FREE A neglected neighbourhood emerges as a

Transcription

FREE
36,000 AUDITED
CIRCULATION
#755 OCT 3–16, 2013
TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
Reimagining
REGENT PARK
A neglected neighbourhood
emerges as a modern example
of urban renewal
More at
dailyxtra.com
facebook.com/dailyxtra
@dailyxtra
E16
#news
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#755 OCT 3–16, 2013
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ARTS
")(żɠƘŹŰŵƙɠŹűŸƐűűŸŰɠƀɠ2żɠƘŹŰŵƙɠŹűŸƐűűŸŴɠ
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Ŕ
Brendan Fernandes helped choreograph the
“durational performance” event. JOCHEM VAN GRUNSVEN
Editorial
A new generation
of hockey players
By Robin Perelle E6
Feedback E6
Xcetera E8
Upfront
Protest as premier receives
Egale Leadership Award
Kathleen Wynne acknowledges
there is ‘more to be done’ on
LGBT rights E11
Local news The 519 board
questioned at AGM about its
lack of diversity E12
National news
Vancouver to get genderneutral washrooms in public
buildings E13
International news
IOC slammed for hands-off
approach to Russia’s anti-gay
laws E14
History Boys
Genderbending gods
By Michael Lyons E15
Cover story
Building blocks
The revitalization of Regent
Park is bringing sweeping
change to the city’s
black-sheep neighbourhood,
and that change includes
Toronto’s queer community E16
Discovering Corktown
Style Life
Light & heavy
By Diego Armand E30
Deep Dish
By Rolyn Chambers E32
Xposed
By Anna Pournikova E33
What’s On E35
Club Scene E36
Find everything from Ethiopian
coffee to French soap in this
emerging hotspot E22
Daily Xtra Travel
Out in the City
10 great destinations for
women ‘Gay-friendly’ often
means there’s lots for men, but
what about the sisters? E38
Arts roundup A lesbian
feminist haunted house E25
Flip the script Queer filmmaker
Kanakan Balintagos’s latest
work comes to life at the
imagiNative festival E26
The boys in the band
Michael Sweeney is one of
this season’s queer highlights
at the TSO E29
Stepping back in time in
New Hope Charming
Pennsylvania town filled
with historical gems E40
Classifieds E43
Xtra Living E44
Xtra Hot
By Drasko Bogdanovic E45
online dailyxtra.com
E Celebrities who have officiated gay weddings
E Canadian Opera Company’s latest offerings,
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XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 5
Comment
Robin Perelle is the managing editor of Xtra
Vancouver. Go to dailyxtra.com for Xtra’s
interview with members of the SFU men’s
hockey team.
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.
6 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
KEVIN B
TORONTO, ON
The 519 and diversity
The board was also asked whether
there would be any movement to
change the existing bylaws of the 519
Community Centre, but the chair
did not give a clear response [“The
519 Board Questioned at AGM About
Its Lack of Diversity,” dailyxtra.com,
Sept 27]. Under the current bylaws,
only members who live in a certain
“catchment area” (Bloor to Gerrard,
Bay to Parliament) are allowed to vote
at annual general meetings. But the
majority of the members — including
many active volunteers — do not live in
the catchment area. Interestingly, all
of The 519 members who volunteered
to help set up for the AGM happened
to live outside the catchment area,
including one from Mississauga.
The 519 is obviously an important
part of the Church-Wellesley Village,
but it’s also a centre for a community
that is much more geographically diffused. People who use The 519 come
from all over the GTA; so do the volun-
RE: HOMOPHOBIC COMMENTS
The legacy of
is the best thing that has happened
and now people want to protest her?
She is a politician first.
FREE
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JOHANNA SOMMER (FACEBOOK)
TORONTO, ON
Groundbreaking
London exhibit
lands at the
AGO E22
+GAY RIGHTS
#754 SEPT 19–OCT 2, 2013
@dailyxtra
One of the negative comments cited
in the editorial denounces Smitherman and Peloso as “ugly and fat”
[“The Power of Comments,” Xtra
#754, Sept 19]. Unfortunately, young
gay men and muscular gay men often
make similar comments about older
gay men and fat gay men — especially
at events like Pride and its associated mega-parties. They are often
accompanied by comments like, “He
has no right to take off his shirt.” The
so-called sexual liberation and sexual
abandon of Pride weekend, circuit
parties, Grindr and other sexually
charged venues goes hand-in-hand
with ageism and body fascism.
But it’s not surprising. The young,
sexy and beautiful only want to play
with each other and desperately
want to shut out the undesirable. A
gay sex club in Berlin even uses the
following message on its website and
other social media: “We reserve the
right to refuse entry to unsuitable
people and do not need to justify our
reasons for refusal. No discussion at
the entrance.” Every subculture has
ways of expressing its disapproval of
those who don’t measure up.
facebook.com/dailyxtra
What may have started as
a marketing ploy seems to
be an accurate reflection of a remarkably
welcoming team, if the three young hockey
players I met Sept 12 are any indication.
Josh McKissock, Jono Ceci and Tyler
Mah range in age from 21 to 23 years old,
play for the Simon Fraser University (SFU)
men’s hockey team, and are nothing like
the teenagers I expected to meet.
I expected discomfort, maybe resistance,
to their team’s decision to partner with
the You Can Play campaign to challenge
homophobia in sports.
At the very least, I expected a lack of
awareness, maybe a dawning understanding that the casual and not-so-casual homophobia typical of hockey locker rooms
may be hurtful to closeted teammates.
Instead, I met three articulate, thoughtful and kind young men open to welcoming
gay teammates to their ranks. They shattered my stereotypes.
Granted, I don’t know too many straight
young men, but the few I’ve met didn’t
seem nearly as comfortable discussing
potentially gay teammates as these three
guys proved to be. If they truly are a reflection of their team’s character, then You Can
Play has found itself a more than suitable
counterpart for its first Canadian collegelevel partnership.
The SFU hockey team’s interim sales and
marketing coordinator says he suggested
the partnership to reflect the team’s spirit.
“It’s a very different team than what you’ll
find at other universities. It’s very unique,”
Réal Maurice Joynt says.
It’s in his interest to say that. As a nonvarsity team only independently affiliated
with the university’s athletics department,
the men’s hockey team largely has to support itself.
Still, the differentiating factor that Joynt
decided to promote is certainly well represented among the players I met, only
one of whom was prepped by staff prior to
our interview. And isn’t it interesting that
in Joynt’s world, boasting about a team’s
gay-friendliness is expected to garner the
right kind of attention.
“Our guys are definitely of the age and of
the era where it wouldn’t matter to them.
A teammate’s a teammate, and we advocate
for that,” says head coach Mark Coletta,
striking a deliberately optimistic note. “It
doesn’t matter: an openly gay guy or not.
If they can play and make the team, then
they’re going to be on the team.
“I think we’re on the page of the future,”
he says.
I think campaigns like You Can Play are
working to turn the page to the future, but
we’re hardly there yet.
“Nothing changes overnight,” says You
Can Play co-founder Brian Kitts, “but you
can start a conversation.”
Yet, the players I met seem to have already had the conversation and are now
simply ready to move forward.
To Mah, it’s a question of maturity. “For
high school students and athletes, I think it’s
important for them to know, while they’re
maturing and learning about discrimination, that it’s very important to just be open
to everything,” he says. By the time they
get to college, they’re older, more mature
and less likely to discriminate, he believes.
Ceci agrees. By the time he was 17, he
was playing with an openly gay teammate.
He learned early on to treat everyone with
respect.
McKissock sums it up simply as playing
with a team. “You’re all wearing the same
jersey, you’re all wearing the same logo on
the front — that’s who you’re playing for.
You play for each other.”
Has a new generation of straight allies
emerged without my realizing? Three
young hockey players can’t unravel decades of sports-culture machismo, but
they can certainly help lead a fresh start,
even as their well-meaning coaches and
marketers scramble to cash in and keep up.
Homophobic
comments
Every subculture has ways of
expressing its disapproval of those
who don’t measure up.”
dailyxtra.com
EDITORIAL
ROBIN PERELLE
FEEDBACK
More at
A new generation
of hockey players
email [email protected]
comment dailyxtra.com & facebook/dailyxtra.com
tweet @dailyxtra
IN TURKEY
E15
SHOPPING
FOR
HATS
E
Wynne has done not one thing to earn
any sort of recognition. Wow, you’re
a lesbian in a power suit. Congrats.
MEG FENWAY (FACEBOOK)
LONDON, ON
17
DANIEL
MACIVOR
E
27
PHOTO BY MASAYOSHI SUKITA
teers who help the community centre
keep going during the year and who
also staff the Pride events that helped
with the funding cuts this year.
JB
TORONTO, ON
Protest at Egale gala
Before we stab our LGBT leaders in
the back for not, as Harvey Milk used
to say, “turning the pages of history
a little faster,” perhaps we need to
ask ourselves: what have you done
besides hit “like” on Facebook about
things that impact us all [“Protest
Planned for Toronto Egale Fundraising Gala, dailyxtra.com, Sept 26]?
Too many hope someone else will do
something. Wynne’s staff should be
sending out messages, but let’s not be
naive that Hudak and those against
Wynne would like nothing more than
to see the LGBT in-fight. There won’t
be one open LGBT member of the
Hudak thugs in the next election, you
can count on that. I’d love for Wynne
to be more vocal, but we know she
has our back, while others don’t!
IAN MACDONALD (FACEBOOK)
TORONTO, ON
I’m angry, too. I was angry right away
when Wynne said she wasn’t an activist during her speech after winning
the leadership vote. This is kind of a
“have your cake and eat it too”–type
moment, isn’t it?
JACQIE LUCAS (FACEBOOK)
TORONTO, ON
Kathleen Wynne shows tremendous
courage every day as a gay female and
as a premier. Stop picking on her. She
Vancouver’s genderneutral washrooms
This is a growing trend in Canada
[“Vancouver Passes Gender-Neutral
Washrooms in Public Buildings,”
dailyxtra.com, Sept 25]. I’m happy
to see a municipality vote on this
issue and help address the needs of
the LGBTQ community. Universities
have been making gender-neutral
washrooms across Canada for a while,
including just recently at Grenfell
Campus in Newfoundland, so it’s good
to see municipalities catching up. Well
done, Vancouver!
CHARLIE
TORONTO, ON
It’s still discrimination, as it essentially says that trans women are not
quite women and trans men are not
quite men. Granted, I can think of
myriad other reasons for a genderneutral or family restroom, but to
say it’s for transgender individuals,
especially those who are born transsexual, is disgusting.
THERESA
VANCOUVER, BC
Congratulations, Vancouver City
Council. You have shown true leadership in advancing consciousness on
this multifaceted issue. It is a fine
first step and will help open minds
and raise other people’s consciousness. Bravo. And in spite of whining
about “wasting my tax dollars,” I am
also a taxpayer and I wholeheartedly approve. Vision Vancouver’s
leadership on this in council is to be
commended. Thank you.
DAVID MYERS
VANCOUVER, BC
OPEN HOUSE :
Bangladeshi
lesbian
couple
arrested for
‘unsocial
activities’
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OCTOBER 5th
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New!
Search MLS listings directly from my Facebook
cebook page!
Gaelen Patrick
Real Estate Sales Representative
ative
Buying? Selling? Renting?
Thinking Pre-construction?
Proudly Serving Our Community!
XCETERA
‘I never hated
her; I just thought
she was a bitch.’
Cher on Madonna.
Sushi
A BIWEEKLY
HELPING OF
POP CULTURE,
SERVED
À LA CARTE
26
Number of
studio albums Cher
has released.
OUT ON THE STREET BY KYLE BURTON
What do you think of the revitalization of Regent Park?
For more on the changes in Regent Park, turn to page 16.
Achievement in Exceptional
Sales Performance and Service
Closer to the Truth
The title of
Cher’s new album.
Jake Shears
Featured vocalist on
Closer to the Truth.
Proud Financial Supporter of the Church
St. 519 Community Centre with a donation
n
from every sale going to the centre!
Contact me
416.801.9265 | [email protected]
www.gaelenpatrick.com
Sutton Group Realty Systems Inc. Brokerage
Independently Owned and Operated | 416.762.4200 Toronto
Not intended to solicit those already under contract with another Realtor.
Marina
David
Rachelle
DJ
STUDENT
INTERIOR DESIGNER
PUBLIC SERVANT
DRAG QUEEN
A lot of old
buildings have
been knocked
down and a lot of
people relocated.
The crime rate is
down, and it’s safer
to walk around. So
that’s great.
It’s been nice to see
the revitalization
of the area; it was
looking pretty drab
before. And I think
it’s really great that
there’s the new
aquatic centre.
There’s still a lot
of work that needs
to be done. I like
certain aspects of
the social mix, but
I just think it would
be great to see
more integration
initiatives.
I live
ve here,
but
ut I don’t
really
ally pay
attention
ention to
what’s
at’s
going
g on
in the
e
area.
Mardi Gras
Sydney’s annual gay
and lesbian festival,
at which Shears did a
DJ set in 2013.
‘Some ppl are gay.
Get over it.
Love, God.’
Message on the sign
outside All Saints
Anglican Church in
Chermside, Australia.
Wa to
Want
o mee
meet
et ot
o
other
ther gu
guys
uys
s and
an
nd
get free leadership training?
November 2, 9, 16 and 23, 2013
Gonzalo Orquin
Name of the Spanish
artist whose exhibit
at a Rome art gallery,
which included a
photo of a gay couple
kissing at a church
altar, was shut down
by the Vatican.
For young gay and bi guys who want to
be community leaders, including:

guys from diverse communities
trans guys
guys living with HIV
Extended registration deadline:
October 17, 2013
Check out actoronto.org/to
for info and to register online!
The AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT)
399 Church Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5B 2J6
T 416-340-2437 F 416-340-8224 W actoronto.org
f facebook.com/ACToronto t @ACToronto
Funding provided by Toronto Public Health
8 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
Rick Owens’s assistant
called me four months ago and
said they wanted a routine that
embodied viciousness, and what XTRA #363,
it means to be vicious through
SEPT 24, 1998
movement and vicious through
dance. So we got together,
and we trained and rehearsed...
we worked viciously!
FROM THE PTP ARCHIVES
15 YEARS AGO
— Loretta Noble, on choreographing the
groundbreaking Rick Owens runway show at Paris
Fashion Week, which featured a team of American
step dancers instead of models.
John Waters
s is preparing to show
w
his Pecker everywhere:
verywhere: a new film
m
that includes
es the Virgin Mary,
pubic hair and
nd Patti Hearst.
Less happily,
y, the gay village
is shaken by
y the so-called
Tenant Protection
ection Act,
which makes
es
it easier for
landlords to
o
increase rents
nts and evict
tenants. — Michael Lyons
Spanish dick pic
Actor Paco León
promised to post a
nude photo of himself
if he received a
million new
Twitter followers.
1,034,379
Number of followers
León now boasts.
Justin Bieber
Holds the top spot
for the most Twitter
followers, at
45,231,829.
19
Bieber’s
age.
COMING THIS FALL
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XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 9
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GENDER JOURNEYS: FALL GROUP STARTS OCTOBER 9
Gender Journeys is an 11-week group for people considering gender transition. The group provides
information and community for people with changes across the gender spectrum. The group will run
Wednesdays, 6-9pm, October 9 to December 18 at Sherbourne Health Centre. Registration
required. Contact Max at [email protected] or 416-324-4100 x 5070.
EXPLORING BISEXUALITY: THE B SIDE GROUP STARTS OCTOBER 17
The B Side is a 10-week group for people who are exploring their attraction to more than one gender or
struggling with what their bisexuality means to them and their lives. The group is open to anyone who
KVLZU»[Ä[ULH[S`PU[VNH`Z[YHPNO[JH[LNVYPLZ;OLNYV\W^PSSL_WSVYLH[[YHJ[PVUJVTPUNV\[IPWOVIPH
YLSH[PVUZOPWZYLZV\YJLZHUKTVYLThursdays, October 17 to December 19 at Sherbourne Health
Centre. To register, email [email protected] or call 416-324-4100 x 5096.
DYKES PLANNING TYKES DROP-IN: OCTOBER 15
9HJOLS,WZ[LPUVULVM[OLMHJPSP[H[VYZVM[OL+`RLZ7SHUUPUN;`RLZJV\YZL^PSSILH]HPSHISL[V
WYV]PKLPUMVYTH[PVUYLZV\YJLZHUKZ\WWVY[[VSLZIPHUIPX\LLY^VTLUHUK[YHUZWLVWSLÔVHYL
considering parenthood. Content of each session will be determined by participants. Tues. Oct.
15, 6:30 - 8:30pm at Sherbourne Health Centre. More information: lgbtqpn.ca/planning or
[email protected]
:\WWVY[PUN6\Y@V\[O:6@ZLLRZ[VPTWYV]L[OLX\HSP[`VMSPMLMVY3.);`V\[O\W[V [OYV\NO[OLHJ[P]LPU]VS]LTLU[VMHK\S[Z^VYRPUN[VNL[OLY^P[O`V\[O>VYRPUN^P[OPU
HUHU[PVWWYLZZPVUMYHTL^VYR:6@KL]LSVWZPUP[PH[P]LZ[OH[I\PSKZRPSSZHUKJHWHJP[PLZ
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GENERAL LAW
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communityone
F O U N D AT I O N
10 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
Upfront
You don’t go to Church Street anymore when you’re poor.
You can’t afford to do the socializing. Michael Creek E16
Protest as premier receives
Egale Leadership Award
Kathleen Wynne
acknowledges there
is ‘more to be done’
on LGBT rights
COMMUNITY NEWS
ELAH FEDER
A small group of protesters gathered outside
the Ritz-Carlton in Toronto Sept 27 as Premier
Kathleen Wynne accepted the LGBT Leadership
Award at Egale’s annual gala.
Egale’s executive director, Helen Kennedy,
who has recently been criticized for announcing
publicly that she had joined the Liberal Party,
said Wynne was chosen for her courage in being
an out politician.
“I think that’s a demonstration to other people,
especially younger people, who may want a career
in politics or who may be afraid to be out in the
corporate world, that you can take that chance
and stand by your principles,” she said.
But some activists have argued that Wynne’s
record on LGBT rights does not warrant an award.
“What action has Wynne taken on Russia? What
has she done on harm reduction? And what about
the fact that LGBT people are homeless and that in
the regular shelter system they are discriminated
against?” asked organizer Zach NoCameco Ruiter.
The protesters, a group that included Idle No
More supporters, also condemned Wynne’s record
on poverty and social assistance and held signs demanding that welfare and disability rates be raised.
“It’s completely disingenuous for Egale to give
Wynne an award at the Ritz-Carlton for $300 a
plate when Wynne won’t even raise the minimum
wage,” Ruiter said.
But Kennedy defended the gala as an essential
fundraiser for Egale.
“We can’t keep operating without people who
can afford to pay for these tickets and who do so,
but I want to acknowledge those people who aren’t
in the room,” she said.
Wynne opened her acceptance speech by acknowledging that the event was taking place on
traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the
Protesters condemned Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne’s record on poverty and social assistance in the province. ELAH FEDER
New Credit First Nation. Later, she responded
briefly to the protest.
“There are protesters out there tonight because
there is more to be done . . . When people bring
a point of view and they’re saying that there’s
something else that needs to be done, I get that,”
she said.
Wynne mentioned her work as minister of education, noting that she helped create policies requiring that gay-straight alliances be permitted in
schools, but she also admitted that efforts are still
needed to make this a reality across the province.
Federal NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair, who
was among the evening’s guests, met briefly with
the demonstrators, saying he’d pass along their
concerns to fellow NDP members in attendance.
CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn also stepped
outside to meet with the group and agreed that
Wynne needs to do much more for LGBT people.
“There are lots of queer people on social assistance. She could raise social assistance rates.
She could actually look after queer people with
AIDS and HIV who are on [the Ontario Disability
Support Program]. She could be creating jobs for
young queer people because youth unemployment
is insane,” Hahn said in footage captured by Ruiter.
Hahn also expressed concerns about Kennedy’s
Liberal Party membership and what that means
for CUPE’s continued funding of Egale.
“They do good work for the LGBT community,
but they have to remain non-partisan,” he said.
Earlier on Sept 27, Egale launched 20 recommendations for the prevention of suicide by LGBT
youth, the culmination of a summit co-hosted by
Egale last year.
The recommendations include appointing
provincial and territorial suicide-prevention
officers; creating supports for trans youth who
are transitioning in schools, including access to
gender-neutral washrooms; and providing increased training on sexual orientation and gender
identity for medical professionals.
For more on this story,
go to dailyxtra.com.
XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 11
COMMUNITY NEWS
The 519 board questioned at
AGM about its lack of diversity
The 519 Church Street Community Centre held its annual general meeting Sept
26, at which its board reported robust
finances, bid farewell to board chair Pascal Dessureault and welcomed six new
members — but also faced criticism for
lack of diversity within its membership.
Board treasurer Tyler Fleming reported that despite a cut in core funding from
the City of Toronto, The 519 was able to
continue operating without reductions
in front-end services, largely as a result of
increases in alternative funding sources,
including a jump in Pride revenues.
Looking forward, Planning Partnership consultants Nancy Chater and
Doug Kerr outlined the recommendations of the Village Study, which
included the creation of a community
charter of core values. In addition, they
recommended an initiative to beautify
and further pedestrianize Church Street
by widening sidewalks, planting trees
and extending the “parklets” project.
Other recommendations included a
Outgoing 519 chair Pascal Dessureault responds to questions at the organization’s
annual general meeting on Sept 26. ELAH FEDER
“Church Street check-up,” a regular community survey, and the temporary transformation of the Church streetscape
with bold colours and artwork during
WorldPride 2014 and the 2015 Pan Am
Games. The proposed project is cur-
rently dubbed “Shock Street Treatment.”
Six new board management nominees
were acclaimed, including CIBC legal
counsel Paul Bent and Superdyke creator
Michelle Walker. Drawn from an initial
pool of nine applicants, these six received
recommendations from the nominations
committee, and the remaining three
withdrew their applications.
Issues of diversity and accessibility
dominated the question-and-answer
period, with one attendee criticizing
the lack of diversity on the board, noting that anti-oppression, transphobia,
accessibility and feminism were largely
absent from the evening’s speeches.
“It’s always been . . . a challenge for us
to recruit board members that reflect
the diversity of our community,” Dessureault responded, noting that 519 staff
and programs are committed to inclusivity and explaining that the nomination
committee’s process of recommending
specific candidates was introduced last
year in order to help address the issue.
In the coming year, preparations for
WorldPride 2014 and the 2015 Pan Am
Games are expected to be a major focus.
— Elah Feder
ACT’s executive
director steps down
The executive director of the AIDS
Committee of Toronto (ACT) is stepping down to accept a job as the CEO of
the Sherbourne Health Centre.
Hazelle Palmer, who has been the
ED since 2009, will serve her last day
with ACT — which is marking its 30th
anniversary this year — on Oct 31.
“I’m so honoured to be joining the
team at Sherbourne. It is a dynamic
organization that truly makes a difference in the lives of the communities
it serves,” Palmer said in a press release. “I’m excited to lead Sherbourne
as it implements its new strategic plan
and continues to be an innovator in
community-based health care.”
Palmer replaces Suzanne Boggild,
Sherbourne Health Centre’s founding
CEO, who stepped down in June.
Kyle Greenwood, manager of executive communications and administration
for ACT, says the organization has mixed
emotions about Palmer’s departure.
“Hazelle has made a significant impact at ACT,” Greenwood says. “She has
done a lot, including leading significant
change at ACT. She is a visionary, a
leader and a force. For her to pursue
another opportunity is challenging for
us, but we recognize this is a new opportunity for her that she wants to pursue.”
The ACT board will now begin the
recruitment process to find a replacement, he says. An interim ED will
be chosen prior to Palmer’s last day.
— Andrea Houston
For more on these stories,
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12 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
NATIONAL NEWS
NDP calls for visa ban on
anti-gay Russian legislators
The federal New Democratic Party is
calling on the government to take action
on LGBT rights in Russia and is taking
to the streets to build support for a visa
ban on Russian legislators responsible
for the recent homophobic laws passed
in the Russian Duma.
The NDP launched its campaign with
a petition-signing event at the Alexander Wood statue on the corner of
Church and Alexander streets Sept 21.
The NDP’s foreign affairs critic, Paul
Dewar, Toronto Centre candidate Linda
McQuaig, Toronto-Danforth MPP Peter
Tabuns, and defeated Toronto Centre
nominee Jennifer Hollett all braved the
rain to tell people about Russia’s recently
passed laws banning “gay propaganda”
and newly proposed laws threatening to
take children away from LGBT parents.
While much of the attention on LGBT
rights in Russia stems from the country’s upcoming hosting of the Winter
Olympics in Sochi next year, Dewar says
that the NDP is opposed to a boycott of
Paul Dewar, the NDP’s foreign affairs critic, signs up passersby on the corner of
Church and Alexander streets, Sept 21. ROB SALERNO
the Games. “The grassroots activists on
the ground in Russia have been saying
please don’t call for a boycott because
we want this to be about LGBT rights,
not about the Olympics,” he says. “We
need to see people speaking out, not just
when there’s a flashpoint as in the case of
Russia/Sochi; it has to be ongoing. This
should be something we remember for
every Olympics. This is an opportunity
for the world to celebrate excellence but
also excellence in human rights.”
The NDP says it collected about 200
signatures at the event. — Rob Salerno
Vancouver to get gender-neutral
washrooms in public buildings
City council passed a motion to amend
Vancouver’s building codes Sept 25,
making it the first municipality in
Canada to include clear provisions for
gender-neutral washrooms in public
buildings, according to city staff.
“It’s fantastic news, I think for everybody in Vancouver, for city council
to take this leadership step toward
building broader inclusion within
building-code bylaw,” says Drew Dennis, co-chair of the city’s LGBTQ advisory committee.
Trans and gender-variant people
whose gender expression may not
align with their biological sex are often
harassed or accused of being in the
wrong washroom, Dennis explains.
The amendment will give people
more flexibility in “single-stalled washrooms that don’t have to be specified
by gender,” says Dennis, who identifies
as trans.
“It recognizes that there is a broad
range of users that might benefit from
this flexibility — of course trans and
gender-variant folks, but as well, parents of children of the opposite sex,
caregivers who have clients that are the
opposite sex and so on,” Dennis says.
“There’s myself and many others — a
whole spectrum of people — who are
harassed based on the choice of the
washroom that they choose to use.
Allowing more flexibility, and allowing
for different types of washrooms and
different destinations, is a great step
forward in eliminating some of that,”
Dennis says.
Councillor Tim Stevenson enthusiastically supported the amendment
and called the bylaw changes “historic” and “a very, very significant step
for the city.”
Vancouver’s chief building official,
Will Johnson, worked with both the
LGBTQ and women’s advisory committees to draft the amendment.
Along with the provision for genderneutral washrooms in city facilities,
other approved amendments to the
building codes addressed accessibility and adaptability for people with
disabilities. —Shauna Lewis
For more on these stories,
XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 13
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
IOC slammed for
hands-off approach
to Russia’s
anti-gay laws
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is coming under fire for
saying that it doesn’t have the right to
discuss the laws in the country where
the Olympic Games are organized.
At a press conference following a
visit to Sochi, IOC Coordination Commission chair Jean-Claude Killy said
Russian officials had given assurances
there’ll be no discrimination, The Associated Press reports.
“As long as the Olympic Charter is
respected, we are satisfied,” Killy said.
His remarks come on the heels of
the arrest of activists for protesting the
so-called gay propaganda law outside
the headquarters of the Sochi Olympics organizing committee.
Killy’s comments follow a statement
from former IOC president Jacques
Rogge last month in which he said he
had received “strong written reassurances from the Russian government
that everyone will be welcome at the
games in Sochi regardless of their
sexual orientation.”
When Germany’s Thomas Bach was
elected IOC president this month, he
also said he’d received “assurances
from the highest authorities in Russia.”
But human rights organizations are
taking the IOC to task for ignoring
concerns raised about the Russian
legislation.
“It disregards the fact that Russian
law effectively prohibits people from
public expression of ‘non-traditional’
sexual orientation,” says Sergei Nikitin, director of Amnesty International’s Moscow office. “This is an
affront to gay and lesbian athletes and
spectators. It is also a disappointment
to sports fans across the world who
care about the Olympic ideal.”
For its part, the Human Rights
Campaign (HRC) says the IOC has
abandoned both LGBT Russians and
Olympic athletes.
“If this law doesn’t violate the IOC’s
charter, then the charter is completely
meaningless,” HRC president Chad
Griffin says. “The safety of millions
of LGBT Russians and international
travellers is at risk, and by all accounts
the IOC has completely neglected its
responsibility to Olympic athletes,
sponsors and fans from around the
world. The IOC and its new president,
Thomas Bach, are putting the good
reputation of the Olympic Games and
its corporate sponsors in jeopardy.”
—Natasha Barsotti
Belgrade Pride
parade cancelled
Approximately 6,500 police officers
were set to provide security for the
Belgrade Pride parade Sept 28, but
the Bureau for the Coordination of
Security Services announced that
the event was cancelled, news service
B92 reports.
As Pride organizers waited for the
release of a security assessment for
the event Sept 27, a number of rightwing groups held a press conference
to warn that a repetition of the 2010
street clashes, during which several
police officers were injured, could be
in the cards if the parade were given
the green light.
“People are deeply unsatisfied and
are telling us that they will go onto
the streets in vast numbers to protest.
If that happens again, we all know
that Belgrade streets will see bloodshed, and that’s in no one’s interest,”
Ivan Ivanovic, of the rightwing group
“Naši,” told media.
Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić
said the unanimous decision reached
by security services “did not mean a
capitulation to hooligans,” but “nobody could guarantee a safe holding
of the parade” in the face of “serious
threats” to peace and public order.
Ivanovic and other members of rightist organizations said they would stage
counterprotests to the Pride event, but
those gatherings were also prohibited,
the report says. —Natasha Barsotti
For more international news,
Genderbending gods
HISTORY BOYS
MICHAEL LYONS
B.SC, LL.B, TEP
BARRISTER, SOLICITOR & NOTARY
CERTIFIED SPECIALIST
(ESTATES & TRUST LAW)
VALERIE A. CHANG,
B.A., J.D.
R.G. COATES ESTATE LAW P.C.
120 Carlton Street, Suite 307 Toronto, Ontario M5A 4K2
Tel. (416) 925-6490 Fax (416) 925-4492
web: www.rgcoates.com
email: [email protected]
E
1981
C
ROBERT G.COATES,
SI
N
To me, androgyny is the
highest form of beauty.
One of my favourite experiences is
when I’m walking behind someone and
say to myself, “Ooh, I like his clothes,
I like his hair; I bet he’s really hot.” The
person turns around and I realize she is
a very masculine-presenting or dykey
woman. Likewise, the more gloriously,
swishily, unapologetically feminine a
gay guy is, the more attractive I find
him. The gender dichotomy is boring,
way too 20th century, and so many
cultures have long spoken of the third
sex: the blending and deconstruction
of gender is part of many mythologies.
The Greeks are an unfailingly dirty
place to start. Among many stories of
lust- and sex-filled genderbending,
the origin of Teiresias, a mythological
blind oracle, is especially delightful.
His story begins with his finding a
pair of copulating snakes and striking them with a stick. Angered at the
treatment of her minions, the vengeful
goddess Hera transforms Teiresias into
a woman. As a woman, Teiresias marries and has children, but several years
later he once again strikes copulating
snakes, and Hera transforms him back
to his masculine form. Though different stories have different explanations
for how he was blinded, one version has
Hera and her husband, Zeus, debating
whether men or women derive more
pleasure from sex. When they ask
Teiresias, an expert on the subject,
“he said that if the pleasures of love
be reckoned at 10, men enjoy one and
women nine,” reinforcing Zeus’s opinion. The ever-vindictive Hera blinds
him for siding with her virile husband,
and Zeus, feeling bad, offers Teiresias
the power of prophecy.
The pervy antics of Greek gods seem
juvenile compared to the primeval
deity Ishtar, an incestuous goddess
worshipped by several ancient Semitic
kingdoms of Mesopotamia, somewhere
around 2000 BCE. She was something
of a schizophrenic mother goddess,
reigning over life and death as the
many-breasted Opener of the Womb
and the Destroyer Queen of the Underworld, respectively. Ishtar was also
worshipped in the kingdom of Assyria
as the divinity of war. She carried a
quiver and bow and was depicted with
a beard as a manifestation of her warmongering nature. Ishtar straddled the
social boundaries of man and woman,
demonstrated by her devotees, who
were usually men who either presented
SPUNK! [spuhngk]
-noun
Uncovering androgynous deities in the dark realms of myth. ERIC WILLIAMS
characteristics of both genders or appeared fully feminine.
With roots in Vedic mythology and
originating in the Classical Sanskrit
period, beginning around 1200 BCE,
various Hindu gods, including Lord
Shiva, transcended gender in different ways. Shiva is often mistakenly
attributed as the evil destroyer god,
though his actual role is dissolving
and recreating the universe when the
balance between good and evil is disturbed. A number of major symbols
are commonly associated with Shiva:
his unclad body covered in ashes represents transcendental manifestation
unaffected by the physical aspect of
the universe. Lord Shiva’s kundalas,
a pair of earrings, are called alakshya,
“which cannot be shown by any sign,”
and niranjan, “which cannot be seen by
mortal eyes.” The kundala in his left ear
is the type used by women, the one in
the right by men, and so in some beliefs
they also represent the embodiment of
Shiva’s feminine energy, shakti.
Similar to the mother goddess Ishtar,
though a world away, Mesoamerican
peoples had Tlazolteotl, the Goddess of
Filth. The Aztec and Huastec peoples
of pre-Columbian Mexico likely worshipped a similar deity for centuries,
though when the former conquered
the latter in the mid-15th century,
their beliefs merged. Tlazolteotl’s
two-part name is derived from the
Nahuatl tlazolli, which describes filth,
garbage and human waste, and teotl, a
generic, genderless word signifying a
deity. Although she is almost always
thought of as feminine, in some incarnations she is seen as a warrior woman
with both masculine and feminine
traits. Tlazolteotl was believed to be
the goddess who inspired, and also
forgave, sexual transgressions. Among
numerous roles for different worshippers she oversaw childbirth, death,
rot, menstruation and confession —
the act of eating the filthy sins of her
worshippers.
Today, especially in Western society,
we demand that our gods be tame, well
behaved and simple. Gods of the old
world were often shifting, contradictory, unknowable: dark, primal things,
glorious and horrible, much like the
humans who worshipped them. Cyclical life and death, the duality of
creation and destruction, woman and
man, are recurring themes in many
mythologies. Androgyny was part and
parcel of the dualities of the divine.
Whether we like to admit it or not,
we all have within us a mixture of masculinity and femininity. For me, being
queer is a means of embracing that,
toying with and destroying gender. In
this sense, especially in Toronto, the
divine often walk among us.
spunk.
1. courage, spirit, boldness, resilience: show some
2. a slang word for semen.
You hook up.
You get high.
<RX·YHJRW6381.
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XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 15
COVER STORY
The revitalization of Regent Park is
bringing sweeping change to the city’s
black-sheep neighbourhood. And
that change includes Toronto’s queer
community.
Building
Blocks
BY DANIELA COSTA PHOTOS BY ADAM COISH
A
sk Torontonians to
describe LGBT life in
the downtown core
and they’ll usually cite
the several pubs and
clubs that line ChurchWellesley Village. Then there’s nearby
Cabbagetown, with its arts festivals
and Victorian homes, known to house
many a queer.
But Regent Park? Not likely to get a
mention. And yet it’s not that much of
a stretch.
Regent Park actually held the name
Cabbagetown before the neighbourhood to its north claimed it in the 1970s.
Today, the two bordering neighbourhoods are part of the same federal and
provincial riding of Toronto Centre,
a district that also encompasses the
Village. And like the Village and Cabbagetown, queer people do live near
and in Regent Park. That’s nothing new.
16 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
What is new is the face of Regent Park.
And soon, many hope, its reputation.
Often considered an undesirable
neighbourhood — and, to some, a neighbourhood of undesirables — Regent Park
is gearing up for a very different identity.
Lacklustre towers are giving way
to stylish condominiums. Businesses
have at long last moved in. Amenities
such as parks and pools are to make up
Regent Park’s new face. The changing
streetscape comes courtesy of a redevelopment plan for the downtown-east
neighbourhood.
“Revitalization, in addition to creating new buildings and amenities, is a
catalyst for change beyond the physical
infrastructure,” says Heather Grey-Wolf,
development director for Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC).
The Regent Park revitalization began in 2006 by way of a public-private
partnership between TCHC and The
Daniels Corporation. Its end goal is
a mixed neighbourhood that closely
reflects other parts of the city.
TCHC estimates the revitalization
will be complete within 10 to 15 years,
should they get approval for the rezoning of the remaining phases. The
organization anticipates a final report
from the city will go forward at the East
York Community Council on Nov 19.
TCHC expects a final decision on the
application at city council on Dec 16.
Regent Park’s population is set to
jump from 7,500 to between 12,500 and
17,000 by the project’s end. Estimates
price the project at just less than $1 billion. TCHC will invest about 60 percent
of the total expected cost through bond
funding and equity. Government grants
and rebates will cover about 13 percent,
while proceeds from the condominium
sales will pay for the remaining balance.
It’s a big quote for a big job.
THE HISTORY
Regent Park is one of Canada’s largest and oldest social housing projects.
Its construction began in 1948 and
carried on until the end of the 1950s.
Bounded by Gerrard, Shuter, River
and Parliament streets, Regent Park’s
design saw it physically turned inward.
This separated the neighbourhood from
Toronto’s busy downtown, but a lack
of streets and pockets of unused space
left Regent Park vulnerable to criminal
activity and unable to reap the benefits
of city life.
Even with the revitalization well
underway, worries about crime haven’t
vanished. In fact, some academics have
expressed concern that the mixedincome model is creating an “us versus them” dynamic they believe has
resulted in crime and violence in the
neighbourhood.
But that could change. Crime prevention methods like the installation of
video surveillance cameras and enterphone systems are part of the revitalization project. Streets in Regent Park will
be wide and well lit. Furthermore, there
are proposals calling for the addition of
three new streets to the area.
“By connecting Regent Park to the
surrounding neighbourhood, the community is becoming a destination in
Toronto,” Grey-Wolf says.
The construction of new high-rise
and mid-rise buildings makes up most
of the current third phase of redevelopment. On Sept 20, the first residents
moved into 230 Sackville St, a 10-storey
building containing 105 rent-geared-toincome units and 50 affordable rental
units. It’s the newest rental building in
Regent Park and residents should fully
occupy it later in the fall. Replacing
old towers and building community
amenities were the focus of the first two
phases. “These new amenities serve as a
gathering point for residents of Regent
Park and the nearby neighbourhoods,”
Grey-Wolf says.
These new amenities include a daycare centre, a park currently under
construction, the Regent Park Centre
of Learning, Regent Park Employment
Services and Daniels Spectrum, an artsand-culture hub housing various local
organizations. TCHC has also teamed
up with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to see the building of a
multipurpose outdoor sports field and
in June launched the Regent Park Farmers’ Market in partnership with The
Daniels Corporation.
Unfortunately, this grand-scale project meant the relocation of many Regent Park residents. As a result, TCHC
promised those forced to relocate new
A 1947 plan for Regent Park based on American-style public housing. This
drawing comes close to reflecting what was built in subsequent years.
CITY OF TORONTO ARCHIVES
Today’s Regent Park includes new parks and amenities,
as well as a mixture of high-rise and mid-rise housing,
planned to help the area blend in with the rest of Toronto.
XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 17
Development director Heather Grey-Wolf and her team
at Toronto Community Housing Corporation, from left:
Julio Rigores, Frozan Shaikhmiri, Abigail Moriah, Christine
Burke, Wolf, Ilidio Coito, Jed Kilbourn and Kristy Wung.
homes built as part of the redevelopment. That’s 2,083 rent-geared-toincome housing units. Of those units,
however, 266 are located outside Regent Park, on Carlton, Richmond and
Adelaide streets in the east downtown.
Sales of 5,000 planned market condominiums will cover the costs of the
replacement units. Profits will also go
toward building several hundred affordable rental units.
Some have labelled what’s going on
in Regent Park displacement, noting
that the mixed-housing model has often
meant pushing the poor to the margins.
This fear predates the commencement
of construction.
For instance, Rita Daly wrote the
following in the Toronto Star on Feb 12,
2005: “As the agency forges ahead with
its project, fully endorsed by city council
earlier this month, there are those who
fear Regent Park’s makeover may be
yet another regrettable experiment in
the city’s history of social housing. A
group of academics and social activists
criticize it as an enticing land grab for
private investors, at the same time as
it slashes the number of low-income
apartments and displaces the working
and subsidized poor.”
Many Regent Park tenants would certainly welcome more low-income housing options. The 2006 census showed
that the average income for private
households in Regent Park was only
$35,656, with about 41 percent making
less than $20,000 a year. By comparison,
the average income for households in
Toronto was $80,343.
And it isn’t all roses for those who will
ultimately upgrade their housing situation. Life in a construction zone and
the resulting temporary loss of facilities
has naturally burdened those living in
the neighbourhood. To that end, TCHC
created a social development plan for
Regent Park.
The plan guides the process for
addressing community needs. The
principles of equity, equality, access,
participation and cohesion are its building blocks. Equity is specifically defined
as “the fair distribution of resources,
free from discrimination on the basis
of age, disability, gender, socioeconomic
background, race, ethnicity, religion or
sexual orientation.”
The plan does not outline any points
to better the lives of queer residents
in particular, but that could change in
the future.
“It is important to note that the social development plan is fluid so that it
works with the community as it changes
and can respond to the needs of populations that are underrepresented,”
Grey-Wolf explains.
Regent Park is on the path to transition from a last resort of sorts to a
legitimate, viable option.
18 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
THE PEOPLE
The story goes that when gay men move
in, gentrification shortly follows. That
may be the case, but while gentrification
is new to Regent Park, gay isn’t.
Take Michael Creek. Since 2000, the
55-year-old Creek has lived in Regent
Park — first as a TCHC tenant and since
2010 as the owner of a brand new condo
unit.
Creek is the director of strategic
initiatives for Working for Change,
an organization that advocates for
employment opportunities for those
marginalized by poverty and mental
health issues. He experienced financial
hardship firsthand, from 1993 to 2008.
“I have a lived experience of living in
poverty as a gay man,” he says.
For Creek, that meant going back into
the closet and staying there for years
after his move to Regent Park. He says
he did so for safety reasons, because
back then it didn’t feel like an environment that was welcoming to LGBT folk.
“I felt marginalized,” he says. “I’d lost
my connection to the community ...
You don’t go to Church Street anymore
when you’re poor. You can’t afford to do
the socializing.”
Creek says the reality for queer people living in poverty is that they feel
isolated because they’ve lost their ties
to the larger LGBT community. The
redevelopment is, in his opinion, going to make queer people in Regent
Park feel less marginalized in their
neighbourhood.
To Creek, the mixed neighbourhood
model is “the only way to do housing that involves social housing.” He
believes the new market condos and
TCHC buildings look so alike that the
average person won’t be able to tell
who’s living where.
The revitalization has also brought an
extra level of comfort for Creek in terms
of safety. “Where I used to live, I used to
lock my door and barricade it,” he says.
“Now I often forget to lock my door.”
“There’s a real sense of security,” he
says, noting that people are staying
outside longer, making it less likely that
illegal activity will occur.
Despite the improvements, he wants
to see more affordable housing options
for low-income people. He also insists
that TCHC not push out those very
people.
“It’s important that people get the
choice of where they want to live,” says
Creek, who believes a plan should be in
place for those wanting to return to
Regent Park who have been relocated to
other east-end neighbourhoods.
The Regent Park choice is a nobrainer for Creek. “It’s a community
that has a lot of potential,” he says. “I see
myself living there until I’m very old.”
Creek says this despite admitting that
instances of homophobia do still occur
in the neighbourhood and that he would
like to see programs that champion
LGBT causes, like access to education,
In 2011, more than 54 percent of Regent Park
residents reported a non-official language as
their mother tongue. Maintaining this diversity
is a key part of the city’s plan for the area.
reported a non-official language as their
mother tongue, with the top five languages being Bengali, Tamil, Mandarin,
Vietnamese and Cantonese.
For his part, Abualsameed isn’t worried that the post-redevelopment Regent Park will be less inviting for LGBT
immigrants.
“It might be a different demographic
in terms of class and wealth, but that
doesn’t necessarily mean homophobia
and discrimination.”
Meri Perra, right, with her
partner, Catharine. The couple
lives near Regent Park with
their two young children.
Michael Creek moved into
Regent Park as a TCHC tenant
in 2000. He now owns his own
condo and sees the area as a
place with lots of potential.
included in the redevelopment plans.
But he’s instead got an eye on the
positives, like the increasing number of
queer folk moving into the neighbourhood now that they have the opportunity to purchase condo units.
You gain
this shiny new
place, but this
community
landmark that
is loved by so
many is gone.
Everything is
going, but
some things
were good
MERI PERRA, RESIDENT
As they move in, Creek, who is no
longer closeted, is enjoying the freedom
of being out.
“I feel quite queer in Regent Park
now.”
Suhail Abualsameed is the newcomer
community engagement coordinator for Sherbourne Health Centre, a
10-minute walk from Regent Park on
Sherbourne Street between Carlton
and Gerrard streets. He runs Express,
a Supporting Our Youth (SOY) program
that since 2002 has, according to its
website, supported “youth between 16
and 29 who are immigrants, newcomers
to Canada, refugees, refugee claimants
and non-status queer and trans youth.”
Many of the program’s participants
come from countries where LGBT
lifestyles aren’t safe or legally permitted. Abualsameed says living in these
homophobic and transphobic cultures
has had clear effects.
“Issues of depression and other mental health problems do come up a lot,”
he says.
Life in Toronto by comparison?
“They all say it’s better than being
back home,” he says. “There are challenges, but at the end of the day they
would say they’re better off here.”
The Express program does not collect information on demographics so
as to provide a trusting environment
for participants. Even so, Abualsameed
believes that Regent Park’s proximity
means some of its residents are taking part.
It would certainly make sense, considering the neighbourhood’s makeup,
which consists of a large immigrant
population. According to the 2011 census, 54 percent of Regent Park residents
Meri Perra, 36, lives with her partner
and two young children in the Oak
Street Housing Co-Operative, located
near River and Dundas streets. Perra,
who is a freelance writer, has lived in
the co-op for seven years. Although
it’s just outside the Regent Park neighbourhood, she says, “it’s not the same
community.”
“We don’t have a landlord,” she says.
“We’re more in control of our housing.”
In a matter of years, many in Regent
Park may be able to say the same. Regent Park tenants have first crack at
buying the new condo units when they
go up for sale. For low-income households, however, that may not be a likely
reality. Even so, there are some options.
Two down-payment assistance programs funded by the provincial and
federal governments as part of the new
Affordable Housing Program are in
place in Regent Park. Tenants may be
able to purchase condo units with the
help of the Foundation Program, which
provides a second mortgage of up to 35
percent of the purchase price for those
who are able to support a first mortgage
of at least 65 percent through employment income.
There’s also the down payment assistance program (known as Boost), mostly
accessed by those not already living in
Regent Park. This program provides up
to 10 percent of the unit purchase price
for those earning moderate incomes.
Perra supports this mixed neighbourhood model. She appreciates the
diversity that makes Regent Park stand
out from much of the rest of the city.
“It is nice for us as a queer couple to
be in an area that is racially and class
diverse,” she says. “It makes a lesbian
couple look less interesting.”
An air of acceptance or indifference
is generally what Perra and her partner
get from locals when walking hand-inhand. “We wouldn’t want to live in a
place where it wasn’t like that,” she says.
Still, she notes that nothing about
the redevelopment “looks queer.” Even
so, her family plans to stay put. “We’re
happy here,” she says.
Several local gems — the nearby
Riverdale Farm, libraries and drop-in
centres — keep her children entertained. But Perra is most excited about
one new addition.
XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 19
“The Regent Park Aquatic Centre is
beautiful,” she says. This indoor pool facility cost about $15 million and opened
in October 2012. Equipped with such
features as a waterslide, a diving board
and a Tarzan rope, it’s been a hit with
the community. The centre also has
unisex changing rooms with many cubicles, providing a much more welcoming environment for trans people while
also affording families the privacy to
change together.
The aquatic centre replaced Regent
Park’s aging outdoor pool. For Perra,
that’s about the only letdown. “You
gain this shiny new place, but this community landmark that is loved by so
many is gone.
“Everything is going, but some things
were good,” she says.
THE POLITICS
The thing about change is that sometimes you have to sacrifice the good to
get rid of the bad.
“Regent Park needed to change,” says
Bob Rae, a former member of Parliament for Toronto Centre from 2008
until 2013. “The status quo was not
sustainable, and there needed to be
change. It was just becoming too much
of a closed community.”
Unfortunately, the physical characteristics of the neighbourhood at
times led to crime waves that largely
defined it. Rae says the federal government could improve the situation if it
responded effectively to the issue of addiction; he claims police have told him
that tackling addiction would lead to an
overall decrease in crime in the neighbourhood. Despite this, he guarantees
“efforts are constantly being made.”
Last June, Rae announced he would
be stepping down as MP. While he will
soon no longer be the political voice
of the people of Regent Park, he says
he will continue to be active in the
neighbourhood.
“Representing the people of Regent
Park has been an honour.”
The creation of new high-rises means the
population of Regent Park will jump from 7,500
to as much as 17,000 in the next few years.
20 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
It’s hard for many in the neighbourhood to remember a time when Ward
28 Councillor Pam McConnell didn’t
represent Regent Park. She’s been a
councillor in the neighbourhood since
1994, making it through amalgamation
and redistricting, and says change is
what the community wanted.
“The Regent Park redevelopment was
the vision of Regent Park residents,”
she says.
Many residents attended consultation meetings so as to have their say
in what they wanted out of the revitalization. According to McConnell, big
names like Tim Hortons and FreshCo by
Sobeys are expressed desires of Regent
Park tenants. “It’s a symbiotic relation-
ship between residents and businesses,”
she says.
She believes that’s crucial because
the redevelopment is not just about
“changing the bricks and the mortar”
or “housing different types of people.”
It’s also about employment opportunities. Street-level commercial space will
be part of many of the new buildings,
with well-established businesses getting priority.
According to TCHC, the revitalization
has created approximately 650 jobs for
local people in construction, retail and
other areas. It’s an important development for the neighbourhood, as the
2011 census revealed that 58 percent
of residents reported they fell in the
working age group (25 to 64 years old).
For McConnell, it’s a clear sign that
the stigmatization of Regent Park tenants as work-shy is misplaced. “When
Regent Park people, both young people
and adults, are given opportunities
for employment, they will take them,”
she says.
McConnell hopes they’ll take all the
opportunities presented to them with
the revitalization. Those opportunities,
however, could stand to be more plentiful for the queer community. Nonetheless, McConnell says issues facing LGBT
people are a consideration as they fall
“under the umbrella of human rights.”
And besides, McConnell says that the
queer residents she knows in Regent
Park tell her they feel comfortable living
there. “I’m seeing the celebration,” she
says, referring to the rainbow flags she
saw displayed throughout the neighbourhood on Pride weekend. “I think
there is a huge acceptance.”
THE BUSINESS
“There does seem to be broad acceptance,” says Chris Klugman, owner of
the Paintbox Bistro, a for-profit social
enterprise restaurant, café, food-based
incubator and catering company located at the corner of Dundas and Sackville streets.
“We get a pretty significant gay clientele,” he says.
Most come from further east in the
city, but many are Regent Park residents
themselves. The guys, especially, have
adopted the spot as brunch-date central.
Many Paintbox employees are also
queer. “I can’t explain that,” Klugman
says. “We don’t hire based on sexual
orientation.”
Maybe it’s the welcoming environment: the place has a rainbow theme going on inside that screams gay-friendly.
The Paintbox is about more than
providing a hip dining experience. It’s
a certified B-Corp (short for benefit
corporation) — a designation for companies that use business to bring about
social and environmental change.
That change is happening at the local
level. “Our mission is the training and
career development of marginalized
individuals, with a specific focus on our
neighbourhood,” Klugman says.
Recently, a grant sponsored by Dixon
Hall Employment Services, administered by the City of Toronto Employment and Social Services and provided
by the Government of Ontario, saw
to the training and hiring of 13 new
“Paintboxers.”
Ontario Works sent out a mass email
informing those in the Regent Park
area about a job fair at George Brown
College, where Klugman is a sessional
professor. The chosen candidates were
able to attend the school for one semester of culinary training, with tuition
covered. Two weeks of training at the
Paintbox followed, after which they
became regular employees. “It’s not
a co-op program,” Klugman clarifies.
“Everyone is paid.”
The Paintbox opened in September
2012. Klugman says the business has
done “fine,” but, with no outside investors or equity partners, he admits it
relies heavily on community support.
Although it’s been only a year, Klugman
believes he’s got plenty to celebrate.
“In terms of our social mandate, we’re
already a phenomenal success.”
But there have definitely been
hurdles.
“It’s really been challenging to get
outside communities to see this as
a destination,” says Klugman, who
wants 15 new restaurants to open in
Regent Park so that people recognize
it as a go-to neighbourhood for dining.
The Paintbox isn’t the first restaurant
he’s opened, and he says it’s been his
experience that people prefer eating
out in areas where there are blocks of
restaurants, like in the Village.
“It’d be much easier if we were on
Church Street,” he says.
Reality being what it is, he issues
a challenge: “How do we get Church
Street to come here?”
How? By getting the redevelopment
right. But based on precedent, that
won’t be easy.
Major neighbourhood overhauls have
been attempted elsewhere, and yet success stories do not abound.
For example, there was the clearing
out of East London to make way for the
Olympic Village for the 2012 Summer
Olympics. With the games over, developers started converting the area to a
residential district. Despite promises
that the new homes would be affordable for former residents, the reality
is that the redevelopment displaced
thousands.
The moving in of big-name retailers hurt small businesses, to the point
that many closed up shop for good. The
Games did result in the creation of new
jobs, but most of those ended when the
Olympics did. The redevelopment created long-term jobs as well, but those
pale in comparison to the jobs that were
lost when the factories were torn down
to build stadiums.
Closer to home, there’s also cause for
concern. In recent months, revitalization plans for Vancouver’s Downtown
Eastside have drawn the ire of antigentrification protesters. They have
picketed restaurants and committed
acts of vandalism. Those protesting
claim the social-mix model is not a good
fit for the neighbourhood, often called
“Canada’s poorest postal code.”
However, several differences exist
between these examples and Regent
Park. The most glaring is that the Regent Park revitalization is not centred
around one major event — that is, the
Olympics — and is therefore more socially responsible in nature. In Toronto,
developers kept tenants informed about
the redevelopment process, thus avoiding public uproar. Furthermore, few
businesses existed in Regent Park before the redevelopment, and those that
did were not major job creators.
And while it’s true that the prices on
those market-rate condos make owning
one unlikely for most current residents
(many units are selling for more than
$325,000), TCHC does have a standing
commitment with tenants to provide
them with replacement units. But the
fact that a few hundred of those units
are located outside Regent Park is concerning. That’s displacement, and such
happenings could call the integrity of
the whole revitalization into question.
In Creek’s opinion, TCHC has justifiably avoided that scenario so far. “In
the case of the redevelopment, I think
they’ve done a pretty good job in engaging and communicating with people.”
A crucial part of the revitalization
strategy is successfully reaching out
to those who didn’t live in Regent Park
pre-redevelopment. Already there are
signs that this is the case.
“Regent Park has seen an increase in
visitors from all over the city, as well as
tourists from all over the world,” GreyWolf says.
They’re welcome to visit, but don’t
expect Regent Park to give up its identity. “My hope is that we do maintain
a distinctive character as time goes
on,” says Klugman, who’s happy to be
“a small part of a much larger picture.”
That appears to be the case for now.
“To me, the spirit is still there,” Perra
says, noting that spirit is one that’s
increasingly welcoming of LGBT folk.
Good, because they’re coming.
Abualsameed claims he knows many
queer people who moved to Regent
Park because of the redevelopment.
“The revitalization is completely
changing the face of the neighbourhood,” he says.
It’s been
challenging to
get outside
communities
to see this as a
destination.
How do we
get Church
Street to come
here? CHRIS KLUGMAN,
OWNER OF THE
PAINTBOX BISTRO
“The whole core of the city is becoming more and more a place of celebration and a gathering place for the queer
community,” Rae says. “I think we’re
going to continue to see that happening
in Regent Park.”
As changes come to Regent Park, so
too might the evolution of a mutually
beneficial relationship for the neighbourhood and the LGBT community.
“I think that it will be a community
that will be very welcoming to the queer
community,” McConnell says. “A community where the queer community will
feel very much at home, and, in fact, the
queer community will be great, great
contributors to the sense of Regent
Park as a place for everyone.”
Chris Klugman is the
owner of the Paintbox
Bistro in Regent Park.
The restaurant is a forprofit social enterprise
that opened in 2012.
The Paintbox mission includes
training and career development for
marginalized individuals, with a focus
on those living in Regent Park.
XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 21
NEIGHBOURHOOD
Find everything from Ethiopian
coffee to traditional French
soap in this emerging hotspot
Discovering
Corktown
9
22 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
5
7
8 14 4
2
3 13
QUEEN ST E
POWER ST
11 10
PARLIAMENT ST
As someone who used to confuse Corktown with Leslieville (those little signs
are no friend to the nearsighted), I was
pleasantly surprised to find that an area
I’ve always thought of as Lower Regent
Park has a special history all its own. I
lived in Cabbagetown back in the 1990s,
when Regent Park was one of those areas
a safety-conscious swishter like myself
would never consider visiting after dark.
It was gangland, and the risks of walking
through ranged from screamed insults
to serious physical trauma.
Of course now the area is well into its
rebirth. Condos and affordable housing
coexist happily within sleek new buildings, bright street lighting gives off its
reassuring glow, and a slew of shops,
both old and new, are enjoying a brisk
trade as young families and hipsters
flock to the area. Nearly gone are the
it provides flood protection for the area.
There’s also a thriving restaurant
scene in Corktown, with places like the
Paintbox Bistro 1 (555 Dundas St E,
not shown on map) and other eateries
opening up shop. Certainly the most
posh of these is Que Supper Club 2
(364 Queen St E), an upscale barbecue restaurant that serves an eclectic
fusion of tastes and cultures. Now,
kimchi tacos and redneck sushi may
sound like slightly incongruous food
combinations, but Que makes it work
with a harmonious blend of flavours
and artistic presentation. For the less
adventurous, standard fare like pulled
pork and wings round out an ambitious
but accessible menu.
Just up the street is neighbourhood
favourite Keeffaa Ethiopian café and
restaurant 3 (368 Queen St E). This
place is perennially busy, with both coffee connoisseurs and diners looking for
authentic, vegetarian-friendly Ethiopian
TREFANN ST
low-rise brick cubes that became a symbol of poverty and crime for decades.
Corktown runs roughly from Parliament Street to the Don River along a
rapidly evolving stretch of Queen Street
East. Back in the 1800s, this was home
to thousands of Irish immigrants, many
coming from County Cork, from which
the neighbourhood takes its name.
There’s still a nice sense of history, with
heritage homes and shops making up the
bulk of the buildings. But the reinvention of the area is bringing in new business and refreshed services to the area.
The showpiece is definitely Corktown
Common, a magnificent mixed-use
space that rests on the site of a former
pig-slaughtering facility. Designed with
both community enjoyment and environmental sensitivity in mind, the
Common features a super-cool splash
pad and playground, beautiful protected
wetlands and a rolling tree-studded
lawn that is pleasing to the eye even as
NEIGHBOURHOOD
SERAFIN LARIVIERE
1
12
6
cuisine. All the food is made onsite, while
the coffee is, according to my java-crazed
travelling companion, the best thing
since the advent of home-sized espresso
machines. There are lattes made with
almond milk, ginger tea with coconut
milk and a delicious hot chocolate that
is so spicy and sweet I want to bathe in it.
The menu offers plenty of vegan options,
along with raw foods, eggs and breads all
prepared in the Ethiopian style. Definitely worth a repeat visit.
There’s also more mainstream fare
at places like Magic Oven 4 (360
Queen St E) or Souvlaki Express 5
(348 Queen St E). I love the historic
Dominion on Queen 6 (500 Queen
St E), a warm, comfortable space with
great pub food and an even better live
jazz scene. Redline Coffee and Espresso
7 (354 Queen St E) is the destination for perfectly tart, freshly squeezed
lemonade. They also serve Kawartha
Dairy ice cream, which is perhaps the
only good thing ever to come out of
Peterborough (birthplace of Skid Row
singer Sebastian Bach — I rest my case).
Left, Shauntelle Leblanc is the owner of Ethel, where the motto is “Life is too
short for beige.” Below left, Keeffaa is known for its authentic, vegetarian-friendly
Ethiopian cuisine. Above, Adornments on Queen is part tea shop, part furnitureand-accessories store. ADAM COISH
Gentrification is definitely colouring
the tone of Corktown. There are several
of what I like to call “lifestyle stores” —
little shops that carry a modest selection
of furniture and lighting along with
interesting chachkas and greeting cards.
Even & Odd 8 (356 Queen St E) is a
cute place, featuring a blend of home décor, kitchenware, silk-screened bags and
such. I love their fair-trade totes from
the UK, emblazoned with robins, owls
and other birds. And while I may not
personally be a fan of scented candles,
their Savon de Marseille traditional
French soaps are absolutely divine. The
barn-board-style storage boxes are very
cool as well.
Just on the other side of Parliament is
Ethel 9 (327 Queen St E), a wonderful
hodgepodge of home accessories and
furnishings that conjure up images of
the 1960s while staying firmly in the
present. How can you not love a place
that uses an old swim flipper as a doorstop and stocks vintage frosted highball
glasses? The name may evoke images
of Lucy’s famous frumpy sidekick, but
the similarity ends there; Ethel carries
a modest but delightful selection, ranging from retro lighting and ceramics to
a fabulous couch that is part space-age
and part Father Knows Best in style.
Their slogan sums it up perfectly: “Life
is too short for beige.”
Gen-Cor Custom Furniture 10 (342
Queen St E) is another great find. Their
handmade wood offerings are both gorgeous and reassuringly solid — an important distinction for all of us cursing
the inevitable splitting of Ikea plywood,
just weeks after the expired warranty.
There’s some classic design here, as well
as a subdued modernity: a bathroom
vanity done in Shaker style, featuring
modern hardware and a sandblasted
glass countertop, is chic but timeless,
while the full-size dining table with
hand-etched swirly design can easily
seat 12 of your closest friends (or 10 that
you’re moderately ambivalent about).
There’s also Adornments on Queen
11 (338 Queen St E), which is part tea
shop, part furniture-and-accessories
store. It has a serious Parisian theme
going on, with wrought-metal birdcages,
European-style place settings and a selection of loose-leaf teas from Steeped
and Infused that is truly astounding.
Blends like ginger lime fruit, grapefruit
ice tea and tulsi orange ginger tell you
this is definitely not Tetley land. Very
chi-chi; surprisingly affordable.
It’s nice to see an art space in the
Corktown mix, and Urban Gallery 12
(400 Queen St E) has a community feel
that fits in well with the neighbourhood. The gallery falls under the Urban
Source Catering umbrella (located next
door) and offers venue rentals as well as
wall space for city artists. Painter Allen
Shugar’s work was recently featured
in its Pride showing, and the team is
always open to submissions.
Antique Asylum and Ye Olde Tackle
Shop 13 (370 Queen St E) is one of the
businesses that have been around for
years. It’s a classic jumble shop, with
a fun blend of old and new lining its
shelves. Definitely good for an hour of
browsing and the occasional one-of-akind discovery.
But the best vintage lighting has to
be from Douglas Poole Antiques 14
(358 Queen St E). Any era in which
humans were capable of jamming a
light bulb into a socket is represented
here in glorious, chaotic fashion. This
cavernous place is packed to the rafters
with chandeliers, Tiffany-style shades,
and those old cast-iron-based lamps
that were so heavy you needed to do
a round of squats before rearranging
your room. One heft of these little
miracles of design reminds me of the
days when things were built to both
please the eye and last generations.
Owner Douglas Poole is, sadly, retiring early next year, but the good news
is that he’s knocked everything in the
store down to serious clear-out prices.
He’s been here for 12 years and has
watched the neighbourhood transform
with great interest.
“Oh, it’s so different now,” he says.
“There are so many changes, with the
new developments and all the new
stores opening up. But it’s always been
a great area. I will miss it.”
XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 23
24 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
OutintheCity
HOLY HELL
HOUSE!
Allyson Mitchell has a knack for dreaming up nightmares. Imagine these scenarios: “paranormal consciousness
raisers,” a “cyclops-sized bearded clam”
or a “riot ghoul and gender studies
professor dance party” (to which you
are not necessarily invited).
These are just a few of the horrors
awaiting at the otherworldly Kill Joy’s
Kastle, the ultimate lesbian-feminist
haunted-house experience, brought to
life by Mitchell, one of Toronto’s most
infamous queer artists.
“There’s a long tradition of artists
who have worked with horror tropes,
because it’s a way to play with our greatest fears, individually and collectively,”
explains Mitchell, whose practice expands to visual, textile, video, performance and installation art. “So I
wanted to use that to think about the
complicated politics of queerness and
feminism.”
Loosely based on the American evangelical Christian tradition of Halloween hell houses — meant to scare the
visitor out of a life of sin — Mitchell’s
haunted house is not intended to proselytize to its guests so much as make
them think.
During one president’s time they suddenly decided to allow frontal
nudity. Then the Church got angry and they limited it to being able
to show only one breast rather than two. Kanakan Balintagos E26
ProArte
dancing
“Clearly, I don’t want to indoctrinate
people; I want the opposite of that,”
Mitchell says. “Which is to ask people
to join into the discourse around the
meaning of the experience and actually
have an opinion.”
To that end, the seemingly endless
turns and terrors of the haunted house
eventually spit you out into the “chilly
climate room,” where guests are asked
to engage with self-identified “feminist
killjoys” in order to process their experience and, ultimately, agree to hold
each other accountable for it.
Despite this somewhat sober end-
ing to the Kastle, there are plenty of
screams and a few good laughs to be
had throughout the massive installation. Small groups of visitors are led
through the space by a ghoulish women’s studies professor and encounter a
riotous selection of campy, creepy and
often raunchy creatures and crevices
from the depths of freaky feminism.
—Jonathan Valelly
Kill Joy’s Kastle: A Lesbian Feminist
Haunted House runs Wed, Oct 16–Wed,
Oct 30 (4–8pm or by appointment via
[email protected]), 303 Lansdowne Ave.
The annual showcase of
ProArteDanza, founded in 2004
by former National Ballet dancer
Roberto Campanella, is always
a must-see. Whether you’re
there to admire the flawless
technique or just want to see
some seriously hot bodies, the
company’s signature blend
of ballet and modern styles
makes for some of Toronto’s
most explosive, technically
complex dance works. Xtra’s
Chris Dupuis chatted with one of
the company hotties to find out
what makes him tick.
Name: Benjamin Landsberg.
Favourite party place:
Wrongbar, on the right night.
Most attractive quality
in a man: Intelligence and
substance.
Least attractive quality:
Sluttiness.
Most common response
when you tell a prospective
partner you’re a dancer:
“But what’s your real job?”
Most shocking response:
“Like, at Flash?”
Bump & grind
There’s nothing like a good sex party,
depending on what floats your boat.
Specific sex-positive spaces have been
around for a long time in Toronto —
parties just for men, for fetish communities, trans folks and admirers, for
swingers, for nudists, and on and on.
But according to Toronto organizer Akio Maroon, play parties and
bathhouses continue to be uncomfortable landscapes for many people
whose bodies don’t fit into rigid societal norms of beauty. That’s why
she created Grind, a sexy event series
especially for queer and trans people
who identify as black, mixed-race,
indigenous or of colour.
“There isn’t really a venue for POC
[people of colour] folks to enjoy our sexualities in an open space, where there’s
no sense of criticism or the burden of
certain stereotypes,” explains Maroon,
who began the party in January and is
hosting the fourth — the blacklightthemed Blackout edition — in October.
Beyond its safe-space mandate, a
crucial part of Grind’s mission is to promote safer sex and informed consent.
The party space is thus divided into a
dancefloor area and a VIP play area,
giving people a choice of how to engage.
Guests can also take part in a workshop
on consent and how to make condom
and dam use sexy, which includes live
demonstrations.
“The idea is to make safer sex fun, interesting, sexy and easy to do,” Maroon
says.—Jonathan Valelly
Grind: Blackout is Fri, Oct 18, 8pm, at the
United Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil St.
grindtoronto.com
Best body part: Ass.
Favourite dance move:
The perfect hair toss.
Favourite place to dance,
besides onstage: In my room.
Best advice you’ve ever been
given: Trust in the universe.
Wildest place you’ve had sex:
An oceanic cave.
Biggest turn-on: Dominance.
If you could buy anyone lunch,
who would it be and why: Miley
Cyrus, so I could give her a stern
talking-to and poison the meal.
What is the strangest thing
you have in your room: At the
moment, a cat that’s not mine.
Grind is a
sex party for
queer people
of colour.
Visit dailyxtra.com
for more ProArteDanza
dancer profiles.
The ProArteDanza showcase is
Wed, Oct 2–Sat, Oct 5 at Fleck
Dance Theatre, 207 Queens
Quay W. harbourfrontcentre.com/
nextsteps
XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 25
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27
MASSEY HALL
TICKETS ALSO AT THE MASSEY HALL & ROY THOMSON
HALL BOX OFFICES, MASSEYHALL.COM.
All dates, acts and ticket prices subject to change
without notice. Ticket prices subject to applicable fees.
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26 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
Flip the
script
Queer filmmaker Kanakan
Balintagos’s latest work comes
to life at the imagiNative festival
written on a long-dead computer and
his only copy was on paper somewhere
in a pile of boxes in his closet.
It took Kanakan Balintagos 13 years to
“I told myself if the script actually
get Baybayin (The Script, in English) shows up, it’s time to make it,” he
made. Written in 1999, it was supposed laughs. “In a way it’s good the universe
to be the Manila filmmaker’s first fea- made me wait, because I’m more techture. It had been given the green light nically and artistically mature now. It
by a production company, but when it would have been a very different piece
came to sorting out the final details, if I’d made it back then.”
Balintagos found himself butting heads
Beyond his level of experience, there
with executives. He insisted it be shot is another major difference in how
in his ancestral homeland of Palawan, the film is realized. The erotic scenes
the largely rural and mostly inacces- have been scaled back dramatically,
sible part of the Philippines where the something that points to his counstory takes place.
try’s fluctuating relationship with
“The landscape is totally different conservatism.
from the rest of the country, and it re“In the Philippines, it depends
ally had to be made there,” he says. “But on who the president is,” he says.
it’s expensive to reach, and the produc- “The Catholic Church is still a major
ers wanted something cheaper and presence, and policy fluctuates demore practical. The deal
pending on how much
eventually fell apart.”
a particular government
BAYBAYIN
Balintagos put the
listens to them. During
imagineNative Film &
Media Arts Festival
script aside and went
one president’s time,
Thurs, Oct 17, 8pm
on with other projects.
they suddenly decided
TIFF Bell Lightbox
Then in early 2012, a
to allow frontal nudity.
350 King St W
imaginenative.org
message landed in his
Then the church got aninbox: a new Philippine
gry and so they limited it
film fund had been created and the to being able to show only one breast
deadline for submissions was the fol- rather than two, so you had all of these
lowing day. He didn’t have another films made during a particular period
project ready but didn’t want to pass with one-breast scenes. Filmmakers
up the opportunity. Baybayin had been never know what’s coming next, so we
FILM
CHRIS DUPUIS
have to constantly adapt.”
In an odd paradox, the country is
one of the region’s more liberal when
it comes to gay rights. There are parties and cruising grounds, particularly
in the big cities, and marriage equality has been proposed in parliament
several times, though it’s never come
to fruition. One of prime-time’s bestrated TV shows, My Husband’s Lover,
is the story of a couple dealing with
the husband’s bisexuality. Queer films,
including Balintagos’s own works The
Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (about
a young man in love with a police officer) and Tuli (about a lesbian couple
hoping to have a baby) have been big
box-office hits.
“My films on queer issues make a
lot more money than my films on indigenous issues,” he says with a laugh.
“I think of my queer films as feeding
my wallet and my indigenous films as
feeding my soul.”
Based on a tribal folktale, Baybayin
falls into the latter camp and follows
two half sisters (played by Assunta de
Rossi and Alessandra de Rossi) who are
reunited after a prolonged separation.
They’ve fallen for the same person
(Adrian Sebastian), a deaf-mute man
who communicates using only the
ancient script the film is named for.
Originally called Duay (meaning “two
I think of my
queer films as
feeding my
wallet and
my indigenous
films as
feeding my
soul.
FILMMAKER
KANAKAN BALINTAGOS
wives”), the name was changed when
Balintagos submitted it for the competition, a move he partially credits with
its getting made.
“In Palawan tradition, if a child gets
sick you change their name, and then
magically they get well,” he says. “With
the film, I changed the title and suddenly it got made. It was like somehow
I healed the script and it was able to
live in the world.”
Shot over two weeks, the lush,
sprawling work makes extensive use
of the Palawan region’s natural beauty,
particularly through a number of unMORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM
derwater scenes — a happy accident
that came about when Balintagos’s
team stumbled on a French underwater cinematographer vacationing
in the area with his gear in tow. Some
moments have a National Geographic
feel, but there’s a stronger political
message at play.
“There are a lot of politicians and
mining companies that want to start
developing the region for natural resources,” Balintagos says. “They are
dying to destroy this place, and I want
to capture the beauty so people can see
what we need to protect.”
Kanakan Balintagos’s
film Baybayin showcases
the natural beauty of his
ancestral homeland of
Palawan, a remote and rural
part of the Philippines.
XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 27
by Louis XIV. In it, the king had his
court prance around for hours, depicting
night as a plague upon their society, with
rescue arriving at dawn in the person of
Louis, who cast himself as the beatific
Sun King. Subtle it was not.
Fernandes has taken this concept
and adapted it for a modern age. His
dancers toil throughout the night, cutting up gold confetti in anticipation of
a new day. As the sun rises, the confetti
is thrown in celebration and tribute to
their nocturnal labour.
Two Night Shift dancers anticipate
“I’m thinking about the ideas of how
a new day. OMER YUKSEKER
we are looking for social solidarity, for
civil rights,” Fernandes says. “Louis XIV
promised his people a new beginning,
with new leadership that would be
prosperous for them, but in the end he
was a selfish king.”
Thankfully, the choreographer is
more merciful with his troupe than
old Louis was with his long-suffering
courtiers. The dancers will perform in
shifts, giving opportunities for rest that
17th-century subjects could never have
imagined. Still, the level of endurance
for each performer is intense.
“In ballet, you never want to show the
body in a moment of fatigue,” Fernandes
says. “You have to be in this idea of fortitude all the time, and even though they’re
taking shifts, it’s still a lot of time to be
activated.”
As the pile of gold confetti grows,
the performance escalates toward the
moment at sunrise when it’s all tossed
spectacles created by local and visiting into the air, a brief, glittering exploartists. Among this year’s offerings is sion gleaned from hours of effort. “The
a 12-hour dance perforconfetti is a symbol of
mance choreographed
economy being counterNIGHT SHIFT
by Brendan Fernandes
feit,” Fernandes says. “I’m
Sat, Oct 5
in collaboration with Mithinking here of how we
6:51pm until sunrise
Bay Adelaide Centre
chael Trent and Dancepay artists and dancers,
scotiabanknuitblanche.ca
makers. Night Shift is a
how we support them.
“durational performance”
After 12 hours of taskinspired by Ballet de la Nuit, an all-night based creating, it all culminates to one
court ballet originally commissioned small moment. Then it’s all over.”
Nocturnal labour
All-night art fest
Nuit Blanche to
feature a glitterfilled dance
party
DANCE
SERAFIN LARIVIERE
Toronto is known for many
wonderful things, but being
a great party city is not generally one of them. Sure, we have
a vibrant theatre scene and some
excellent restaurants, but there are
few nights of the year when our town
really lets down its hair and boogies.
Nuit Blanche is one of the best and
brightest of these rare occasions.
The concept originated in France
back in the mid-1980s when an artistic
director named Jean Blaise dreamed up
the idea of an all-night festival of culture
and art. Other European cities seized
upon the theme, opening museums and
galleries for a nocturnal celebration
that saw millions of citizens exploring
their urban centres throughout the wee,
small hours. Montreal threw its hat into
the ring in 2003, with Toronto following
suit in 2006. It was an instant success.
I was there for Nuit Blanche’s inaugural year in Toronto, and it was a magical
experience. Parks were lit with light
sculptures and dotted with live performance art, dance and music. Roving
troubadours entertained young and old
with songs, juggling and happy antics.
Despite some occasional light rain,
thousands of us flooded the streets to
revel in the crisp autumn air, indulging
in a night of play with our beautiful city.
There’s a lighthearted innocence
about the revelry of Nuit Blanche, an insouciance that avoids the boozy, druggy
decadence of Pride. It’s a night for fun
and wonder, where we are more awed
spectator than ecstatic participant;
we wander through our magical urban
garden, oohing and aahing at the sights
and sounds.
One of the most exciting aspects of
Nuit Blanche is the mega-endurance
Fit For A Queen
28 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
The boys in the band
TORONTO’S LOCAL
Michael Sweeney is
one of this season’s
queer highlights
at the TSO
ONSTAGE
MATTHEW HAYS
As Michael Sweeney, principal bassoon
for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra,
tells it, his choice to play the bassoon
was a direct result of his unconventional outlook as a teenager. “When I was in grade school, there
weren’t a lot of resources,” Sweeney
says. “I was actually just looking at the
photos of instruments on paper. That’s
how we had to decide. The oboe, quite
frankly, didn’t look that different than
the clarinet. But the bassoon looked so
different, exotic even.”
Thus Sweeney made his decision
about his pursuit of instrument largely
on looks. “That was it for me! I had no
idea what it sounded like.”
He was also struck by the German
word for bassoon: fagott.
Given that strange bit of linguistic
trivia, Sweeney doesn’t necessarily see
a lot of truth to the age-old stereotype
of gay men’s attachment to classical music. “You know, I tend to avoid
generalizations,” Sweeney, who’s been
with the TSO since 1989, says. “There
are two regular concert attendees who
come to the symphony. They are two
men who attend in drag, though I believe one may be trans. They’re here a
lot. But when I look at our audiences,
they are extremely diverse. We have
everyone at the symphony. A lot of gay
people are very enthused about classical music, but so are a lot of straight
people.”
American style
Philadelphia
cheese steak
sandwiches
All sandwiches
made with
AA Ribeye
Michael Sweeney, principal bassoon for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
GINNY SCOTT
As for the idea that being a professional musician has some kind of
cachet within the gay community,
Sweeney says with a laugh, “I meet
gay people who are completely unimpressed that I’m with the symphony.”
When pressed, Sweeney argues that,
if not specifically queer, there is something alternative about symphonies
and the appreciation of music. “Orchestras provide an alternate way of
knowing, understanding, appreciating
and enjoying the world of ideas, emo-
Must-see TSO concerts this fall
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
WITH ORCHESTRA
Fri, Oct 11
CIRQUE DE LA
SYMPHONIE
Tues, Oct 15 & Wed, Oct 16
La Wainwright will perform
an eclectic mix of ditties,
everything from his first
opera, Prima Donna, to his
orchestral setting of five
Shakespeare sonnets. He’ll
also be belting out some of
his delicious faves, including “Over the Rainbow,”
“Vibrate,” “Oh What a
World” and “If I Loved You.”
Conductor Steven Reineke
is famous for his fusion
of contemporary pop
with classical virtuosity.
He is known for wearing
all-white suits while conducting evenings filled with
ABBA music, and he has
been as outspoken about
his experiences coming out
as he has about the music
tions and sensations ... it’s another
language. Neurologists say that the
area of the brain that processes music
doesn’t do anything else. Think about
it: you don’t meet people who don’t
like music of any kind. That area of
the brain wants to be delighted. The
melody of classical music from the
18th century stimulates our intellect
and our emotions at the same time.
So much art is about rousing either
our intellect or our emotions. Music
is about stimulating both.”
he’s committed to. This
year he leads the orchestra
in selections from popular classics, ranging from
Bizet to Wagner, to which
acrobats, contortionists,
dancers, jugglers, balancers and strongmen will
perform.
BENJAMIN BRITTEN,
SUNG BY
NICHOLAS PHAN
Thurs, Oct 31–Sat, Nov 2
This year is the 100th anniversary of the birth of
Benjamin Britten, one of
I WENT TO
PHILLY
WE HAVE
462 YONGE STREET, NORTH OF COLLEGE
Open ‘til 3am Fri & Sat
416.927.9090
the 20th century’s most
celebrated composers
and a reputed chaser of
young, attractive men.
The TSO will fete Britten
with a number of concert
performances of his work,
in this case by the terribly
handsome tenor Nicholas
Phan, notorious for his love
of Britten. The program
also includes Carl Orff’s
Carmina Burana.
Roy Thompson Hall
60 Simcoe St
tso.ca
XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 29
Light&
heavy
This versatile ffall
all
favourite adapts
to any forecast
STYLE LIFE
DIEGO ARMAND
AND
Here’s a style
buzzword: grungerjack.
ngerjack.
The flannel shirt is the go-to
to buttondown for the season. Wear them
hem thick, thin,
in solids or plaids. As the weather
ather gets
crispy, they become ideal layering
ering
pieces: buttoned up tight under
der
your fall jacket, around your neck
as a scarf or tied around yourr waist
1990s grunge-style, for the warmer
moments of your day.
PHOTOS: MAY TRUONG
MODEL: JURGEN
Red/indigo brushed tartan
shirt, $198, United Stock
Dry Goods. Available at
Sydney’s, 682 Queen St W
or shopsydneys.com.
30 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
Lumberjack button-down,
$235, Gitman Bros Vintage.
Available at Nomad, 819 Queen
St W or nomadshop.net.
Check flannel (worn as scarf) and
solid (worn under jacket), both $79.50,
Club Monaco, clubmonaco.com.
Blackwatch button-down,
$235, Gitman Bros Vintage.
Available at Nomad.
Utility flannel, $169,
Klaxon Howl, 706 Queen St W.
Flannel, $138,
Polo Ralph
Lauren. Available
at Hudson’s
Bay Company,
176 Yonge St.
XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 31
DEEP DISH
1
ROLYN
CHAMBERS
David Bowie Is
opening party
Blood, Sweat
& Queers
FRI, SEPT 27 @ THE AGO
SAT, SEPT 28 @
THE STEADY CAFÉ
If David Bowie can pass himself
off as a gay/bi/crossdressing musician for the early part of his career,
I should be able to pretend to be
straight for the David Bowie Is
opening-night party at the AGO.
At least for the early part. With
more than 300 pieces, the exhibit is
massive. The crowd upstairs, eager
and hyper to bear witness to
Bowie’s creative genius, is too
much for my artistic sensibilities.
I decide to come back the next day
to see it when it’s calmer and quieter. Tonight is about dancing to
some classic Bowie, courtesy of DJ
and artist Luis Jacob, mingling with
an artistic crowd, including DJ Kris
Steeves, and pretending to be a
real rock star. From the “If I stand
here long enough and pose like I
don’t care, everyone can see how
fabulous I am” stairs, I spot artist
Andrew Zealey chatting with Steve
Shon, of The Rivoli. Zealey donated
some of his own Bowie memorabilia to the exhibit’s Toronto stop.
“When Ziggy Stardust came out,
I was a pale 16-year-old redhead
living in Scarborough,” Zealey tells
me over cocktails. “It changed my
life. I wanted to go there, where
Bowie was taking us. I started collecting in the early 1980s, when I
worked at the Record Peddler and
Art Metropole.” Zealey’s collection
contains things like the official
David Bowie zine, Bowie stamps
and even bubble gum records. Put a
little Bowie in my mouth? Yum.
1E Phil 2E David, Luis & Rolyn
3E Arjun & Drew 4E Amit & Alex
If I travel all over the city every
weekend to attend various parties, I should be able to attend a
new night at a new bar in my own
neck of the woods. At least for my
first stop. While some gay nights
outside the Village struggle to
survive, The Steady (which looks
deceivingly small from outside) is
thriving. Tonight’s monthly edition of Blood, Sweat & Queers is
balls-to-the-walls rammed with a
too-kewl-for-cool crowd, including
promoter/performer Matty Cameron, filmmaker Mark Pariselli,
makeup artist Robert Weir and the
cruelly outrageous Margot Keith.
It’s so busy and so hot that my camera lens is fogging over and my pits
are beginning to drip like a Melitta
coffeemaker. All the more reason to
shed unwanted articles of clothing.
On decks, DJ (and Xtra arts editor) Phil V is spinning some classic
Gaga as cute boys in nose rings
and Value Village T-shirts jam the
backroom dancefloor. Sticky good.
All manner of booty-bouncing hell
breaks loose as Devine Darlin takes
over the floor, with dancers Brian
and Curtis busting out of itty-bitty
shorts that threaten to expose
more meat and potatoes than my
plate can handle. “I’ve never been
out here before,” Devine says after,
breathlessly. “Where am I again?”
The Steady. Ossington and Bloor.
It’s getting good and gay. Yum.
3
2
4
5
6
8
5E Marc, Miss Margot, Ben & Tracy
6E Brian & Curtis 7E Kinnon & Gina
8E Devine Darlin, under Matty
Cameron
7
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1
2
XPOSED
ANNA
POURNIKOVA
PHOTOS BY
BECCA LEMIRE
3E Kirk Pickersgill, from Greta
4
3
1E It was recently TIFF, which,
5
4
6
7
let’s be honest, is getting a little
Pride early-2000s with the
brand grabs and the ridiculous
parties. We turned down 95
percent of what came through
the door because of exactly
that, but the Vitaminwater
party with Fader magazine,
hidden away in the CBC building, was kinda dope. Here are
Alejandro and Jesse posing
with Popchips (the chips you
get for free at parties but no
one has ever bought — ever).
2E Ooh, have I got a thing for
Ingrid on the far right. Look at
those cheekbones and the eyes
on that one. Needs to be in a
magazine, stat. With Ingrid
are friends Julia (middle) and
Elyse (left), also at the Vitaminwater/Fader party. Boi-1da
DJed alongside Potty Mouth,
and Dragonette performed.
Chromeo was held up in NYC
by flight delays (quelle surprise) but made it to the afterjam at Wrongbar later.
Constantine, got his groove on
at the Vitaminwater jam. In
the words of Becca Lemire (my
cohort behind the camera),
“Every sexy person and their
sexy mother was at this party.
So hip it hurted.” You heard it
here first, people.
4E Restless PR did a three-part
party at the end of TIFF, like
a sort of sanctuary, and the
morning yoga sessions were
filled with some sexy early
risers. Craig (the partier formerly known as CPB) was in
full effect for kombucha and
yoga at Loft 404.
5E Max was taking photos for
Restless; Kate was attending
the event. Max is cute and all,
that’s obvious, but come on:
Kate’s outfit is killing it! Sweatshirt with high-waisted jean
skirt and full cast to the elbow
— and red lipstick.
6E On the right is my little
brother, Evan. He’s wearing his
new fave outfit, entitled “Just
out the Don.” It’s a grey-ongrey tee and 1980s sweatpant
ensemble that he wears in
public without shame. On the
left is Jamilah, one of the best
yoga teachers in the city, who
was teaching at the Restless
sanctuary for Full Power Yoga
that morning.
7E For part of the second
act of the day, Restless and
Discosalt had a showcase that
included a lot of acts, like Bella
Akira, starring these two fine
gentlemen: Zion and Joseph.
It’s all about the shoulders on
Joseph’s jacket and the kneepads on Zion. Like, whoa —
babe city here.
XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 33
SEASON PRESENTING SPONSOR
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
RUFUS
WAINWRIGHT
With Orchestra
FRI, OCTOBER 11 AT 8:00pm
Rufus Wainwright, composer and singer-songwriter
Jayce Ogren, conductor
Melody Moore, soprano
Hear a diverse range of Rufus Wainwright’s music including
Five Shakespeare Sonnets, selections from his opera Prima
Donna, signature Judy Garland songs, tunes from the Great
American Songbook, plus other pop classics performed with
the Orchestra.
VIP TICKETS
AVAILABLE
TO MEET RUFUS
AFTER THE
CONCERT!
TICKETS START AT $29.75
ROY THOMSON HALL
PRESENTING PERFORMANCE SPONSOR
416.593.4828
TSO.CA
OFFICIAL AIRLINE
MEDIA PARTNER
34 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
WHAT'S ON
FOR MORE EVENT LISTINGS, GO TO DAILYXTRA.COM
COMEDY & CABARET
Slanty Eyed Mama
Kate Rigg and Lyris Hung, two
badass Asian girls, present an
evening of stereotype-challenging
rock ’n’ roll and spoken-word rants.
Sat, Oct 5, 9pm. The Flying Beaver,
488 Parliament St. $15 advance,
$20 door. pubaret.com
Colour Coded: Queer
Abstraction Meets
Fruity Frosting
Singular Sensation:
A Musical-Theatre
Open Mic
Art enthusiasts of all skill levels drop
in to create and schmooze in an
informal environment. Sat, Oct 5,
2–4pm. The 519 Community Centre,
519 Church St. Free. gmaptoronto.org
Jamie Q and Ian Phillips’s series of
paintings addresses the question
“What makes an object queer?”
Runs until Sun, Nov 3. Canadian
Lesbian and Gay Archives,
34 Isabella St. Free. clga.ca
Jennifer Walls invites amateur
crooners to perform their favourite
songs accompanied by a live band.
Every Monday, 9:30pm–12:30am.
Statlers, 487 Church St. No cover.
statlers.ca
Nuit Blanche
David Bowie Is
For the eighth year, the city
transforms into an open-air art
gallery featuring more than 100
installations. Of particular interest
is Ai Weiwei’s Forever Bicycles.
Runs Sat, Oct 5, 6:51pm–Sun, Oct
6, sunrise. Various locations. Free.
scotiabanknuitblanche.ca
QueerCab
This exhibit features hundreds of
objects and costumes from Bowie’s
personal archive and a multimedia
presentation on his contributions
to arts and culture. Runs until
Wed, Nov 27. Art Gallery of Ontario,
317 Dundas St W. $21.50 and up.
ago.net
An open-mic night where youth
flaunt their special talents —
anything from spoken word to
drag — in front of a supportive
audience. Wed, Oct 9; sign-up
7:30pm, show 8pm. Buddies in
Bad Times, 12 Alexander St. PWYC.
buddiesinbadtimes.com
ART & LITERATURE
Gay Men’s Art Project
Queer as Fuck:
New Talent Night
Two Weird Ladies
— Measure, Tues,
Oct 15 KEVIN THOM
The creator of Laughs at Slack’s
presents a twice-monthly comedy
night in the west end. Features
comedians Annie Bradley, Mary Bee
and Sarah Simpson. Wed, Oct 9,
9:30pm. The Steady Café, 1051 Bloor
St W. PWYC. thesteadycafe.com
The Everything
Show with Two
Weird Ladies
An evening for people who hate
making choices: tapas is on the
menu and the entertainment ranges
from the short play The Object
of Her Attraction to the improv
of Plan B. Tues, Oct 15, 8:30pm.
Measure, 296 Brunswick Ave. $8.
twoweirdladies.com
HEALTH & SUPPORT
The 519 Legal Clinic
A free, accessible service for lowincome people. Volunteer lawyers
provide legal advice, referrals and
help with forms and letters. The
confidential and private visits
are first-come, first-served. Bring
any necessary documents. Every
Thursday; registration 6–6:30pm.
The 519 Community Centre, 519
Church St. Free. the519.org
Bisexual Women
of Toronto
A peer-support and discussion
group focused on community and
solidarity. Thurs, Oct 3, 8–10pm. The
519 Community Centre, 519 Church
St. Free. torontobinet.org
FTM Support Group
Trans men share their experiences
in a supportive environment. Takes
place the first and third Friday of
each month. For more info, contact
[email protected]. Fri, Oct 4,
7:30pm. The 519 Community Centre,
519 Church St. Free. the519.org
LEGIT
Legal counsel for same-sex couples
immigrating to Canada. Tap into
the community and access useful
resources. Takes place the second
Thursday of each month. Thurs, Oct
10, 7–10pm. The 519 Community
Centre, 519 Church St. Free,
donations appreciated. legit.ca
Positive Routes
to Recovery
A peer-led support group for gay
men working through substanceabuse issues. Takes place the first
and third Tuesday of each month.
Tues, Oct 15, 6–8pm. The 519
Community Centre, 519 Church St.
Free. pr2r.org
Peer Support
Drop-In Group
Queer people with mood disorders
drop in for support and discussion. If
the building door is locked, press the
button under the intercom near the
wheelchair entrance. Wed, Oct 16,
7–9pm. Mood Disorders Association
of Ontario, 36 Eglinton Ave W, Ste
602. Free. mooddisorders.ca
LEISURE & PLEASURE
TO Gaymers
Monthly Social
A symposium of nerdy delights,
where flagons of fine booze are
drunk and revellers replenish
themselves with card games
and videogames like Naruto and
Smash Bros. Sat, Oct 5, 1–10pm.
O’Grady’s, 518 Church St. Free.
torontogaymers.ca
Queer Slowdance:
’80s Edition
Booty shakers set up dances with
one another using dance cards,
while designated dancers coax
out the wallflowers. Sat, Oct 5,
9:30pm–2:30am. Dovercourt
House, 805 Dovercourt Rd. $10
admission includes dance-card
booklet.
Midori — Come as You Are,
Sun, Oct 6–Wed, Oct 9
greet for those with VIP tickets. Fri,
Oct 11, 8–10pm. Roy Thompson Hall,
60 Simcoe St. $29.75–130.50. tso.ca
with a dozen hot young guys. Runs
until Sat, Oct 12, 8pm. Videofag, 187
Augusta Ave. $10. videofag.com
Kill Joy’s Kastle:
A Lesbian Feminist
Haunted House
Dinner at Seven-Thirty
Allyson Mitchell presents her
response to the haunted hell
houses that showcase retribution
against so-called sins, such as
homosexuality. To book visits
or arrange class tours, contact
[email protected]. Runs Wed, Oct
16–Wed, Oct 30. 303 Lansdowne
Ave. Free.
Midori at Come as You Are
Author, artist and BDSM expert
Midori hosts a series of workshops,
ranging from How to Eat a Peach
to The Art of Feminine Dominance.
For more info and to register, call
416-504-7934. Sun, Oct 6–Wed,
Oct 9. Come as You Are, 493 Queen
St W. $35, sliding scale available.
comeasyouare.com
Kama Sutra
Pleasure Camp
Randy fellas enjoy an extended
weekend full of erotic discovery,
new understanding and the
shedding of inhibitions. For more
info and to register, contact phillip@
phillipcoupal.ca. Runs Thurs, Oct
10–Mon, Oct 14. Awaken Studio,
270 Carlaw Ave, Unit 102. $395.
phillipcoupal.ca
Rufus Wainwright
with the TSO
A varied performance — with
everything from “Over the Rainbow”
to Wainwright’s orchestral setting
of five Shakespeare sonnets — is
followed by a backstage meet-and-
THEATRE
Pig
Two gay couples hunt for deeper
intimacy — via emotional
domination, submission and
violence — and end up blurring the
boundaries between hatred, love
and shame. Runs until Sun, Oct 6,
various showtimes. Buddies in Bad
Times, 12 Alexander St. PWYC–$37.
Avenue Q
The musical coming-of-age story
starring Rod the closeted puppet
features such memorable hits
as “If You Were Gay” and “The
Internet Is for Porn.” Runs until Sun,
Oct 6, various showtimes. Lower
Ossington Theatre, 100A Ossington
Ave. $49–60. avenueq.ca
Fixed
Zack Russell’s new play is about
Gayle, the inventor of a futuristic
hook-up app for men, who
encounters a glitch during a demo
In Allyson McMackon’s piece,
inspired by Virginia Woolf’s The
Waves, seven childhood friends
confront the past around a dinner
table. Runs Sat, Oct 12–Sun, Oct 20,
various showtimes. Buddies in Bad
Times, 12 Alexander St. PWYC–$31.
Killing Game
With the disappearance of the Black
Monk and the arrival of plague, a
village fragments into angry mobs,
and only one thing seems certain:
death. Runs Mon, Oct 14–Fri, Oct
18, various showtimes. Annex
Theatre, 730 Bathurst St. $18–22.
annextheatre.org
The Best Brothers
Daniel MacIvor’s comedy tells the
story of two brothers — one straitlaced, the other gay and dating a
sex-worker — whose relationship
is tested by their mother’s Pride
parade–related death. Runs until
Sun, Oct 27, various showtimes.
Tarragon Theatre, 30 Bridgman Ave.
PWYC–$53. tarragontheatre.com
Les Misérables
Cameron Mackintosh’s new
production of the musical about
ex-convict Jean Valjean’s experience
of redemption. Features the stirring
songs “I Dreamed a Dream” and
“Do You Hear the People Sing?”
Runs until Sun, Dec 22, various
showtimes. Princess of Wales
Theatre, 300 King St W. $35–130.
mirvish.com
XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 35
CLUBSCENE
to The Beaver as a new regular
feature. 11pm–2:30am. The
Beaver, 1192 Queen St W. No cover.
beavertoronto.ca
Sun, Oct 6
Woody’s Sunday Featuring
Spearhead’s annual Thanksgiving
food drive. Hollywoody Broadway
Show, with Miss Conception,
at 6pm; Old School, hosted by
Georgie Girl, with Michelle Ross
and Stephanie Stevens, at 9pm;
Five Smokin Hot Divas, hosted by
Georgie Girl, with Lexi Tellings, at
11pm. Woody’s, 467 Church St. No
cover. woodystoronto.com
Mon, Oct 7
Singular Sensation: A MusicalTheatre Open Mic Amateur
crooners bring their favourite
showtunes and perform with a live
band every Monday night. Hosted by
Jennifer Walls. 10pm–1am. Statlers,
487 Church St. No cover.
Tues, Oct 8
Gitch: Pornstar edition —
Club120, Fri, Oct 11
Thurs, Oct 3
Woody’s Thursday The official
launch of the 24th edition of
The Pink Pages Directory, with
entertainment by Nikki Chin,
Shawnee, Robyn DeCradle and Ty
Austin, at 9pm; the Smirnoff Best
Chest Contest, with DJ Mark Falco
on decks and $300 in cash prizes,
at midnight. Woody’s, 467 Church
St. No cover. woodystoronto.com
The Dirty Hustle DJ Blackcat spins
old and new-school hip hop and
R&B every Thursday. 10pm. The
Steady Café and Bar, 1051 Bloor
St W. No cover. facebook.com/
thesteadycafebar
Fri, Oct 4
Fetish Funhouse Canadian
Leatherman Paul C hosts the
friendly hands-on introduction to
BDSM and kink play. No dress code.
9:30pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St.
No cover. blackeagletoronto.com
Tits and Toques DJs Ailsa and
Krystle on decks for the west-end
queer alternative dance party.
10pm. Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St
W. No cover. henhousetoronto.com
Go Deep Mighty Real DJs, The
Robotic Kid and John Caffery spin
deep house, featuring live video
projection by Timur “Wildturkey”
Musabay. 10pm. WAYLA Bar, 996
Queen St E. $5. waylabar.com
Dirty Sexy Party Andrew Christian
model Quinn Jaxon takes it all off
(and them some) alongside go-go
boys and other dirty things. 10pm. Fly,
8 Gloucester St. Free until midnight,
more after. flynightclub.com
Keep It Cute One girl, one guy, one
fun night of alt pop and ’90s gems
remixed for the dancefloor. 11pm–
2:30am. The Beaver, 1192 Queen St
W. No cover. beavertoronto.ca
El Convento Rico Friday Hosted
by Fabulous Russella and Brooke
Lynn Hytes, with games and prizes
at 11:30pm and the world-famous
drag show at 1am. 9pm–3am. El
Convento Rico, 750 College St.
elconventorico.com
Sat, Oct 5
Tapette: Nuit Nue Blanche
Special French-porn edition of
the monthly dance jam for Nuit
Blanche, with DJ Phil V and host
Skinnin M’Kinnon. 10pm. Henhouse,
1532 Dundas St W. No cover.
henhousetoronto.com
Tramp DJ Jacquie Jaguar is on decks
for women-identified folks and their
admirers the first Saturday of every
month. 10pm. The Steady Café
and Bar, 1051 Bloor St W. No cover.
facebook.com/thesteadycafebar
NO COVER!
$14 DAY
$17 NIGHT
BIG JUGS
465-467 CHURCH ST.
416-972-0887
36 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
Fly Presents Two-time Grammynominated DJ/producer Tony Moran
on decks. 10pm. Fly, 8 Gloucester St.
flynightclub.com
Jungle Funk Recordings
Residency 2.0 DJs Deko-ze, Matteo
DiMarr, Jerome Robins, Joee Cons
and Tommy Gunners spin hot house
beats at the bimonthly party. 10pm.
Lily Lounge, 656 College St. $10–15.
lilylounge.com
Stiff Colin Druhan brings his
successful queer film fest party
T-Girl Strippers DJ Todd Klinck
spins at the evening of spontaneous
T-girl pole shows and private VIP
dances. 8pm–2am. Club120, 120
Church St. No cover; $10 for all-night
access to VIP booths. club120.ca
Varsity Tuesday Sofonda Cox
hosts the amateur So You Think
You Can Strip? competition, with a
$100 cash prize. 11pm. Remington’s,
379 Yonge St. $5, no cover with
student ID before 11pm, $2 after.
remingtons.com
Wed, Oct 9
Toronto Drag Kings Tyler Uptight,
Cameron, Kenny and Chase
Manning perform in the weekly
drag-king show. Every Wednesday.
11pm–2am. Zipperz/Cellblock, 72
Carlton St. No cover. facebook.com/
zipperz
Gitch: Pornstar Edition Mandy
Goodhandy hosts the underwear
party, with Tyler Sweet and Colby
Jansen onstage for the nude show,
a nude pole-dancing show by the
Flash Dancers, and a midnight
underwear contest. DJs Jay & J on
decks. 10pm. Club120, 120 Church
St. $6 before 11pm, $8 after;
students no cover before 11pm,
$5 after. club120.ca
Same Love DJ Quinces on decks,
with performances by singers Just J,
Dixon Munro and rapper April. Free
giveaways from the Love Shop and
Fickle restaurant. 10pm. Church St
Garage, 477 Church St. No cover.
SWAG The west-end bash returns,
but this time in its new home at
Buddies. Secretly We’re All Gay
features performances from
Scarlett Bobo, Brandi Champagne
and Ottawa’s Jade London. 10pm.
Buddies, 12 Alexander St. $7.
Her: Hermiliation DJs Kris Steeves,
Iris Fraser and DKTO spin spooky
house and creepy disco all night.
10:30pm. La Perla, 783 Queen St W.
$5. herherher.com
Cub Camp DJ Scooter spins for beefy
guys, inked boys, bearded dudes,
bears in waiting and bear baiters.
11pm–2:30am. The Beaver, 1192
Queen St W. $7. beavertoronto.ca
Rockstars DJ Geoff Kelleway on
decks, hosted by Karl, Rommel and
Dyna Thirst. 11pm–3am. Byzantium,
499 Church St. No cover. byz.ca
Sat, Oct 12
Fly Presents DJ Big Kid The Asian
sensation from Singapore makes
his Canadian premiere. 10pm. Fly, 8
Gloucester St. flynightclub.com
Retro Night Dancers and bar
staff gear up in retro threads,
plus patrons in ’70s, ’80s and
’90s style have a chance to win
a prize. 5pm–2am. Remington’s,
379 Yonge St. remingtons.com
Fri, Oct 11
That Time of the Month DJs Devon
and Alex spin music in the feminine
gender for the third anniversary
blowout. 10pm. Henhouse,
henhousetoronto.com
Back to Church: First Anniversary
Lesbian Bash DJ Delicious and
guest spin house, hip hop and top
40 for the celebrating ladies and
lesbros. Hosted by Brittany Leigh.
10pm. Church, 504 Church St. $5.
facebook.com/churchonchurch
Malebox A cruising night for trans
guys and those who love them. All
genders welcome. 10pm. Henhouse,
henhousetoronto.com
queer dance party turned 1950s
sock-hop. Dressing up strongly
encouraged. All genders welcome.
9pm. Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St W.
No cover. henhousetoronto.com
Business Woman’s Special
DJs Nino Brown and Sammy on
decks, with special performance by
Daytona Bitch. 10pm. Round, 152
Augusta Ave. $5.
The Almighty Ball 5: The End? DJ
Blackcat is on decks for the final(?)
voguing and ballroom party, with 10
categories, seven judges and two
commentators, plus trophies and
cash prizes. 9pm–4am. Club120,
120 Church St. $10 advance, $20
door, $5 off with flyer. club120.ca
Bump N’ Hustle DJs Paul E Lopes
and Mike Tull spin old school, soul,
funk, hip hop and house. Hosted by
Carlos Mondesir. 10pm. The Rivoli,
334 Queen St W. $10. rivoli.ca
Libra Noir DJs Blackcat (birthday
boy), Sikh Knowledge and Pleasure,
with performance by Mr Andre
Marc. First 100 people get a mixed
tape by Blackcat. 10pm–4am.
Club120, 120 Church St. $5 off with
flyer. club120.ca
Thurs, Oct 10
Pup Night The Black Eagle
Kennel Klub and Northbound
Leather host a play night
for pups, handlers and
spectators. Bring your own
hoods, collars, squeaky toys
and pup mitts; limited gear
available to borrow. No dress
code. 9:30pm. Black Eagle,
457 Church St. No cover.
blackeagletoronto.com
Tapette —
Henhouse,
Sat, Oct 5
Bad Tuck: Blood Farts Igby
Lizzard and Judy Virago host
the late-night blood fest, with a
midnight show featuring Scarlett
Bobo and Connie Lingua and DJ
John Caffery on decks. 10:30pm. The
Beaver, 1192 Queen St W. $5, no
cover in drag. beavertoronto.ca
Sun, Oct 13
Business
Woman’s
Special
— Round,
Sat, Oct 12
DAVID HAWE
Fabulous
Russella’s ’80s
party Russella
brings back
the ’80s, with
special guests
paying homage
and a drag show at
12:30am. 9pm–3am.
El Convento Rico,
750 College St.
elconventorico.com
Kiss of Life: Rumble in
the Drive-In DJs Michael
K, Evan and Kyla are on decks
for the long-weekend mega-
Hoxton Sunday: Legends 1st
Edition DJs Manny Lehman and
Mark Falco spin circuit beats for the
long weekend. 10pm. Hoxton, 69
Bathurst St. $15 advance at Priape,
501 Church St.
Mon, Oct 14
Video Night VJ Blue Peter plays
favourite, kitsch and sexy music vids
all night. 8pm. Woody’s, 467 Church
St. No cover. woodystoronto.com
Tues, Oct 15
Play Again . . .? Geeks and gamers
plug in for the weekly games
night, with Nintendo on the big
screen, an arcade game table and
classic board games all night. 7pm.
Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St W. No
cover. henhousetoronto.com
Crews & Tangos Tuesday TICOT
Toonie Tuesday at 9pm; DJ Quinces
spins in Tangos at 10pm; Industry
Night, with Brooke Lynn Hytes and
Vitality Black, at 11:30pm. Crews &
Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover.
crewsandtangos.com
Wed, Oct 16
Woody’s Got Talent Miss
Conception hosts the second season
of the all-talents competition. 8pm.
Woody’s, 467 Church St. No cover.
woodystoronto.com
Submit your event listing to [email protected].
Deadline for the Oct 17 issue is Wed, Oct 9.
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XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 37
A world of gay adventure
Travel
‘Gay-friendly’ often means
there’s a good men’s scene, but
what about the sisters?
great
destinations
for women
AEFA MULHOLLAND
2 New York
Where are the best vacation spots for
gay women? Does gay-friendly also
mean lesbian-friendly — or will women find themselves the sole sisters in a
sea of men? Here are 10 destinations
where women will not only find a
warm welcome, but will also discover
a wealth of places to meet and mingle
with other women, from bars to bookstores to cafés to clubs.
You’ll find vibrant scenes in both
Manhattan and in Brooklyn’s Park
Slope neighbourhood, plus lots more
in between. Grab coffee and maybe
some admiring glances at the East
Village’s Mudspot Café, or linger over
literature in Bluestockings feminist
bookstore/café on the Lower East
Side. In Manhattan, meet locals at
the legendary Henrietta Hudson bar,
or make new friends at a backyard
barbecue at Ginger’s in Park Slope. In
Williamsburg in Brooklyn, Metropolitan is the main drinking and dancing
address. Spend the night at 70 Park
Avenue, a chic Murray Hill hotel with
a daily free-wine hour.
1 San Francisco
San Francisco is still the number-one
getaway for girls. Explore the lesbianpopular Mission, Castro and Bernal
Heights neighbourhoods to get a feel
for San Francisco’s feminine charms.
By day, visit lesbian-loved coffeehouse
Dolores Park Cafe. Scene stalwart the
Lexington is the city’s only exclusively
lesbian bar. With a jukebox, pool
table and friendly regulars, it’s a
good first stop. End your night at
the hip Phoenix Hotel in the gritty
Tenderloin district. Crammed with
creative types and visiting rock gods
and goddesses, the poolside scene is
one to watch.
38 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
3 Portland
The alternative, lesbian-adored Hawthorne neighbourhood is home to
women-owned businesses, bars and
abodes, but you’ll find family all over
the city, particularly around the Mississippi, Alberta and Burnside areas.
Have coffee at Haven, where the music sounds like Lilith Fair on repeat.
The E Room — or Egyptian Club — is
Portland’s lesbian pub and club, but
AEFA MULHOLLAND
Clockwise from above: the cozy rooftop oasis at Praktik Metropol hotel in
Madrid; Berlin’s romantic café scene; the Castro is the lesbian epicentre of San
Francisco; the lesbian-owned Lobster Pot in Provincetown is always bustling;
folk art at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland.
edgier options, such as Babe Cave,
happen at the hip Holocene. Savour
cocktails at lesbian-owned Mint. Be
sure to check out stunningly designed
The Nines hotel, right on Pioneer
Square and the MAX light rail.
4 Provincetown
It’s hard not to love laidback P-town,
the LGBT-adored town at the tip of
Cape Cod. Streets fill with vacationing folks, and you’ll find particularly
high concentrations of community
at Spiritus Pizza on Commercial and
the lesbian-owned Lobster Pot. The
section to the left of the parking lot
at Herring Cove beach is where you’ll
find the women. Let big names from
the women’s comedy scene entertain
you at the Crown & Anchor. There
are gargantuan women’s events at
the Pied, May through mid-October.
Choose accommodation from the
array on offer from the Women Innkeepers of Provincetown.
5 Tokyo
Things seem pretty strait-laced in
Tokyo. Well, until you encounter
the Shinjuku Ni-chōme district, that
is. Sometimes called Ni-chō, it’s the
LGBT epicentre of Japan, with its
flashing neon, streets awash with people, and hundreds of bars crammed
into unlikely spaces, many in what
look like office towers. Bars are often
no bigger than a spare bedroom. For a
flirty, friendly, femme crowd, try corner café/bar Advocates, popular with
a mixed local and international set.
Miniscule but welcoming Kinswomyn
is the dowager dyke den here, having lasted longer than all others. The
current hottest women’s option is the
sleek Motel #203, owned by a legendary lesbian club promoter. Be sure
to seek out Gossip, an LGBT café/
bookstore in Omotesandō; it’s a good
place to get online or get information
about events. In the heart of the Shinjuku action, straightforward Lonestar
has small rooms that are clean and
convenient.
AEFA MULHOLLAND
Spend an afternoon at bookstore/
gallery Violette & Co. Hotel
Beaubourg markets to the LGBT
community and provides a perfect
launch pad for saunters along the
Seine and for exploring the city.
9 Berlin
AEFA MULHOLLAND
6 Sydney
Although the shinier village scene is in
Darlinghurst and adjacent Surry Hills,
and the settled ladies love Leichhardt,
Newtown is the neighbourhood to
head for if you just want to see girls
go by. Grab coffee at lesbian-run
Corelli’s, eat at the women-adored
Bank Hotel and drink at Sapphiccentral Sly Fox. Just around the
corner, revisit scenes from Priscilla:
Queen of the Desert at Tuesday’s LGBT
MORE AT DAILYXTRATRAVEL.COM
bingo or try lesbian speed-dating at
the iconic Imperial in Erskineville.
After a leisurely dip in the outdoor
Coogee Women’s Pool and a quick
pick-me-up at LOTL Espresso Bar,
run by Sydney’s lesbian magazine
publisher, lay down your head at Darlinghurst’s stylish Altamount.
include Blush, the site of Sunday
roasts and rambunctious parties in
a secret garden, and mixed LGBT
local The Oak. If the weather’s good,
go north to the Hampstead Heath
women’s pond. Outlet offers shortterm (or long, if you like) apartment
lets and shares with LGBT folks.
7 London
8 Paris
A thrilling array of bars and clubs
cater to London’s boisterous women.
A bold, bright scene centres on
Soho, home to the Candy Bar, but
head north to the Stoke Newington
neighbourhood to see where many
London ladies live. Places to play
A sultry scene spills over the streets
around the River Seine. Women flock
to hip Le Sofa for lunch and dinner.
Former boulangerie Le Nix is an
ideal place to start your soirée before
continuing to Gertrude Stein’s old
haunt, dance bar Le Rive Gauche.
Sometimes it seems that everyone with
even the slightest artistic bent is moving to Berlin. It makes for a hectic city,
where something new is always starting
and there’s always someone who speaks
English. The lesbian scene stays fresh
with a seemingly constant supply of
new nights and new faces. At the other
end of things, old-school women’s bar
Begine has been around since the old
days. More up-to-date antics can be
encountered at the weekly Mondo Klit
Rock Club, at Roadrunner’s Paradise,
or at women’s parties at the eclectic
Sudblock, near the grimy Kottbusser
Tor U-Bahn station. To relax after all
the excitement, sink into the steam at
the women-only Turkish baths at Schokofabrik, part of a women’s centre in a
converted chocolate factory. Book into
one of the bright, airy rooms at womenonly hotel Artemisia Frauenhotel.
10 Madrid
A seriously sexy city to start with,
Madrid is an amazing mecca for
mujeres. The bars and clubs of LGBT
neighbourhood Chueca overflow
into the streets from early evening,
but things don’t really get going until
midnight or later. Head for Plaza de
Chueca and find yourself surrounded
by women carousing over cocktails
and tapas. Truco is one of the busiest
bars, with an under-30 crowd and
great people-watching tables on the
plaza. Escape is the most popular
dancing destination. Daytime
distractions include the well-stocked
bookstore Libreria Berkana and the
slew of incredible tapas options at
Mercado San Miguel; vermouth on
tap and gargantuan portions of olives
are particular standouts. Stay at chic
boutique bargain Praktik Metropol,
just a few minutes’ walk from the
action. The hotel’s two-level roof
terrace is perfect for sunning, reading
or sipping an apéritif.
The online version of this story,
on dailyxtratravel.com, has links
to most of the businesses mentioned.
XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 39
Travel
DANNY GLENWRIGHT
ANTHONY SINAGOGA, VISIT BUCKS COUNTY
Stepping back in
time in New Hope
Gay-friendly Pennsylvania town filled with historical gems
DANNY GLENWRIGHT
There is a scene in the film Mary Poppins in which the magical nanny clasps
the hands of the young children in her
charge and jumps with them out of the
dirty streets of London and into a sidewalk chalk painting.
The group find themselves in a bucolic wonderland of wooden bridges,
horse-drawn carriages and bubbling
brooks. It is not unlike New Hope, a
tiny anachronistic tourist hamlet an
hour’s drive from the unsightly industrial suburbs of Philadelphia. A journey
to the Pennsylvania town of 2,500,
which the local Bucks County tourism
bureau refers to as an “eclectic community,” is as intriguing (and gay) as any
jolly holiday Mary has to offer.
My travelling companions and I
called New Hope “unbearably cute” —
not because it’s actually intolerable,
but more due to the endearing charm
that oozes from each of its historic attractions. At the top of this list is the
Bucks County Playhouse, a celebrated
theatre that dates back to the 1930s.
That’s when a group of local artists
teamed up to convert what was then
a crumbling grist mill on the banks of
the Delaware River into a functional
playhouse. The theatre was soon a New
40 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
England institution that over the years
attracted dozens of Broadway stars, including Grace Kelly, Bea Arthur, Walter
Matthau and Angela Lansbury.
It’s recently undergone a major renovation with the help of Tony Award–
winning producer Jed Bernstein, who’s
once again helping the theatre bring in
big names. Its 2013 summer season saw
Tyne Daly tread the boards in the world
premiere of Terrence McNally’s Mothers and Sons.
New Hope has long been a destination
for artsy types from surrounding cities,
and tourism remains its bread and butter. We were there for the 10th installation of its annual Pride, New Hope
Celebrates, an event that attracts gays
from across the region, including from
Lambertville, New Jersey, which is directly across the river from New Hope.
Each May, the denizens of what is
surely the Keystone State’s most queerfriendly square mile line New Hope’s
main drag for the parade and to catch a
glimpse of Miss Pumpkin, arguably its
star attraction. The stout drag queen is
the putative leader of a motley group of
queens who call New Hope home. After
the parade, our group stumbled to the
local homo hangout, The Raven, where
a delightfully soused Miss Pumpkin and
her posse executed the best drag en-
semble performance of “Total Eclipse
of the Heart” I’ve yet come across.
The Raven is everything a smalltown gay bar and entertainment complex should be, and a trip there is a
vacation within a vacation. It boasts an
outdoor swimming pool, 10 furnished
hotel rooms, a piano bar, an awardwinning restaurant, cute barkeeps
and, of course, a gaggle of lovable drag
queens. All that’s missing is a gay sauna.
But if you’re looking to be horizontal
after a long day exploring, don’t fret —
New Hope has many options. Start with
the Wedgwood Collection of Historic
Inns, three quaint guesthouses run
lovingly by Carl Glassman and Nadine
Silnutzer. I lodged at the Victorian
Aaron Burr House, a Dutch clapboard
the couple revived in 1990. Ask Nadine
(who’s a great resource for information
about New Hope) to sample her homemade liqueur and peanut butter cookies while she regales you with stories
about the ghost of the United States’
third vice-president, Aaron Burr, who
is said to hang out on the home’s second floor. (I chose a room on the main
floor just to be safe.)
Burr took refuge at the house after
killing Alexander Hamilton, the country’s first treasury secretary, in a famous
1804 duel in nearby New Jersey. His is
ANTHONY SINAGOGA, VISIT BUCKS COUNTY
Clockwise from top left: enjoy stunning fall colours in Bucks County; the
entire town comes out for New Hope’s annual Pride parade in May; dining at
Marsha Brown, a tasty Creole restaurant in a converted stone church.
one of many ghosts you can track down
on one of New Hope’s hair-raising evening ghost tours, on which you’ll also
surely meet some of the town’s more
colourful living characters.
Look out for Marsha Brown, the
Southern-belle owner of the eponymous
Creole kitchen and lounge, which was
built into a 125-year-old converted stone
church on New Hope’s Main Street.
Marsha Brown’s pricey seafood dishes
are worth every penny — especially the
stuffed lobster — and its knowledgeable servers are eager to go “off menu”
for those who want to experiment with
their own Creole combinations. Don’t
forget to also savour the church’s original stained-glass windows and other
artwork, especially the striking Redemption, a 12-by-6-metre mural of St George
hunting lions by Russian artist Valeriy
Belenikin that would be equally at home
in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
That’s the thing about when you’re in
New Hope, just like when you’re with
Mary Poppins: suddenly you’re in places you never dreamed of. A weekend
in this quirky little town is a very jolly
holiday indeed.
Bucks County Playhouse
bcptheater.org
1870 Wedgwood Inn —
Aaron Burr House
wedgwoodinn.com
New Hope Celebrates
newhopecelebrates.com
The Raven
theravennewhope.com
Marsha Brown
restaurant
marshabrownrestaurant.com
New Hope ghost tours
ghosttoursofnewhope.com
IS GREEN.
It’s morning dew climbing every twig and tendril on a
Boston Public Garden stroll. It’s quiet afternoons in forest
green canoes along the Plum Island Sound. It’s an arena
åĬåÏƋųĜĀåÚÆƼ±Ÿå±ŅüåĬƋĜÏŸü±ĹŸţFƋűŸ±ĘĜĹƋŅüåĵåų±ĬÚĜĹ
the Myles Standish State Forest just before sunset. It’s the
Ĭ±ŸƋåÆÆŅüŸƚĵĵåųāŅƵĜĹčĜĹƋŅü±ĬĬţ
FOR HELP PLANNING THE PERFECT COLOURFUL HOLIDAY IN ONE OF
THE MOST WELCOMING STATES IN AMERICA, VISIT MASSVACATION.CA
OR TWEET YOUR QUESTIONS TO @VISITMA WITH #ASKVISITMA
XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 41
Travel
City of Tel Aviv
launches free
municipal WiFi
Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai
checks out the city’s WiFi
connectivity. (GOISRAEL.COM)
Maya Angelou to speak
at summit on Olivia cruise
Maya Angelou — celebrated author,
educator, actor, historian, filmmaker
and civil rights activist (the list goes
on) — will be the keynote speaker
on Olivia Travel’s floating Equality
and Leadership Summit in February.
The summit will take place during a
seven-day eastern Caribbean cruise,
Feb 1 to 8, 2014, aboard the Holland
America MS Westerdam.
“This year we have already seen
groundbreaking progress for LGBT
rights and equality, and we felt the
time was right to hold a gathering
with influential women whose words
and actions carry a powerful message
of leadership and success,” says Judy
Dlugacz, Olivia Travel’s founder and
president.
“By having Dr Angelou lead the
summit as our keynote speaker, followed by messages of strength from
our other invited guests, we are expecting that the 1,900 women who will
be taking part in the cruise will leave
invigorated and inspired to take on the
world in new ways,” Dlugacz says.
Angelou will join a roster of
more than a dozen notable guests,
including civil rights pioneer Edie
Windsor, whose court challenge led
to the defeat of the Defense of Marriage Act; Debbie Wasserman Schultz,
42 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
Visitors to Tel Aviv can
now access free WiFi
connections in 80 locations throughout the
city. The initiative is part
of a new project by Tel Aviv
Municipality.
Locales include the city’s
Mediterranean promenade, Yarkon
Park and Old Jaffa, as well as
Dizengoff Square, Hilton Beach and
major city streets. The service is
accessible via computers, tablets or
smartphones with bandwidths
of at least 20 MB.
The Wall Street Journal has previously hailed Tel
Aviv as one of the “three most
innovative cities in the world.”
For more information about tourism
to Israel, visit goisrael.com.
For the most up-to-date travel
information on gay Tel Aviv, visit
dailyxtratravel.com.
MY
Montreal
Eva B is part vintage store, part
theatre, part café. EVA-B.CA
The place to B
Maya Angelou will be part of Olivia Travel's Equality and Leadership summit.
DWIGHT CARTER
Florida Congresswoman and chair of
the Democratic National Committee;
and Kate Kendell, executive director
of the National Center for Lesbian
Rights. Featured entertainers on the
cruise include the Grammy Award–
winning Indigo Girls and comedians
Judy Gold and Karen Williams.
For more information on the 2014
Equality and Leadership Summit cruise
or other Olivia offerings, visit olivia.com.
From must-attend 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 photographer Nick Bostick to
name a favourite city haunt. “Eva B is a magical place. Part vintage store, part theatre, part café —
well, it’s a lot of things. The owners
are constantly reworking the space
and changing stuff around. They
recently turned one room into a gi-
ant mass of clothes where customers
can take off their shoes and jump in
to dig for treasures. You know you’ve
found it when you see Michael Jackson dangling his baby from their
third-storey window.”
Located at 2015 St Laurent Blvd,
Eva B is open Monday–Saturday,
11am–9pm; Sunday, noon–7pm.
Visit eva-b.ca for more information.
For more in this series,
go to dailyxtra.com and
search for “My Montreal.”
NEXT BOOKING DEADLINE:
WED, OCT 9 @ 1PM
Classifieds
To place an ad, call 416-925-6665 x0
or book your line classified at
classifi[email protected]
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Married, Separated or
Divorced Gay Father?
We’re here to support you
on your journey.
Our meetings are informal,
FRQÀGHQWLDODQGKHOSIXO
Gay Fathers meet the second
and fourth Thursday of every
month at 8pm
at the 519 Church Street
Community Centre.
www.gayfathers-toronto.com
HEALTH & FITNESS
REGISTERED MASSAGE
MASSAGE CERTIFIED
KEVIN SHORTT MASSAGE
and Yoga Therapy: sensual,
intimate bodywork with
stretching. $15 off First Time
Clients! Check out my
website:
www3.sympatico.ca/kshortt
416-961-8064
M4M SERVICES Passionate
about your humanity and
maleness. Offering clothing
optional massage, skin care
and grooming. Delivering
consistent quality, value and
care for 8 years.
m4mmassagetoronto.com.
Bay at Elm. 416-347-5501
RELAXATION
BRENT ROUSSEAU RMT
For treatment of muscle injuries, pain and stress management, and enhancement of
physical health and well being.
Day, evening, and weekend
appts. available. Insurance
coverage, Visa accepted, free
parking, 416-708-3996.
Broadview/Danforth.
brentrousseau.com
HEADtoFITA MASSAGE
THERAPIES Frank Fita RMT
offering Swedish, La-stone
hot-stone, Thai-yoga
massages. Specializing in
treatments for work-related
and sports injuries.
headtofita.com
Across from Wellesley subway.
For appointment or info
call 416-473-0065.
PLEASE RECYCLE
THIS PAPER!
BE BOLD!
Bold your line classified.
Japanese
Male RMT
416-804-9248
Deep tissue to
relaxation massage by
a professionally trained
RMT (Japanese Male).
Covered by extended
health plans for
massage treatment.
Sanji Masunaga
Wellesley + Jarvis area
[email protected]
Massage Buffet
Massage: traditional,
anal/prostate, & Taoist Erotic.
Breath orgasms. Sex and Life
Coach. Paul Barber
647-821-3131
canadian bodyworker.com
CLARITY
IS KEY!
Be descriptive
and concise.
Include all the
vital details
in your listing
to ensure
readers
have enough
information.
COUNSELLING
MOVERS
DONNA REIST, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Registered Psychologist.
Counselling & Psychotherapy,
Psychoeducational & Diagnostic Assessments, Crisis
Intervention. Yonge & St.Clair ~
drdonnareist.com
416-750-9400
DAVID W. ROUTLEDGE
MSW, RSW
PSYCHOTHERAPIST
...helping you become the person
you have always wanted to be
[email protected]
www.dwroutledge.com (416) 944-1291
downtown location - affordable rates
NEW THOUGHT THERAPY
Personalized Effective
Conversations.
Depression, Anxiety, Gender,
Sexuality, Life/Executive
Coaching
Todd Kaufman, MDiv
647-230-2068
Genesissquared.com. See our
ad in this issue of Xtra
Manhattan Moving Services
Toronto's Award Winning Gay Owned Moving Company
Counselling + Coaching + Bodywork
Communication — Relationship — Life Skills
Gay Men — Male Couples
manhattanmovingservice.ca
416.259.2181
$ZDNHQ6WXGLR
416-557-7312 — [email protected]
www.phillipcoupal.ca
ROB PEACH, MSW, RSW*
||Psychotherapy|| Treatment
for difficulties with the management of problem sexual
thoughts, urges and
behaviours. Downtown location. Saturday appointments.
Individuals and couples. |
www.robpeach.ca
| [email protected]|
416- 795-7299 |
PAINTING
Newbright Painting
NO MESS, NO FUSS, JUST SUPERIOR WORKMANSHIP
Commercial/Residential, Interior/Exterior Painting l Design & colour consultation
Light Reno’s and Repairs l Window Cleaning l Better Business Bureau
Celebrating 13 years in Xtra l References provided on request l Fully insured
Sean 416.985.8639 [email protected]
CLEANERS
HOME, CONDO & OFFICE
CLEANERS
call Tomas - 416.878.9527
FULLY BONDED AND INSURED
visit: www.ecoscleaning.com
EMPLOYMENT
ADULT
MODEL FOR CASH Cute guys
(age 18-25) needed for adult
website. SOLO J/O SCENES
PAY $600 CASH! Visit imagescout.com for more info.”
BOOK YOUR LINE
CLASSIFIED ONLINE!
Visit dailyxtra.com for more information.
HAIR/SKIN & BEAUTY
WWW.GANYMEDE.CA
Professional hair removal by
certified specialist. Waxing,
electrolysis and laser. Clean,
private,
downtown location. By
appointment only. Call Darcy at
416-979-8801.
REAL ESTATE
HOMES/ACREAGE FOR SALE
BUSINESS FOR SALE
3 ACRE SANCTUARY This well
maintained home is nestled in a
serene private world;
meadows, towering trees,
manicured perennial gardens.
Every window and door boasts
a beautiful view. Minutes to
Cobourg. MLS 131497, 150
Finley Road. Call Kathran Helps,
Century 21 All-Pro Realty,
289-251-3902
FT. LAUDERDALE GUESTHOUSE Liberty Suites with 11
beautifully furnished apts. w/
full kitchens.
15 successful years with great
potential for growth. Turnkey, All Inclusive.
Offered at $935,000. Contact
Joe Van Eron (954) 383-5548
[email protected].
HOMES/ACREAGE FOR SALE
545B Parliament Street $799,999
LEGAL SERVICES
ARRESTED?
CHARGED?
AGGRESSIVE
CRIMINAL
DEFENCE
416.410.2266
CraigPenney.com
PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER!
El-Farouk
Khaki
Barrister & Solicitor
PERSONAL
EROTIC MASSAGE
FRIENDS MALE
MAGIC FINGERS
Seeking Gay Male
50+ mature, well hung for sex
and friendship
647-347-1249
GET A MASSAGE from me and
feel fantastic for days. My hard
smooth body and warm sensuous hands will soothe and
delight.
Clint 416-469-8144.
EXPERIENTIAL
EMBODIED
EROTIC EXPLORATIONS
for Men
Weekend Touch Explorations
Full-Day Erotic Experiments
Afternoon Touch Exchanges
Explore & Experience
Erotic Sensual Touch
Group or Individual
Sessions
Refugee & Immigration Law
5FMt'BY
FMöO!SPHFSTDPNtFMGBSPVL@MBX!ZBIPPDB
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
XTRA
OFFERS
FREQUENCY
DISCOUNTS.
Contact
us to learn
more!
[email protected]
www.phillipcoupal.ca
MODELS & ESCORTS
BOYS R US
A SMALL BUT superb selection
of young, fresh, honest faces
for your erotic pleasures. Try us
first and you won’t be disappointed.
416-469-8144.
PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER!
CHOOSE WISELY
AVAILABLE FOR
INCALLS/OUTCALLS.
Great with first-timers, fetishes
and unusual requests. Great body,
boyish good looks, big thick cock.
90% Repeat rate.
Satisfaction guaranteed.
Pics at : www.squirt.org/devon80
Devon: 416-208-3531
[email protected]
Everything gay, every day.
Luxury townhouse in Cabbagetown.
Freehold with 2 Car Garage. Main floor open
concept, 10ft ceilings, crown mouldings, hardwood
floors and gas fireplace. Designer Kitchen with
Stainless Steel Appliances. 3 Large Bedrooms.
Master with Spa Ensuite. Huge Roof Top Terrace.
Open House Sat, Oct 5 and Sun, Oct 6.
2-4pm each day
Todd Black Sutton Group Associates Realty Inc. 416-966-0300
XTRA! OCT 3–16, 2013 43
E indexdirectory.ca
Legal Services
Pet Care
Radio Stations
Craig Penney,
Toronto Criminal
Defence Lawyer
416-410-2266
Tailspin Dog Spa
416-920-7387
Proud FM
416-213-1035
Pet Stores
& Supplies
Real Estate
The Blake House
416-975-1867
Great Gulf Homes
– Yonge + Rich
416-499-8883
The Churchmouse
& Firkin
416-927-1735
Nicholas Bohr RE/
MAX Hallmark Realty
Ltd, Brokerage
str8up.ca
Sex
Lighting
Living Lighting on King
416-364-9099
Massage –
Certified/
Registered
gesund
416-913-5170
Japanese Male RMT
416-804-9248
THE BEST OF GAY & LESBIAN TORONTO
Accountants
Ms Hema Murdock, CA
416-696-6653
Susan Calverley,
MBA, MSc, CMA
416-605-1553
Yoannou & Associates,
Chartered Accountants
416-487-3273 x24
Accessories — Men
MensMarket.com
mensmarket.com
Adult
Stag Shop – The
Adult Fun Store
416-323-0772
Community
Groups & Services
Enterprise Toronto
416-392-6646
Parents, Families &
Friends of Lesbians and
Gays (Toronto PFLAG)
416-406-6378 (Support
Line)
Computer Sales
& Service
Contemporary
Computers
877-724-9000
Alternative Health
Concrete –
Contractors
Fly Nightclub
416-410-5426
Business &
Professional
Organizations
Church Wellesley
Village Business
Improvement Area
416-393-6363
Butchers
St Jamestown
Steak & Chops
416-925-7665
G J MacRae
Foundation Repair
Service–Since 1975
905-824-2557
Construction
G J MacRae
Foundation Repair
Service – Since 1975
905-824-2557
Newbright Construction
416-985-8639
Contracting
& Renovations
G J MacRae
Foundation Repair
905-824-2557
Cosmetics
Rosense
416-216-6999
Campgrounds
Counselling
Jones Pond
Campground
585-567-8100
Change4U2
416-827-7578
Cheese Shops
Leslieville Cheese
Market
416-465-7143
Chiropractors
gesund
416-913-5170
Churches
Metropolitan
Community Church
of Toronto
416-406-6228
Coffee Shops
Fuel+
647-352-8807
44 OCT 3–16, 2013 XTRA!
Dog & Cat
Grooming
Tailspin Dog Spa
416-920-7387
Entertainment
The Reading Salon
thereadingsalon.ca
David Moulton, MEd,
Canadian Certified
Counsellor
647-525-8268
David W Routledge
(MSW, RSW),
Psychotherapist
416-944-1291
Phillip Coupal
Counselling
416-557-7312
Dental Services
Adelaide Dental
416-429-0150
Dr Iudita Costache–
Galleria Dental
416-534-9991
Distributel Canada
1-877-700-7854
Kenton Waterman
Investors Group
Financial Services
416-860-1668
Jewellery
& Jewellers
The Fair Trade
Jewellery Company
647-430-8741
Meats &
Delicatessens
St Jamestown
Steak & Chops
416-925-7665
Men’s Accessories
MensMarket.com
mensmarket.com
Mortgages
Investors Group
Financial Services
–Kenton Waterman
416-860-1668
Juice Bars
Linda Rudolph at
The Mortgage Centre
416-282-1677
Juice Box
416-924-4671
Moving & Storage
Florists
Lawyers
Astra Florists
astraflorists.com
Davis Floral Creations
davisfloral
creations.com
Harvey L Hamburg
416-968-9054
Agility Moving
& Storage Ltd
416-654-5029
Take a Walk on
the Wild Side™
416-921-6112
Gay Men’s Sexual
Health Alliance
1-800-686-7544
Bars & Clubs
(Toronto)
Investment
Services
As You Wish Concierge
647-208-2884
G J MacRae
Foundation Repair
905-824-2557
Ken Shaw Lexus
415-766-0055
Galleria Dental,
Dr Iudita Costache
416-534-9991
Fashion
Concrete –
Contractors
Automotive
Sales & Leasing
Internet
Concierge Services
AIDS/HIV
Resources
My Canna-Meds
mycm.ca
Dr Kevin Russelo
& Associates
416-966-0117
The Power of Touch
647-330-ALEX(2539)
Ivan Steele Law Office
647-342-0568
Foundation
Repairs
Law Office of ElFarouk Khaki
416-925-7227
G J MacRae
Foundation Repair
905-824-2557
Paul T Willis –
Barrister & Solicitor,
Notary Public
416-926-9806
Furniture – Leather
Robert G Coates
416-925-6490
Wilson Furniture
1-800-323-6705
Gardening
Avery Moving & Storage
416-239-9565
Marsh Movers
416-823-7512
Helmutt’s Pet Supply
416-504-1265
Pharmacies
Pace Pharmacy &
Compounding Experts
416-515-7223
The Village Pharmacy
416-967-9221
Zaillan Pharmacy
416-216-6999
Philip Kocev – Sales
Representative
416-364-2036
I Went to Philly
416-927-9090
Squirt.org
squirt.org
Sex Shops
Bed Time Toys
bedtimetoys.ca
Condom Shack
416-596-7515
Printing
RE/MAX Baywatch
Ltd, Brokerage
705-756-7629
The UPS Store
473 Church St
416-966-3008
112 Elizabeth St, Ste 5
416-971-5001
Theresa Forget, Sales
Representative, RE/
MAX First Realty,
Brokerage
905-686-3800
The UPS Store
473 Church St
416-966-3008
112 Elizabeth St, Ste 5
416-971-5001
Psychotherapy
Real Estate Agents
Tax Services
Bruce M Small, MSc,
Psychotherapist
416-598-4888
Gaelen Patrick –
Sutton Group Realty
Systems Inc
416-801-9265
CJH Tax Services
647-270-8057
Coming into Life
416-391-4986 x2
depth therapy
416-694-0015 x225
Nick Mulé, PhD, RSW,
Psychotherapist
416-926-9135
Psychotherapy Depth Therapy
Matthew Kelly, M.A.
Psychotherapist
Depth Therapy
416-694-0015 x225
Publications
Roy Runions, Sales
Representative, RE/
MAX Hallmark Realty
Ltd, Brokerage
royrunions.com
Renovations
& Restorations
Bryant Renovations
416-260-0818
416-985-8639
Restaurants
& Cafés
C’est What? Brew/
Vin Pub Restaurant
416-867-9499
Shipping
Yoannou & Associates,
Chartered Accountants
416-487-3273 x24
Telecommunications
Acanac
416-849-8530
Theatre
Buddies in Bad
Times Theatre
416-975-8555
Veterinarians
Blue Cross
Animal Hospital
416-469-1121
Naturopathy
Pink Triangle Press
416-925-6665
pinktrianglepress.ca
gesund
416-913-5170
Xtra (Toronto)
416-925-6665
Painting
Xtra (Vancouver)
604-684-9696
Cora Breakfast & Lunch
27 Carlton St
416-340-1350
277 Wellington St
416-598-2672
Xtra (Ottawa)
613-986-8292
Fire on the East Side
416-960-3473
Squirt.org
squirt.org
Hair of the Dog
416-964-2708
dailyxtra.com
416-925-6665
CM Painting &
Decorating
647-588-1774
Newbright Painting
416-985-8639
Waterproofing
G J MacRae
Foundation Repair
905-824-2557
Websites
Davenport
Garden Centre
416-929-7222
Hair Stylists
& Barbers
Ragga Hair and
Beauty Salon
416-368-8113
Health Foods
& Nutrition
The Big Carrot
416-466-2129
Home
Improvement
& Repairs
Bryant Renovations
416-260-0818
G J MacRae
Foundation Repair
Service –Since 1975
905-824-2557
Lewco Chandelier
416-439-4999
416-985-8639
Insurance
Kenton Waterman
Investors Group
Financial Services
416-860-1668
THE BEST OF GAY
& LESBIAN TORONTO
416-925-6665 x0
Booking deadline:
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Release date:
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