your first visit. Located
in Wellington Village, the Hintonburg
area, like nearby Westboro, is flourishing with foot traffic, local businesses
and an artsy vibe.
When Ingrid Hollander and her husband, Matt Jeffrey, opened Orange Art
exciting in her life,” MacDonald says.
“Having spent half my life in the church,
I can understand that process of having your mind opened and realizing
there is another way to think of yourself and your purpose in the world.”
—Chris Dupuis
Gallery in 2010, the neighbourhood was
less established, she says.
“When we came here it was not really
like the way it is now,” she says. “A lot
of improvements have happened, and
I think we kind of got the ball rolling.”
With its high ceilings and 2,000
square feet, there’s something distinctive about the space, Hollander says,
that resonates with artists, art lovers
and community members alike.
“I think we’ve gotten very, very popular in the arts community,” she says.
“Most of the artists, with the exception
of one or so, are local, from Ottawa, and
about half of them even live in this area.”
Carving out their niche in the Ottawa
arts community is no small accomplishment, especially since Hollander and
Jeffrey weren’t previously known in
the arts scene.
“We just dove in,” Hollander says. “We
weren’t really part of the arts community. Over the years now, I kind of know
everyone, but when we first opened,
I have to say, everybody kind of wondered who we were. I had never shown
in a gallery myself, nor my husband.”
In addition to showing art, the gallery hosts events, from fundraisers to
weddings and receptions. Hollander
and Jeffrey can also help interested
clients decide where to hang their
artwork in their homes and businesses.
There’s probably not a bad place
to hang a Bhat Boy painting, but
you can come and see for yourself.
—Adrienne Ascah
Being yourself rings true in
Legally Blonde: The Musical
ALISON FOLEY HOWARD
The upcoming Orpheus production
of Legally Blonde: The Musical has
many very talented people involved
in it. Recently, I had the chance to
speak with two of them.
Derek Eyamie, known to his friends
as DJ, plays Emmett Forrest in the
show. Eyamie started his theatre
experience in a small way in high
school but really jumped into it after
he graduated. During the years immediately after high school, he was
able to come out as a young gay
man, become a dancer and singer
through intensive instruction and
land a part in the Toronto professional production of Mamma Mia. Life
changed dramatically and theatre
became his true passion.
Eyamie didn’t stay in Toronto;
he opted to return to Ottawa and
become educated as a teacher. To-
day he teaches at Canterbury High
School and likens the experience of
getting up in front of a class to performing. He has been at Canterbury
for four years now but hopes to take
a year off soon to do something professional again. In his words, he “has
to perform” — it’s who he is.
His most recent role onstage was
with Orpheus’s production of Rent, in
March 2012, in which he played Roger. He chooses the roles he auditions
for carefully and is always happy to
be back at Orpheus, where he can be
who he really is among a family of
people who “get that.”
Dean Ross plays Professor Callahan in the show and is delighted to be
back onstage because theatre is his
passion. He was cast in an Orpheus
production of West Side Story many
years ago but never got to perform,
because of an injury. He came back
to audition at the suggestion of his
friend Eyamie and is delighted to be
part of the Orpheus family.
Growing up in the West Island of
Montreal, Ross was in many highschool productions but always felt
different and was a victim of bullying. In the 1970s, he moved to Ottawa. He got his degree in fitness
and became strong, physically and
mentally, by finding a place where he
realized he was gay and he was not
the only one. Today, Ross works with
anti-bullying and hate-crimes groups
here in Ottawa.
You can see Eyamie and Ross in
the Orpheus Musical Theatre Society
production of Legally Blonde: The
Musical from Nov 22 to Dec 1, 2013, at
Centrepointe Theatre. Tickets can be
bought online at orpheus-theatre.ca,
by phone at 613-580-2700 or at the
Centrepointe or Shenkman box office.
November 22-December 1
Alison Foley Howard is the marketing and publicity director for Orpheus
Musical Theatre Society and the producer of their production of Legally
Blonde: The Musical.
4<:0*(3;/,(;9,:6*0,;@,:; Legally Blonde’s Dean Ross
and Derek “DJ” Eyamie.
COURTESY OF VALLEYWIND PRODUCTIONS
613-580-2700
orpheus-theatre.ca
Music and Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin
Book by Heather Hach
Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture
101 Centrepointe Drive Ottawa
eyeGo and Student Rush Ticket Programs
Senior and children’s tickets available
Free parking
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XTRA! NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 27
1
2
XPOSED
ZARA
ANSAR
H&M VIP Party
Bayshore Shopping Centre
hosted a VIP party for H&M’s
grand opening, Oct 15. Invited
guests shopped at a discounted
rate ahead of the store’s official
opening on Oct 17. 1E James Jefferson, left, from
Blackbook Lifestyle, and
Lucas Nault, from Lucas
Nault Hair Studio, in their
sharpest threads.
2EPhotographer Mark
Brigden on the scene.
3E Dina, from Models
International
Management, shows
off her purchases.
4E Oh Land gives a
surprise performance.
5
3
Wonderheart
6
4
7
Noah Venkatarangam is a
multidisciplinary musician
and visual artist. By day, he’s a
professional makeup artist and
stylist active in Ottawa’s fashion
community. On Oct 24, he
released his newest collection
of songs, entitled Wonderheart.
His show featured intense
visuals and an unforgettable
performance.
5E From left, Laura Webb, Dani
Kilpatrick and Mariam Shuck
get pumped up for the show.
6E The Peptide ladies — from
left, DeeDee Butters, Olexandra
Pruchnicky and Rebecca Noelle
— sang backup on the final song,
“Lucky Baby.”
7EThe man of the hour,
Venkatarangam, after his
performance.
A classic gem with a luxe
ambiance, Giovanni’s is also justly
renowned for it’s thoughtful
and extensive wine list and wide
selection of fine spirits.
7Ê7
"Ê*,/-Ê"Ê1*Ê/"ÊÈäÊ*"*°Ê
6>iÌÊ-iÀÛViÊÇÊ>ÞÃÊ>Ê7ii°
ÜÜÜ°}Û>ÃÀiÃÌ>ÕÀ>Ì°VÊUÊÎÈÓÊ*ÀiÃÌÊ-Ì°ÊUÊ,iÃiÀÛ>ÌÃ\ÊÈ£ÎÓÎ{Î£xÈ
28 NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 XTRA!
WHAT'S ON
Caravan of Tease —
The Mercury Lounge,
Sun, Nov 10 DARRYL BLOCK
FOR MORE EVENT LISTINGS, GO TO DAILYXTRA.COM
ART & LITERATURE
Call for Submissions
Breakwater Books is accepting essays
by queer people on such topics as
pride, courage and social justice in
Canada. Selected essays will be
published in a book called Speak
Out! For more information, contact
[email protected]. Submission
deadline is Fri, Nov 15. norccrea.
nipissingu.ca/submissions.htm
Wonder Women
The Comic Book Shoppe screens
Wonder Women! The Untold
Story of American Superheroines,
a documentary about popular
representations of strong and
healthy women. Sat, Nov 9,
11am, 1pm and 3pm. The Comic
Book Shoppe 2, 228 Bank St. $5.
thecomicbookshoppe.com
Eat Me Art Show
Art enthusiasts enjoy music,
appetizers and drinks, while viewing
Sagine Soul Art’s new collection. Sat,
Nov 9, 7:30–9:30pm. Venus Envy,
320 Lisgar St. Free. venusenvy.ca
Reading of Strip
Andrew Binks reads from and signs
his new novel, about a stripper
struggling with substance abuse
and regrets about his ruined
career. Thurs, Nov 14, 6–8pm.
After Stonewall, 370 Bank St. Free.
afterstonewallgallery.com
Book Launch for
Svend Robinson:
A Life in Politics
Graeme Truelove launches his
biography of the polarizing and
controversial Canadian politician,
from difficult childhood to the
career-ending diamond-ring theft.
Tues, Nov 19, 5:30–7pm. Darcy
McGee’s Pub, 44 Sparks St. Free.
newstarbooks.com
The Hard Cover
Book Club
NIGHTLIFE
Thursdays Are a Drag
Zelda Marshall hosts a night of drag
queens, drag kings and burlesque
dancers. Alyna Moore performs and
DJ Bill spins progressive house. Every
Thursday; music 9:30pm–2am, drag
10:30pm–midnight. Swizzles, 246B
Queen St. No cover. swizzles.ca
HEALTH & SUPPORT
The Living Room
Addictions Treatment
The LESA (Lifestyle Enrichment for
Senior Adults) Program provides
resources for people 55 and older
experiencing issues with alcohol,
medications, drugs and gambling.
For an appointment, call 613-2335430. Centretown Community
Health Centre, 420 Cooper St. Free.
centretownchc.org
Men’s Yoga
at GayZone
This class is suited to both
beginners and experienced
practitioners. Every Thursday, 5:15–
6:45pm. Gay Zone, Centretown
Community Health Centre, 420
Cooper St. Free. gayzonegaie.ca
BiAmore
People who are bisexual,
polyamorous and bi-curious get
together for activities and discussion
related to achieving healthy
relationships. Takes place the first
Thursday and third Monday of each
month. Thurs, Nov 7, 7–9pm. PTS,
331 Cooper St. Free. ptsottawa.org
The Ottawa Senior Pride Network
holds a special holiday party,
featuring dancing to “vintage tunes.”
Queer people 50 and over and
their friends and family are invited.
For more info, contact ospn.rfao@
gmail.com. Wed, Dec 4, 7–10pm.
Novotel Hotel, Heritage Room, 33
Nicholas St. Free. ospn.rfao.ca
Offbeat: Strictly Dance
DJ Alberto Pérez spins hot beats for
sexy revellers. A portion of ticket sales
goes to the Ten Oaks Project. Sat, Nov
16, 10pm–3am. Babylon Nightclub,
317 Bank St. $5 before midnight, $7
after. thequeermafia.com
SEX & BURLESQUE
Mr Leather Ottawa
Men are invited to gather and
discuss Paul Russell’s The Unreal
Life of Sergey Nabokov. Thurs, Nov
21, 6pm. Gay Zone, Centretown
Community Health Centre, 420
Cooper St. Free. gayzonegaie.ca
HIV-positive people and their
loved ones are welcome to access
many resources, including a food
bank, laundry facilities, internet,
counselling and workshops. Those
interested should contact The Living
Room for an appointment. AIDS
Committee of Ottawa, 251 Bank St,
7th Floor. Free. aco-cso.ca
Seniors’ Night Out
Holiday Party
Thirsty Boy Thursday
Spectrum
This Youth Services Bureau program
offers queer and questioning
youth aged 12 to 25 a safe space
to enjoy each other’s company,
discuss sexuality and related
topics, participate in workshops,
receive counselling and more. Every
Tuesday, 7–9pm. YSB, 147 Besserer
St. Free. ysb.ca
Pink Triangle
Youth Drop-In
A peer-led discussion and support
group for queer and curious
youth aged 25 and under. Every
Wednesday, 7–9pm. PTS, 331
Cooper St. Free. ptsottawa.org
QPOC Drop-In
Queer people of colour gather for
fun, discussion, socializing and
support. Open to people of all ages,
genders, backgrounds, orientations
and abilities. Takes place the last
Tuesday of each Month. Tues, Nov
26, 7–9pm. PTS, 331 Cooper St.
Free. ptsottawa.org
LEISURE & PLEASURE
Rideau Speedeaus
Everyone — beginners to seasoned
competitors, all gender identities
and orientations — is welcome
on the Rideau Speedeaus swim
team. Every Wednesday, Friday and
Sunday. Ottawa U Pool, Montpetit
Hall, 123 University Pvt. To inquire
about the Learn to Swim program,
contact [email protected].
rideauspeedeaus.com
The boys get sweaty to top-40
tracks at this weekly dance party.
The hour before midnight is “pump
hour,” when drinks are $4. Every
Thursday, 10pm–2am. The Lookout
Bar & Bistro, 41 York St. No cover.
thelookoutbar.com
Geek Girls Ladies’ Night
The Capital Geek Girls present a
shopping event for female-identified,
transgender and genderqueer
customers only. Features discounts,
a costume contest, geek manicures,
a mini craft fair and more. Sun,
Nov 17, 6–9pm. The Comic Book
Shoppe 2, 228 Bank St. Free.
thecomicbookshoppe.com
Friday Fixxx
Seniors’ Night Out
Sapphire Champagne presents a
queer club night with weekly drag
shows and a variety of DJs. Every
Monday, 10pm–2:30am. Mansion
Nightclub, 400A Dalhousie St. No
cover. mansionnightclub.ca
Queer people 50 and older and
their loved ones are invited to
enjoy one another’s company over
refreshments. Takes place the first
and third Wednesday of each month.
For more info, contact ospn.rfao@
gmail.com. Wed, Nov 20, 7–10pm.
Novotel Hotel, Heritage Room, 33
Nicholas St. Free. ospn-rfao.ca
Miss Capital Noelle
Pageant
A Christmas-themed drag pageant
with $300 and the title of Miss
Capital Noelle on the line. For more
info, contact queer.ottawa@gmail.
com. Mon, Dec 2, 6–11pm. Mansion
Nightclub, 400A Dalhousie St. $20.
mansionnightclub.ca
One of the most popular ladies’
nights around, featuring DJ Isabelle
Bechamp. Pre-Fixxx drag-king show,
9–11pm; dancing from 10pm on.
Every Friday, 9pm–2am. The Lookout
Bar & Bistro, 41 York St. No cover
before 9pm. thelookoutbar.com
Majesty Monday
We Love 2 Hump
Midweek is the best time to hump.
Ginette Bobo performs in drag,
and DJ Martin spins electro, house
and hip-hop mash-ups. Every
Wednesday, 5–10pm. Mercury
Lounge, 56 Byward Market Sq.
mercurylounge.com
From the introduction of
contestants on Friday to the awards
ceremonies on Sunday, this is a
weekend of kinky festivities. Runs
Fri, Nov 8–Sun, Nov 10. St Brigid’s
Centre for the Arts, 310 St Patrick St.
$25–145. mrleatherottawa.ca
Caravan of Tease
Tour 2013
A burlesque tour makes its final stop
in Ottawa, with performances by
Esther De Ville, Fionna Flauntit and
Koston Kreme. Sun, Nov 10, 6–9pm.
The Mercury Lounge, 56 Byward
Market Sq. $15. mercurylounge.com
Erotic Talk: Talking
Dirty for Everyone
This workshop teaches people of all
orientations and gender identities
how to make talking about sex just
as great as having sex. Tues, Nov
12, 6:30–8:30pm. Venus Envy, 320
Lisgar St. $20, $10 sliding scale.
venusenvy.ca
Strip Cheese II: Stripped
Ottawa Burlesque Playground
presents a night of naughty nudity,
with performances by Lana
Lovecakes, Ricky Menage, Rockalily
and more. Thurs, Nov 14, 8pm–1am.
Maxwell’s Bistro, 340 Elgin St. $20.
maxwellsbistro.com
Movember
Brunch, followed by something
sweet and steamy. This edition of
the Great Canadian Tease Burlesque
Brunch features performers Lucky
Minx, Bella Barecatt, Sweet Pea and
James and the Giant Pasty. Takes
place the third Sunday of each
Monday. Sun, Nov 17, noon–3pm.
Maxwell’s Bistro, 340 Elgin St. $25.
maxwellsbistro.com
Submit your event listing to [email protected].
Deadline for the Dec 12–Jan 15 issue is Tues, Dec 3.
XTRA! NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 29
E indexdirectory.ca
Motorcycles
& Scooters
Power Sports
Canada
613-224-7899
Optical Services
Hot ’n horny hookups.
Eyemaxx
Optical Studio
613-216-6076
LAPTOP
OR
MOBILE
WE’RE
VERSATILE
THE BEST OF GAY & LESBIAN OTTAWA
Accessories
— Men
MensMarket.com
mensmarket.com
Accommodations
AIDS/HIV
Resources
Antoine
Quenneville, MA,
CPsyc Assoc
613-230-6179 x401
AIDS Committee
of Ottawa
613-238-5014
Bureau régional
d’action sida
(BRAS)
819-776-2727
Gay Men’s Sexual
Health Alliance
1-800-839-0369
Gay Zone
613-563-2437
Alternative
Health
Art Galleries
Dog Walking
In Balance
Chiropractic and
Health Centre
613-837-8885
Carol the
Dog Trainer
613-729-4808
Andrex Holdings
613-238-1835
John Shea
Insurance
Brokers Ltd
613-596-9697
Churches
The Church
of St John the
Evangelist
613-232-4500
Mike’s Electrical
Service
613-834-4659
Estate Planning
Davidson’s
Jewellers
613-234-4136
Magpie Jewellery
magpiejewellery.
com
Laser Surgery
LCI Lasercom
Clinics
613-828-8946
613-569-3737
Lawyers
Ian Carter–Bayne
Sellar Boxall
613-236-0535
Mann &
Partners, LLP
613-722-1500
Nelligan O’Brien
Payne LLP
613-238-8080
Legal Services
Ian Carter–Bayne
Sellar Boxall
613-236-0535
Mann &
Partners, LLP
613-722-1500
Nelligan O’Brien
Payne LLP
613-238-8080
Massage –
Certified/
Registered
Linda Young
Insurance
Brokers Inc
613-825-1110
Spa Homâ
819-595-3044
Manotick
Insurance
Brokers Ltd
613-692-3528
MensMarket.com
mensmarket.com
Internet
Evan Weiner, AMP
613-224-4530
x224
Distributel
Canada
distributel.ca
Mann &
Partners, LLP
613-722-1500
Men –
Accessories
Mortgages
Mortgage Alliance
613-612-8400
Clothing – Men’s
Stroked Ego
613-667-3008
Wise Events
613-656-9466
Coaching
Events
Padraig Coaching
& Consulting
855-818-0600
Caneast Shows
caneastshows.ca
Community
Groups &
Services
Tivoli Florist
613-729-6911
The New
Oak Tree
613-253-9797
Carol the Dog
Trainer
613-729-4808
Pharmacies
Shoppers Drug
Mart Bank and
Gladstone
613-238-9041
Politicians
Office of Mayor
Jim Watson
613-580-2424
Paul Dewar, MP
613-964-8682
Giovanni’s
Ristorante
613-234-3156
La Cucina
Ristorante
613-836-1811
Mamma Grazzi’s
613-241-8656
Southern Cross
Grill on Queen
613-230-0400
The Foolish
Chicken
613-321-4715
Sex Shops
Classixxx
Adult Store
613-523-9962
Social Groups
The Couples
Group
couplesgroup.org
Spa Services
Prenuptial
Agreements
Spa Homâ
819-595-3044
Mann &
Partners, LLP
613-722-1500
Tanning Salons
Psychologists
Dr Gordon
Josephson,
Registered
Psychologist
613-231-4111
Gilmour
Psychological
Services
613-230-4709
Publications
Pink Triangle
Press
416-925-6665
pinktrianglepress.ca
Xtra (Ottawa)
416-925-6665
Xtra (Toronto)
416-925-6665
Xtra (Vancouver)
604-684-9696
Recreational
Vehicles
iTan Advanced
Studios
613-562-ITAN
Theatre
Orpheus Musical
Theatre Society
613-729-4318
Upholstery
Kessels’
Upholstering
613-224-2150
Web Design
B2W Design Inc
613-804-2384
Jack of All
Trades Design
jackofalltrades
design.com
Websites
Squirt.org
squirt.org
dailyxtra.com
416-925-6665
Weddings
Power Sports
Canada
613-224-7899
Cube Gallery
613-728-1750
Restaurants
& Cafés
Ottawa
Men’s Yoga
ottawamens
yoga.ca
Absinthe
613-761-1138
Yoga
THE BEST OF
GAY & LESBIAN
OTTAWA
Exploring
Westboro › 10
Garden and
patio tools › 17
High-tech kitchen
gadgets › 20
Hidden gems
of Byward
Market › 32
LAST CHANCE!
BOOK YOUR AD NOW!
Florists
Furniture
Pet Care
Courtyard
Restaurant
613-241-1516
SUMMER/FALL 2013
Event Planning
& Promotions
Centretown
Community
Health Centre
613-233-4443
Merkley
Supply Ltd
613-728-2693
Insurance
Electrical
Contracting
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Services
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Housing
Dental Services
Chiropractors
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Dental Clinic
613-317-2330
Ottawa Chimney
Services Ltd
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Lending Centre
613-224-4530
x224
Carol the
Dog Trainer
613-729-4808
Health &
Personal Care
Home
Improvement
& Repairs
Credit & Debt
Counselling
Ottawa Chimney
Services Ltd
613-729-1624
Jewellery &
Jewellers
Rainbow Foods
613-726-9200
Jerry SG Ritt,
MA OACCPP,
Psychotherapist
613-233-9669
Dog & Cat
Training
Jack of All
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jackofalltrades
design.com
Health Foods
& Nutrition
Gilmour
Psychological
Services
613-230-4709
Chimney Repair
& Cleaning
Squirt.org
squirt.org
Rainbow Foods
613-726-9200
Dr Gordon
Josephson,
Registered
Psychologist
613-231-4111
Healthy Smiles
Dental Clinic
613-317-2330
Graphic
Design Services
Grocery
Counselling
Cube Gallery
613-728-1750
Cleaning &
Maid Services
30 NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 XTRA!
Contracting
& Renovations
Merkley
Supply Ltd
613-728-2693
Power Sports
Canada
613-224-7899
unlimited
access
The Children’s Aid
Society of Ottawa
613-747-7800
Ambiance Bed
& Breakfast
613-563-0421
1-888-366-8772
Alternative
Transportation
Get 5 days
Optometrists
613-567-0800
Scottie’s Spot
613-231-3111
Free
to join
Rideau
Optometric Clinic
613-567-0800
Allegro Ristorante
613-235-7454
DON’T
MISS OUT
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WINTER
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CANADA’S
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NEWS
Booking deadline: Wednesday, Nov 20
Release date: Thursday, Dec 12
613-986-8292 or
[email protected]
XTRA! NOV 7–DEC 11, 2013 31
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Ottawa - Daily Xtra

Transcription

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