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FEBRUARY 2011
ISSUE 88 • FREE
The Voice of Alberta’s LGBT Community
magazine
Interviews with
Emerson Drive
Finger 11
The Other Tyra
Drag Race Season 2 Winner
Reichen Lehmkuhl
Life After A-List
Business Directory
Community Maps
Calgary • Edmonton • Alberta
Scissor Sisters
Events Calendar
Tourist Information
STARTING ON PAGE 17
www.gaycalgary.com
2
GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #88, February 2011
www.gaycalgary.com
Table of Contents
FEBRUARY 2011
Photography
Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino,
B&J, Mike Stansberry
Videography
Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino
Printers
North Hill News/Central Web
Distribution
Calgary: Gallant Distribution
GayCalgary Staff
Edmonton: Clark’s Distribution
Other: Canada Post
Legal Council
Courtney Aarbo, Barristers and Solicitors
Sales & General Inquiries
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine
2136 17th Avenue SW
Calgary, AB, Canada
T2T 0G3
Office Hours: By appointment ONLY
Phone: 403-543-6960
Toll Free: 1-888-543-6960
Fax: 403-703-0685
E-Mail: [email protected]
This Month's Cover
Reichen Lehmkuhl, Tyra Sanchez (Photo courtesy
of OUTtv), Scissor Sisters (Photo by John Wright)
Proud Members of:
Edmonton Rainbow
Business Association
International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association
8
Beef Dip 2011
Publisher’s Column
9 Emerson Drive
Grande Prairie boys mark 10 years with greatest hits album
10 Shear Sex
Scissor Sisters’ frontman on his second puberty, performing naked and
the band’s Lady
PAGE 8
Puerto Vallarta Mexico
13 Life After A-List
Reichen Lehmkuhl candidly talks reality TV regrets, DADT and ex Lance
Bass’ career copycats
17 Directory and Events
24 Dire Straits in Dire Straits after
Censorship Ruling
26 2011 Survey Results
Outcomes from the GC&E Magazine Reader Survey
PAGE 9
Writers and Contributors
Mercedes Allen, Chris Azzopardi, Dallas Barnes,
Dave Brousseau, Sam Casselman, Brandon
Chaisson, Jason Clevett, Andrew Collins, Emily
Collins, Rob Diaz-Marino, Janine Eva Trotta,
Jack Fertig, Glen Hanson, Joan Hilty, Evan Kayne,
Stephen Lock, Allan Neuwirth, Steve Polyak, Pam
Rocker, Carey Rutherford, Romeo San Vicente, Ed
Sikov, Nick Vivian and the GLBT Community of
Calgary, Edmonton, and Alberta.
No Time better than Drag Time?
27 Team Edmonton Mixer
Sports and Recreation Mingles with the Public
27 Q Scopes
“Trust your instincts, Pisces!”
28 Deep Inside Hollywood
A Star is Beyoncé
29 Cocktail Chatter
The Pomegranate Cocktail and The Virtue of Pricey Liquor
30 The OutField
The beautiful game heads to anti-gay Qatar and Ryan Quinn comes
out with The Fall
PAGE 10
Publisher: Steve Polyak
Editor: Rob Diaz-Marino
Sales: Steve Polyak
Design & Layout:
Rob Diaz-Marino, Steve Polyak
5
31 Queeries
“I was outed on Facebook”
32 Fundraising Photos
33 Dow Hicks
PAGE 13
Edmonton Remembers Roost Founder
34 Miami and South Beach
National Lesbian & Gay
Journalists Association
Out of Town
Continued on Next Page 
www.gaycalgary.com
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Table of Contents
 Continued From Previous Page
36 When the Devil Knocks
PAGE 33
A raw and intimate look at Dissociative Identity Disorder
38 Defining Hate Crime
40 The Ex-Gay Jesus-Fix-It Perpetual
Emotion Machine
42 HIV Edmonton’s Legacy Gala
A Wrap Up to a Fabulous Project
42 Apollo SPYKE! Women’s Volleyball
A Women’s Only Event!
PAGE 52
43
44
45
47
A Couple of Guys
Bitter Girl
Letters to the Editor
Apollo Boot camp
Boot camp Doesn’t Have to Be Scary
48 Classified Ads
50 Hear Me Out
George Michael, Natasha Bedingfield
51 Chelsea Boys
52 Finger Eleven Rock Onwards
Veteran Canadian band hits the road with Life Turns Electric
54 The Other Tyra
PAGE 54
Drag Race winner Tyra Sanchez goes cross country
56 Take Back the Night Art Fundraiser
Eclectic Art Showcase Hopeful to Fund September’s March
57 Queer Eye
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Magazine Figures
Monthly Print Quantity:
9,000–11,000 copies
Guaranteed Circulation: 8,500 copies
Bonus Circulation: 500–2,500 copies
Readership
Readers Per Copy: 4.9 (PMB)
Print Readership: >41,650
Avg. Online Circulation: 150,000 readers
Estimated Total Readership:
>191,650 readers
Frequency: Monthly
Proof of monthly figures are
available on request.
Distribution Locations:
Calgary: 160, Edmonton: 120
Other Alberta Cities: 15
Other Provinces: 35
United States: 15
Please call us if your establishment would
like to become a distribution location.
History
Originally established in January
1992 as Men for Men BBS by MFM
Communications. Name changed to
GayCalgary.com in 1998. Independent
company as of January 2004. First edition
of GayCalgary.com Magazine published
November 2003. Name adjusted in
November 2006 to GayCalgary and
Edmonton Magazine.
Disclaimer and Copyright
Opinions expressed in this magazine
are specific to the author, and do not
necessarily reflect those of GayCalgary
staff and contributors.
Those involved in the making of this
publication, whether advertisers, contributors,
or the subjects of articles or photographs, are
not necessarily gay, lesbian, bisexual, or
trans. This magazine also includes straight
allies and those who are gay friendly.
No part of this publication may be reprinted
or modified without the expressed written
permission of the editor or publisher.
Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.
GayCalgary is a registered trademark.
Mar 2011 Print Deadlines
Ad Booking: Thu, Feb 24th
Submission: Mon, Feb 28th
In Circulation: Thu, Mar 3rd
Please contact us immediately if
you think you may have missed the
booking or submission deadline.
www.gaycalgary.com
Editorial
No Time better than Drag Time?
Publisher’s Column
By Rob Diaz-Marino, MSc.
I’ve know about “Drag Time” probably since the first Drag
Show I had ever attended. By now I can’t remember
exactly if it was at Boyztown or at Detour that I saw this
show, but I can tell you for certain it happened a good 15
minutes to half an hour late.
Drag Time is something that a lot of us accept as just a
fact of life when it comes to Drag Shows, and sometimes
other community events that actually have nothing to do
with Drag Queens. Sometimes we can’t even count on an
event happening at all, though we can practically always
count on it being late when it does.
Steve and I, who often have to run between several events
in one night, encounter this all the time. Sometimes we end
up missing later events because the earlier ones start late,
and that’s not fair. From the results of our 2011 Reader
Survey, it appears that we’re not the only ones who are
downright sick of this.
Now, I can understand the reasoning behind trying to get
people to stay longer in the bar – in most cases they will
take the opportunity to drink more. So starting a show late,
or keeping the actual starting time vague can, in theory,
have its advantages for the venue. However, that doesn’t
help when the delaying has gotten so bad that many people
have stopped going out at altogether.
In our survey we tried to gauge how readers respond
to vague event times by asking, “How do you feel about
attending events that don’t list a specific starting time?”
While venues may hope people will show up earlier to
be safe, it turns out this is only the case for 20% of our
respondents. Meanwhile 43% will show up later than the
time they guess the event will start, and 37% won’t bother
showing up at all.
So we can say, fairly conclusively, that venues aren’t
doing themselves any favours by keeping event times vague.
Of course, what fascinates me more is the reason why this
is the case. I had been pondering this for a little while, but
when I recently attended a seminar on effective meetings as
part of my day job, something clicked.
Yes, I realize there is a big difference between going to a
meeting and going out to a bar or community event. At the
very least, the former is formal, while the latter is casual.
But we live in Alberta where a lot of people in the LGBT
community are business professionals who value our time.
If someone is late for a meeting, or monopolizes our time for
a considerable amount longer than we had planned, it is
not only a hassle – it is disrespectful. Many of us plan our
time, even when we are out for recreation, and taking us off
schedule is not often appreciated.
In the seminar, one of the strongest things that they
encouraged was to start and end meetings on time. Start it
even if all expected attendees have not arrived yet, because
when you hold off, you waste the time of the people who did
arrive on time. For those who didn’t, you make them realize
that they need to take your schedule seriously.
Ending it on time is just as important. People have other
things to do, and going beyond the planned ending time can
cause everyone who stays to be late, or force them to skip
out on things in progress. Either way, this makes people
unhappy.
You may think this doesn’t apply to what happens in
the night scene, because patrons are out for fun and have
no place they need to be in any rush; that, other than on
Sunday, they have the whole next day to recover from a
hangover and catch up on sleep.
Wrong. For one, people have jobs that may require them
to work over the weekends. At the very least, they plan to be
in bed at a certain time, in order to allow themselves to get
enough sleep to be functional at work the next day. They’ve
probably learned their limits, not wanting to repeat past
hellish experiences getting through the day tired or hung
over, perhaps even worried that they might get fired for not
performing their best.
When you take this control away from them, one of two
things happen: they leave on time, whether the event is
finished or not, and feel dissatisfied; or they stay until the
event finishes, get to bed late, and regret attending the event
as they drag themselves around the next day – or worse,
lose their job for it.
Who in their right mind would keep coming back for
something that is supposed to be fun, but always leaves
them feeling bad one way or another? So then, is it really
such a surprise that fewer people go out any more?
Another thing that I find fascinating is how things might
have gotten to this point. So as an exercise, let’s imagine
that there was once a time where all events posted a time,
and started exactly on time; a satisfactory number of patrons
showed up in time to experience the event. Patrons went
home afterwards, having had a great time with no regrets,
event organizers accomplished what they set out to do, and
the venues were prosperous.
In an imperfect world, there any number of things that
could have started this to go off track. Perhaps a VIP was
delayed arriving due to unforeseen circumstances, and the
organizers opted to wait a few minutes to allow them to
arrive; perhaps a critical performer in the show was likewise
delayed, and the show could not begin until they were ready;
perhaps organizers had not adequately promoted the event
and were not seeing the turnout that they had expected, so
decided to wait in hopes of latecomers arriving; perhaps the
event was not long enough to keep patrons engaged for the
venue to prosper, and so it became necessary to implement
a strategy to keep patrons there longer. All of these things
are innocent enough, and entirely understandable (to be
nice, I won’t go into any of the more sordid scenarios that I
can think of).
At first, the event is delayed by 5 or 10 minutes out of
necessity. The organizers are anxious about this, but they
realize it’s not the end of the world, the patrons find a way
to keep themselves occupied, the venue perhaps makes a
few more sales to pass the time. Nevertheless, the patrons
Continued 
www.gaycalgary.com
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 Editorial Contd.
and even the performers notice that starting late can be
alright, and being busy people not wanting to stand around
for an extra 5 to 10 minutes if they can help it, plan to arrive
5 to 10 minutes later the next time.
Pretty soon we start seeing the exact same things
happening that originally made them late, except now with
the acceptable 5 to 10 minutes delay tagged on. So out of
necessity once again, the event is delayed 15 to 20 minutes;
on the next cycle 25 minutes to half an hour; fairly soon 45
minutes to an hour. Patrons who showed up on time now
feel bored, even cheated – they came here to see a show,
and instead they’re standing around waiting. It puts them
in an unhappy mindset before the show even starts and
makes them less likely to enjoy it. Some have already given
up and left, others have given up and choose to continue
socializing instead of paying attention to the originally
scheduled event. Organizers realize there is a limit to how
much they can delay, and take measures to keep the delay
within tolerance. This pushes them back in the direction of
being on time, but not far enough. Every person has their
own threshold, so there continues to be patrons who leave
unhappy.
The natural thing to do when one is unhappy, is to express
that emotion in some way that solves the problem for them
individually, or at the very least they seek understanding
from others. So those unhappy people start showing up late
themselves, or give up coming. By talking to other people
about it, others may likewise show up late on their first
time, or avoid coming at all. This begins to compound the
problem of turnouts, and of the venue prospering, pushing
back in the direction of delaying. Venues and organizers
may push harder promoting their events and not see the
results they were hoping for – sure people are seeing it, but
if they are already unhappy with the event, or the organizer,
or the venue, an ad isn’t likely to convince them to give it
another chance.
This cycle can go on for a long time but, with a loss of
entropy it cannot go on forever. As more and more people
become unhappy, they stop coming out and find other ways
of keeping themselves happy. As viable patrons diminish,
the venues begin fighting each other for them, leading
to a sometimes poisonous environment that in itself can
cause patrons dissatisfaction and drive them away. Soon
everything breaks down: venues go out of business and
people have to find a new hangout, or fall out of the habit
of coming out altogether so that even the surviving venues
continue to struggle and suffer.
After some time, people start to feel lonely at home. They
may be unhappy with the lack of pretext for social contact
with their friends; they are itching to get out of the house,
meet new friends or, merely get laid. Someone with the
resources to open a new bar recognizes this demand and
acts on it. However, the news reaches only a fraction of
the people who no longer go out – the rest have grown so
isolated from the scene that they have no awareness of it
any more.
Things are good for a while. But the community is small,
and those same event organizers who haven’t learned their
lesson, recognize the success of the new venue, believing
this might be the only ingredient they need to complete
their winning formula. And so they hold their event at the
new venue, delay, cause patrons to feel unhappy again, and
watch things spiral downwards.
So, my question is, how can we fix this?
The answer, I’m afraid, is with great difficulty. There
is a lot of broken trust that takes time and consistency to
repair – time and consistency that organizers and venues
may not see as worthwhile in the short run. But here are
my recommendations nonetheless.
First, start on time and end on time. Of course, you cannot
do this without the logical precursor of first establishing
what “on time” is. Always list a starting and ending time
in your promotional material, and stick to it! To keep true
6
to this promise, you may need to make tough decisions
and sacrifices. If a performer is late, for instance, find a
way to start on time without them. If it’s an honest one-off
mistake, you may want to work them in after they do arrive;
otherwise, cut them out of it (even if it takes away from
the show) so that they learn to respect the schedule. Once
they realize they cannot benefit from performing in the show
unless they are on time, they have motivation to prepare
themselves earlier in future.
When it comes to dealing with turnouts that are below
your expectations, remember the old adage, “A bird in the
hand is worth two in the bush.” (The gay translation might
be, “A cock in the hand is worth two in the tush.”) Your
first priority is to keep the people that do show up, happy –
latecomers be damned. If you keep the audience that you
do have happy, they are more likely to keep coming back
and bring others the next time, and your crowds will grow
(if not, you may need to look at addressing the formula of
the show itself). Late comers who turn up during the show
will realize they need to plan better next time. Really late
comers who arrive after the show has finished, will have
a room full of happy people to inform them of what they
missed.
If the venue feels that the show is not long enough to keep
people there so that they can be successful, a technique
often used is to list a “doors open”/”cocktails” time as well
as a “show time”. Find some way to make it worthwhile for
patrons to show up early, like prizes, food, or other forms of
entertainment. Another thing of value to patrons might be
a post-show reception after the ending time, where patrons
can opt to stay and mingle with the performers – mention it
explicitly so that they can plan for it. Do this consistently
Continued on Page 45 
Online Last Month
PopSex! Exhibit explores sex
and sexuality in public sphere
Using the Institute for Sexual Science
(1919-1933) in Berlin as its starting point
for discussion, PopSex! – an exhibition,
academic conference and film...
www.gaycalgary.com/a2058
Five 2011 Energy and Money Saving
TIps for LGBT Homeowners
Saving energy around the house makes
sense, and it can also help save a
significant amount of money now and in
the future. Here are a handful of ideas...
Favorite Theatre Shows of 2010
2010 was an entertaining year for Calgary.
With dozens of local theatre companies,
and multiple productions touring, it can
be hard to decide what to...
The Best Concerts I Saw in 2010
2010 was certainly a packed year for
music lovers in Alberta. It was a year that
saw music icons like Aerosmith, Guns N
Roses, Ozzy Osbourne, Diana Ross, ...
www.gaycalgary.com
www.gaycalgary.com
7
Travel
Beef Dip 2011
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Photos by Jackson Photografix
The Beef Dip is a week-long holiday outing to share
company with bears and admirers in a climate
conducive to wearing as little clothing as possible.
This year’s 8th annual Beef Dip happened the last
week of January in sunny Puerto Vallarta, Mexico,
with many in attendance from Canada and indeed
numerous familiar faces from Alberta.
www.beefdip.com
8
www.gaycalgary.com
Emerson Drive
Grande Prairie boys mark 10 years with greatest hits album
By Jason Clevett
The story of Emerson drive is one of incredible highs –
small town Alberta boys who have gone on to success
in Nashville including a Grammy award nomination –
and heartbreaking lows with the suicide of bass player
Patrick Borque, shortly after leaving the band in 2007.
It is in celebration of all that they have achieved that the
band releases A Decade of Drive on February 8th.
“Ten years have gone by so quick. To look back on it and see
the different stages throughout our careers, from moving out of
Grande Prairie and attempting to make a mark in Nashville and
getting a record deal, releasing songs over the last ten years…I
never expected it to get where it is today,” singer Brad Mates told
GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine.
“It was just a fun thing when we started this group and obviously
a lot of hard work went into it but, it has come around full circle a
couple of times for us. The album is about letting our fans know if
it wasn’t for some of the clubs we played early on before we had a
deal, fans, promoters, everyone who has helped us along the way…
It is a thanks to them.”
Mates hopes that their success can inspire other artists to chase
their dreams.
“When we first started I can remember a handful of artists that
had made an impact in the music industry and opened doors for
Canadians to take a step stateside and break into that market. I
look at those artists as people who were the helping hand in giving
us a better start. Shania Twain was one of them; Carolyn Dawn
Johnson, Terri Clarke, these people have made a nice mark for
Canadians to look back on in the US and [Canada]. I am proud to
be able to say that now we are one of those groups that other acts
are looking at. How did Emerson Drive do it? What steps did they
take? It is nice to know that young people are trying to go after their
dream. We came from a small town in Northern Alberta. If we can
get out of that mould that is so hard to break, there will be a lot of
acts that will be able to do the same thing in the future.”
They have also invested in helping to provide opportunities and
give back to Grande Prairie.
“For the past five years we have been doing a golf tournament
that supports Parkinson’s research. We do a show at the college
and have set up a scholarship foundation there. We have raised
over $100,000 towards a whole new wing of the college that has
a recording studio. We are giving kids an opportunity in Northern
Alberta to go into a state of the art recording studio at the college
there and have a chance to see that side of the business and
experience what it is like to record music. We didn’t have those
opportunities when we were growing up there - it was always
having to go to Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. I am big on
giving back to the community and the people in that area gave us
such a good start.”
The band marks the release with an extensive cross-Canada
tour. Stops in Alberta include Medicine Hat, Lloydminster, Red
Deer, Lethbridge, Calgary, and Edmonton.
“We have done a lot of shows over the years in Alberta. For people
who haven’t seen us before, we put on a high energy show and
we want people to enjoy it from the minute they walk through the
doors, and want to see another show. We have been known as a
road band our whole career; that is where we made our staple,
building fans week after week over the past 16 years. Ever since
the music was released 10 years ago, to see that build is a pretty
exciting and incredible thing. There is not a night that we go on
www.gaycalgary.com
9
Shear Sex
Scissor Sisters’ frontman on his second puberty, performing naked and the band’s Lady
 Photo by John Wright
By Chris Azzopardi
They’ve always been gorgeous, but it took a decade before
the Scissor Sisters, with their third album Night Work,
became full-on filthy. The romp-pop album, released
last year, is done up in cheeky softcore innuendo about
“funking” someone, the late-shift grind (literally) and
“big” surprises.
GC&E: Why are you always the naked one in the group?
JS: I… um… just get hot on stage. That’s the main reason.
(Laughs) I usually don’t get naked onstage, but I get excitable
and usually it just feels better. The less I have on, the more I
can move around. It’s the reason why Iggy Pop is always ripping
his shirt off, so he can move and do his thing.
Our chat with frontman Jake Shears had many of them –
from the conversation that united the band with Lady Gaga for
the megastar’s 2011 Monster Ball Tour to the favorite gay icon
he wants to meet (Tom Petty?). Shears also talked about the,
well, sheer amount of clothing he wears, his wardrobe faux pas
and how he defines himself – according to the Urban Dictionary.
GC&E: Your Twitter page says you’ve been in the studio
recently. Are the Scissor Sisters recording some new music?
JS: Yeah, I’m in the studio as we speak. We’re writing new
music. We’re back in New York for a moment, so we just
thought we’d come in and play around and have fun. So yeah,
we’re writing, definitely.
GC&E: You’re looking beefier than ever, too. Lots of Muscle
Milk, huh?
JS: I’ve been drinking a lot of Muscle Milk. I’m preparing for
my future as an exercise guru.
GC&E: The wait won’t be four years like it was for Night Work
then?
JS: Well, it was just three and a half. (Laughs) But it definitely
won’t be that long.
GC&E: Your work, as far back as “Filthy/Gorgeous,” has
always had a sexy feel to it. How do you explain those constant
themes of sexual exploration and liberation in your music?
JS: I think that this is the first record where we’ve really
explicitly explored that. So there’s a lot of celebratory stuff, but
then there’s a real dark side to it; we love seeing two sides of
the same coin. But it was just time for us to take the fringe and
the feathers away a bit.
GC&E: So, also in my Twitter finds, I came across a photo of
you in a jockstrap.
JS: Oh, great!
10
GC&E: The music on Night Work is some of the band’s most
sexual. Is it true: Does art imitate life?
JS: The album is very much about our lives that we lead and
then our fantasy lives that we lead – so a lot of it does imitate
life. A lot of it is just imitating the dreams going on in my brain.
But it’s a very sexy record, and I think we were feeling sexy
when we were making it.
www.gaycalgary.com
The other thing is I felt like
I sort of crossed over the line
from being a kid and a boy,
which I felt like I was going to
be forever, into being a grown
man, which has definitely
changed the way that I think
about things, the way that I
perform and the things that I
wear. It’s been like hitting a
second puberty.
GC&E: When you look
back at your career – going
from Brooklyn clubs, kind
of struggling to find an
audience, and now opening
for the biggest superstar in
the world – how do you feel
about how far you’ve come?
JS: I really look back
 Photo by David Sherry
fondly at the last 10 years.
This year, it’s going to be
10 years since our first
performance, so I feel very proud – but, at the same time, I
also feel unfit. I feel like as a band we have a lot more to say,
and I just think this band is going to constantly turn itself on
its head.
GC&E: Touring with Lady Gaga as her opening act should
offer you the exposure that you haven’t necessarily had in the
U.S. You’ve always connected better outside of the States. In
fact, some people still think you’re a European band.
JS: Totally – a lot of people do.
GC&E: Why do you think you’ve been able to connect better
outside of America?
JS: It’s funny: This last tour we had through America was
probably the best American tour we’ve ever done. There’s
something so exciting about touring America at this moment
for us. I don’t know what it was about this record, but it seemed
to make a connection with a real core audience – even more so
than the last couple of records. With our American audience, we
really found kind of a center and the shows, because of it, were
super exciting. They really were some of the most exhilarating
shows we’ve had in a long time. I still get really excited about
playing in America. We’re so well received in Europe and in all
these other places, but playing in America still feels uncharted
and super exciting.
GC&E: Did Lady Gaga handpick you for this tour or was it a
record-label matchmaking?
JS: Oh god, no, it wasn’t a label thing. It came about in a
conversation. We were hanging out at Elton’s White Tie & Tiara
Ball (in 2010), and he sat us next to each other ’cause he knew
we’d get along and it was high time for us to meet. We were
talking about music and she was telling me that she used to
come see us play when she was younger and was just really
inspired and loved our band a lot. I think she holds us very
close to her heart in a lot of ways. And she said, “This might
sound really weird, but I think that we’d do really well on tour
together.” I just said we’d do it in a heartbeat. And it was a done
deal in a week.
look like a fool.
GC&E: Both you and Gaga
wear some pretty flamboyant
clothes. Would you be open
to wearing a meat anything?
JS: It depends on where
it’s placed. (Long pause) I
don’t know what that meant.
(Laughs) God knows I’ve
walked out on stage in some
wonderful and horrendous
and hideous things. My
husband was going through
pictures recently and we
came across, god, this one
picture. You just look back
on some shit that you wear
and it doesn’t seem that long
ago, but then you look at the
picture and you’re like, “Oh
my god, I can’t believe that I
wore that horrible patchwork
shirt with big bell-bottom
trousers.” But I’m not a vain
person, and I’m not afraid to
GC&E: Aside from Lady Gaga, you’ve been able to hang with
some cool gay icons, like Dolly Parton, Kylie Minogue and even
Jane Fonda. Who are some others that you’d like to chill with?
JS: I mean, since I was a kid Jane Fonda was really somebody
I fantasized about meeting in person someday. But that’s a
tough question, because I really just like so many – let me ask
(band member) Baby Daddy. (Turns away from the phone and
says, “Who’s left that I haven’t met that I’m obsessed with?”
Baby Daddy: “That you haven’t met?” Shears: “Or that I haven’t
stalked?”) He just called it: Tom Petty. Tom Petty is one of my
fucking heroes. He’s not as glamorous as Jane Fonda, but –
GC&E: Nor is he a gay icon.
JS: He’s not really a gay icon, I guess. But he is for me. I
just grew up listening to his music and I’ve just always been
a massive fan. My tastes really run the gamut; I’ve got real
obsessions and influences and inspirations that I think people
couldn’t really predict.
GC&E: You never liked when people would refer to the Scissor
Sisters as a “gay band.” Do you feel like you’ve been able to
shake that label over the years?
JS: With this last record we sort of shook it in a way, and
then figured out how to wear it. I think it was always really
frustrating for me in a lot of ways just because I always felt
like being called a “gay band” was a categorization that put us
in a second tier, like we were a second-rate creation. But our
songwriting and our performances can stand up to anybody
GC&E: It’s going to be the gayest show of the year, without
question.
JS: (Laughs) It’s also just really nice to do something that
comes from something real rather than something set up by
record labels. This comes from a real love of one another, and
it’s going to be super exciting because we’re going to be playing
for tons of people who have no idea who we are. It’s a great
platform for us.
www.gaycalgary.com
11
 Continued
else’s, and can stand up next to the best – and labeling it with
our sexual preference above all else is demeaning.
However, on the other hand, we are a gay band and there are
three gay men and a woman, who might as well be a gay man,
and that’s shaped our aesthetic, it’s shaped who we are, it’s
part of what we sing about, it’s part of the sexuality we express.
There are two sides to it, and I think that we are less insecure
about it.
GC&E: In the Urban Dictionary, Jake Shears is defined
as the “hot lead singer of the band Scissor Sisters… gay and
fabulous… known for taking his clothes off or having them
taken off… pretty and funny… his abs are very lickable.”
JS: Oh, that’s good. I like that definition.
GC&E: If you wrote your own entry, what would you write?
JS: God. That’s a tough question. Rock music fanatic. Horror
lover – not “whore” lover. Video gamer. Exuberant and sexual.
Former elf.
I grew up always feeling very puckish, like A Midsummer
Night’s Dream. I always felt like kind of a very energetic
mischievous elf, but I don’t know if that’s really applicable
anymore. But that’s how I’d describe myself. I love that I’m in
the Urban Dictionary; that’s exciting!
http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2065
View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments
 Photo by David Sherry
12
www.gaycalgary.com
Life After A-List
Reichen Lehmkuhl candidly talks reality TV regrets,
DADT and ex Lance Bass’ career copycats
By Chris Azzopardi
Some people had a hard time sitting through The A-List: New York, Logo’s tawdry
teledoc about a gay gaggle that got eye-roll reactions from viewers who couldn’t
completely look away. Imagine starring in it.
Reichen Lehmkuhl, who became the show’s punching bag for nasty names, looks back with
regret that you didn’t see him like you should have. But he’s learned to get on with his life and
focus his attention on the future – one that includes a film based on his first book (a follow-up
to 2006’s Here’s What We’ll Say: Growing Up, Coming Out, and the U.S. Air Force is in the works)
and exploring other avenues of his bottomless ambition as a political activist, model, musician
and jeweler (seriously: he has his own line).
In a recent chat with Lehmkuhl, the 37-year-old got personal about his hurt feelings, how
the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” affected him, his book-turned-movie, and his take on exboyfriend Lance Bass seemingly copying his career.
GC&E: You were called lots of nasty names for your behavior on The A-List: New York. How do
you feel about the way Logo cast you?
RL: It hurts. If it didn’t hurt, I think there’d be something wrong with me. I see myself
differently. Clearly when I look at my life I see myself being raised in a trailer park and breaking
into a successful military career, serving my country and graduating from the Air Force Academy.
www.gaycalgary.com
13
Interview
After getting out and writing a book that sticks up for our
entire community and cries out for help from everyone to get
rid of a policy that’s going to help a lot of other anti-gay policies
fall, to see anyone in the community turn around and call me
a douche bag, it just makes me say, “Wow.” I watch A-List with
different eyes, I’m sure. I guess if I were watching the show
from those people’s eyes, maybe I would think I was a douche
bag, too.
GC&E: How is it balancing serious stances on issues like
DADT and then doing a reality show like A-List?
RL: (Laughs) It’s really hard, because with a show like A-List
the cameras are on us for five months – 3,600 hours over the
summer just of me – and you probably saw, over 10 episodes,
maybe three hours. Imagine what they can do.
I tell people, “Don’t talk to me about editing until you’ve done
a reality TV show, because you don’t know what you’re talking
about.” Out of 3,600 hours, you take three hours of that and
you make a person whatever you want them to be. A show like
A-List doesn’t want to show anything that’s boring and not
what people are tuning in for. They want the things that are
sensationalized, and we understand. We signed up for this and
we understand what they’re going to do. I wish I could just tell
people, “That’s not the way it is.” But you look even more stupid
sticking up for yourself, so I’ve learned to just let it go.
14
GC&E: You said you’re surprised by some of the reactions,
but you also said you knew what you were getting into. Do you
have regrets about doing the show? Would you do a second
season?
RL: Umm... I don’t know. They haven’t even said yet if there
will be a second season, so we haven’t really thought about it
yet. I think that there are definitely some regrets. There are
moments when I think, “Wow, we shouldn’t have even given
them that.” A show can make you look like you’re hitting on
someone in a club, but the editing doesn’t let you see that it’s
your friend of 13 years. (Laughs) Suddenly, you’re hitting on
someone in the club because you’re having a conversation
and saying it’s too bad someone’s leaving the next day. That’s
terrible, and it’s hard.
Even doing my song (“Up to the Sky,” a DADT protest tune),
the show showed the one moment where I really screwed up,
and anyone who’s a singer screws up. They took that and ran it
over and over and over, and it ruined any credibility that I had
to sing or to have a song or to try to do something good. You see
the tragic part, and that’s it.
Had I known it was going to be so negative, I wouldn’t have
done any of that on camera. I would’ve kept it as a very private
part of my life and just released a song on my own, because now
a lot of people won’t even download the song. They’re judging it
based on what they saw on the TV show.
GC&E: Would you like to continue to pursue music?
RL: Um, yeah. I think I’d love to record more songs. I play the
guitar all the time. I’ve been playing the guitar since I was 7, but
the show makes it look like I am 7. (Laughs) If I did record more
songs, I would never ever do it on the show. It was a humiliating
experience for me when I set out for it to be really great project
from the heart and to make a difference.
GC&E: Do you look online for buzz about you?
RL: I used to. I used to care, and after a few years you realize
it doesn’t matter and that it’s just a handful of people who are
negative that are actually drawn to those kinds of blogs and
websites. The majority of people are normal.
GC&E: As someone personally affected by “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell,” how did you feel when you heard it was repealed?
RL: There are no words to describe how I felt. It was 3:30
on the East Coast on Dec. 18, and I’ll never forget it: I had a
few friends over here, we were watching C-SPAN like it was the
Super Bowl.
www.gaycalgary.com
The verdict really lit a new fire under me for the integration of
LGBTQ people in the military, because now we have ground to
stand on to get this done, and I feel like it’s just the beginning of
integration. Now it’s really up to our community to really watch
like hawks these people who are integrating the military and to
make sure they do it correctly; if they do it too slowly, if they do
it right and if they don’t enforce it the way it should be enforced,
we need to watch for that. We really need to be careful not to
say, “Oh, that’s all done,” and wash our hands of it.
GC&E: If this repeal had taken place while you were serving
in the military, how do you think it would’ve affected you?
RL: Oh man – at this point, if I were still in, I would be so
anxious about when I could come out, and I think I would
probably be leading the barrage to get every service-member
who is gay to come out now. The more people who come out, the
bigger problem they have with keeping us in.
There’s an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 LGBT troops serving
right now, and that’s just people who’ve admitted it on survey
forms. If all those people came out, it would send really big
waves through the squadrons and it would just normalize
everything. It would say, “Hey, we’re here, everything’s cool. I’m
the same guy you’ve known, but if you ask what I did this past
weekend you’re going to hear the truth rather than a lie.”
I really wish I could go back in right now. I don’t know if it was
a moment of insanity or a moment of nostalgia, but I thought,
“I wonder if I could investigate what it would be like for me to
go back into the military and serve again.” But then I thought
I would be a captain still, because I got out as a captain, and I
would be 10 years older than all the other captains. That might
be a little weird, but the thought’s crossed my mind.
GC&E: Whomever plays you, it must just be cool to have a
movie made about your life.
RL: I don’t even think about it being made about my life. The
main character is not named Reichen, it’s not like that. It’s a
story based on my life, and the lead of the movie is going to
represent what happened to every gay cadet that was in the Air
Force Academy.
GC&E: I’m wondering how you feel about certain people also
making movies about their lives. And, you know, taking over
a role that was once yours in a play called My Big Gay Italian
Wedding.
RL: (Coyly laughing) Um. You know, I don’t even care. I just
don’t care. I hear chatter, and I wish Lance very well.
GC&E: Will you see his movie when it comes out?
RL: (Laughs) Maybe if I’m invited I’ll go see it. I mean, I’m not
against it. I have no ill will toward him.
GC&E: But didn’t you at one point?
RL: I think when people break up they break up for a reason.
Usually those reasons are confined to personal space, and we
were in a more public situation – so things got out and made
it look like more than it was. Our relationship was a couple of
months, and it was so long ago. A-List made it look like we just
dated; it’s ridiculous. That’s ancient history.
GC&E: Regarding Obama, you’ve said he’s failed you. Does
the repeal of DADT restore your faith in him?
RL: No, because he didn’t do anything to make it happen. And
the thing is, when President Obama had his justice department
appeal the decision of the court ruling to end the ban, which
he was under no obligation to do, he risked having this policy
maybe another two years, maybe another six years if we didn’t
get it passed just now.
If there wasn’t so much hype from everybody who was
screaming – from me to all my friends on Twitter to all these
huge organizations that we’ve spent entirely too much money
to support because of this crap and this horrible ban – and if
that hadn’t happened in the lame-duck session, we would be
screwed.
So yeah, I still have no faith in him, because he brought us to
that point. I hear all these excuses being made for him, but I’m
not going to apologize for him because I’m a Democrat.
GC&E: Your book’s being turned into a film, and names
like Chace Crawford and Taylor Lautner are allegedly being
considered for the lead. Who would you want to play you?
RL: You know what, it’s not my call. I want whomever the
casting director says should play me. Those are names that
were on the shortlist and that are on a list, and there are a lot
of other great names –
GC&E: Like who?
RL: Well, that’s the thing. That’s not something I’m going
to talk about yet, because it’s pointless. I’m not going to give
names of people who aren’t even going to be involved in the
project.
GC&E: My vote’s for Taylor Lautner. He has your abs.
RL: (Laughs) It would be interesting. All the people that
casting has lined up are great actors or up-and-coming actors
who I would love to see play a gay role.
www.gaycalgary.com
15
16
www.gaycalgary.com
Directory & Events
24
DOWNTOWN CALGARY
61
37
43 41
4
55
9
60
2
34
33
16
35
59
36
3
5 6
1
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13
1
2
3
4
5
6
Calgary Outlink---------- Community Groups
Aids Calgary------------- Community Groups
Backlot------------------------ Bars and Clubs
Calgary Eagle Inc.------------ Bars and Clubs
Texas Lounge----------------- Bars and Clubs
Goliath’s-------------------------- Bathhouses
9 FAB---------------------------- Bars and Clubs
13 Westways Guest House---- Accommodations
16 Priape Calgary------------------ Retail Stores
24 Courtney Aarbo----------------------- Services
33 Twisted Element-------------- Bars and Clubs
34 Vertigo Mystery Theatre------------- Theatre
35
36
37
41
43
55
FIND OUT!
CALGARY
LGBT Community Directory
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine is the go-to source for
information about Alberta LGBT businesses and community
groups—the most extensive and accurate resource of its kind! This
print supplement contains a subset of active community groups
and venues, with premium business listings of paid advertisers.
✰....... Find our Magazine Here
......... Wheelchair Accessible
Spot something inaccurate or outdated? Want your business or
organization listed? We welcome you to contact us!
 403-543-6960
 1-888-543-6960
 [email protected]
http://www.gaycalgary.com/CalgaryTravelRss
http://www.gaycalgary.com/EdmontonTravelRss
Local Bars, Restaurants, and Accommodations info on the go!
http://www.gaycalgary.com/Directory
Accommodations
13 Westways Guest House--------------------✰

216 - 25th Avenue SW  403-229-1758

1-866-846-7038  [email protected]

www.gaywestways.com
Bars & Clubs
3 Backlot----------------------------------- ✰
 403-265-5211
 Open 7 days a week, 4pm-close
209 - 10th Ave SW
4 Calgary Eagle Inc.----------------------- ✰

424a - 8th Ave SE
 403-263-5847

http://www.calgaryeagle.com

Open Wed-Sun, 5pm-close
Leather/Denim/Fetish bar.
Club Paradiso

1413 - 9th Ave SE, upstairs
 403-265-5739

www.villagecantina.ca
Carly’s Angels on Sat. Billy Schmidt’s “Sounds
of Sinatra” on Fri. and varied entertainment on
Thurs. Please call for details.
Browse our complete directory of over 570 gay-frieindly listings!
www.gaycalgary.com
One Yellow Rabbit-------------------- Theatre
ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects-------- Theatre
Pumphouse Theatre----------------- Theatre
La Fleur-------------------------- Retail Stores
Lisa Heinricks----------Theatre and Fine Arts
Marquee Room--------------- Bars and Clubs
58
59
60
61
Theatre Junction--------------------- Theatre
Village Bistro & Lounge----------Restaurant
Club Sapien------------------- Bars and Clubs
Holidays on the Hill------------- Retail Stores
60 Club Sapien------------------------------ ✰

1140 10th Ave SW
 403-457-4464

http://www.clubsapien.ca
Dance club & restaurant.
55 Marquee Room-----------------------------✰

612 - 8th Avenue SW

www.marqueeroom.com
Alternative night every Wednesday.
9 FAB (formerly Money Pennies)--------- ✰

1742 - 10th Ave SW
 403-263-7411

www.fab-bar.com

Closed Mondays.
Bar and restaurant.
5 Texas Lounge-------------------------------✰

308 - 17 Ave SW
 403-229-0911

www.goliaths.ca

Open 7 days a week, 11am-close
33 Twisted Element----------------------------✰

1006 - 11th Ave SW
 403-802-0230

www.twistedelement.ca
Dance Club and Lounge.
Bathhouses/Saunas
6 Goliaths-------------------------------------✰

308 - 17 Ave SW
 403-229-0911

www.goliaths.ca

Open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
17
Directory & Events
Calgary Events
Mondays
Squash--------------------------  8:15-9:45pm
See Apollo Calgary
Oct18
ASK Meet and Greet----------------  7-9:30pm

Bonasera (1204 Edmonton Tr. NE)
Inside Out Youth Group----------------  7-9pm
See 1 Calgary Outlink
Yoga (A)-----------------------------  6-7:30pm
Sep27Dec6
See Apollo Calgary
Wing Night------------------------------  All Day
At 9 FAB
Heading Out-----------------------  8pm-10pm
 4th
Movie Night-------------------------  2pm-6pm
By ISCCA at 5 Texas Lounge Nov7Feb13
Free Pool-------------------------------  All Day
At 4 Calgary Eagle with Prime Timers Calgary
Alcoholics Anonymous---------------------  8pm

Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance)
1227 Kensington Close NW
Church Service----------------------------- 4pm
See Rainbow Community Church
Badminton------------------------------  7-9pm
Sep8Dec15
See Apollo Calgary
Saturdays
Swim Practice---------------------------  5-6pm
Sep9Dec
See Different Strokes
Bowling------------------------------------ 7pm
See Apollo Calgary
Sep1Mar30
Running------------------------------------  9am
See Apollo
Sunday Socials----------------------  Afternoon
At 4 Calgary Eagle
Mosaic Youth Group-------------------  7-10pm
 Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW)
Tennis------------------------------------  10am
By Apollo
Free Pool-------------------------------  All Day
At 4 Calgary Eagle
Thursdays
Coffee------------------------------------  10am
See Prime Timers Calgary
Calgary Networking Club--------------  5-7pm
By Calgary Outlink At Ming (520 - 17th Ave SW)
Tuesdays
Lesbian Seniors---------------------------- 2pm

Kerby Center, Sunshine Room
 3rd
1133 7th Ave SW
Wing Night------------------------------  All Day
At 9 FAB
Saturday, February 5th
Calgary Networking Club--------------  5-7pm
 1st Tues
Swim Practice---------------------------  6-7pm
See Different Strokes
Sep9Dec
Karaoke------------------------------  8pm-1am
At 5 Texas Lounge
Boot Camp (A)----------------------  7-8:30pm
Sep7
See Apollo Calgary
Fake Mustache Show-----------  7:30-9:45pm
 1st
See Miscellaneous Youth Network
Between Men---------------------------  7-9pm
 2nd, 4th


Yoga (B)-------------------------  7:45-9:15pm
See Apollo Calgary
Sep27Dec6
Rehearsals--------------------------  7-9:30pm
See Calgary Men’s Chorus
Jun
Fridays
Tuned Out Music Trivia----------------  Evening
At 9 FAB
 1st, 3rd
Silent Auction--------------------------- 8pm
By Pride Calgary

Art Central (100 7th Ave SW)
Gender Bender---------------------------- 8pm
By Students Association of MRU

Liberty Lounge, MRU
Friday, February 11th
Fundraising Shooters------------------  Evening
By ISCCA at 5 Texas Lounge
Divas to Disney------------------------ Evening
At 5 Texas Lounge
Sundays
Valentines Day Party---------------------- 6pm
At 59 Village Bistro
Karaoke------------------------------  8pm-1am
At 5 Texas Lounge
Leather Night-------------------------- Evening
At 4 Calgary Eagle
Fetish Slosh----------------------------  Evening
 2nd
At 3 Backlot
BBQ Fundraiser-------------------------  5-9pm
By ISCCA at 3 Backlot
Worship Time----------------------------  10am
See Deer Park United Church

Illusions--------------------------------  7-10pm
 1st
Worship------------------------------  10:30am
See Scarboro United Church
Straight to Diva------------------------ 9pm
At 4 Calgary Eagle
Womynspace----------------------------  7-9pm
 2nd
Boot Camp (B)----------------  10:30am-12pm
See Apollo Calgary
Sep12
Satuday, February 26th
Wednesdays
New Directions--------------------------  7-9pm
 3rd
Worship Services-------------------------  11am
See Knox United Church
Communion Service------------------  12:10pm
See Knox United Church
Beach Volleyball-----------------  7:30-9:30pm
See Apollo
BBQ Social Sundays----------------------- 2pm
At 4 Calgary Eagle
Lawn Bowling---------------------------  6-9pm
See Apollo
Women’s Healing Circle---------------  1:30pm
See AIDS Calgary
Legend:  = Monthly Reoccurrance,  = Date (Range/Future),  = Sponsored Event
Sunday, February 20th
Sleigh Ride---------------------------  12pm
By ARGRA
Saturday, March 26th
Monthly Dance------------------------- 8pm
By ARGRA
Hillhurst-Sunyside Community Hall
1320 5th Avenue NW
 Calgary Contd.
Community Groups
2 AIDS Calgary---------------------------- ✰

110, 1603 10th Avenue SW

403-508-2500

[email protected]

www.aidscalgary.org
Alberta Society for Kink

403-398-9968

[email protected]

http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/
group.albertasocietyforkink
Apollo Calgary - Friends in Sports

www.apollocalgary.com

www.myapollo.com
A volunteer operated, non-profit organization
serving primarily members of the LGBT communities
but open to all members of all communities.
Primary focus is to provide members with wellorganized and fun sporting events and other
activities.
18
• Western Cup 29

www.westerncup.com
North America’s largest LGBT sporting competition
with over 400 athletes in up to seven different
sports.
• Badminton (Absolutely Smashing)

St. Martha School (6020 - 4 Avenue NE)

[email protected]
Per session: $4 for Apollo member, $5 for nonmembers. Season’s pass $75
• Boot Camp

Platoon FX, 1351 Aviation Park NE

[email protected]
8 classes (one per week) for only $50.This is a 50%
saving for Apollo members only.
• Bowling (Rainbow Riders League)

Let’s Bowl (2916 5th Avenue NE)

[email protected]
Nightly - $17.00/night ($12.50 for lineage; $4.50
in prize money) and shoe rental is $3.00.
• Curling

[email protected]
Will return in September 2010. Sign up at
myapollo.org to receive updates.
East Doors (directly off the Bow river pathway).
Distances vary from 8 km - 15 km. Runners from 6
minutes/mile to 9+ minute miles.
• Golf

[email protected]
Occasional rounds will occur during the summer of
2010 depending on weather and leaders. Sign up
at myapollo.org to receive updates.
• Slow Pitch

[email protected]
Will be running Friday nights during the summer
of 2010, location to be determined. Sign up at
myapollo.org to receive immediate notice of start
date and location.
• Lawn Bowling

Inglewood Lawn Bowling Club
1235 8th Avenue SE

[email protected]
• Squash
 Mount Royal University Recreation

[email protected]
All skill levels welcome.
• Outdoor Pursuits
[email protected]
If it’s done outdoors, we do it. Volunteer led events
all summer and winter. Hiking, camping, biking,
skiing, snow shoeing, etc. Sign up at myapollo.org
to get updates on the sport you like. We’re always
looking for people to lead events.
• Tennis
 U of C Courts

[email protected]
All skill levels welcome. Drop in. Look for Randall.
• Volleyball (Beach)

Volleydome (2825 24 Avenue NW)

[email protected]
• Running (Calgary Frontrunners)
 YMCA Eau Claire (4th St, 1st Ave SW)

[email protected]
www.gaycalgary.com
Directory & Events
 Calgary Contd.
• Volleyball (Rec + Int/Comp)
Both Leagues will return in September 2010. Sign
up at myapollo.org to receive updates.
• Yoga

World Tree Studio (812 Edmonton Trail NE)

Robin: 403-618-9642
$120 (10 sessions); $14 Drop-ins open to all
levels. Apollo membership is required.
Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association (ARGRA)
 www.argra.org
• Monthly Dances-----------------------------

Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Association
1320 - 5th Avenue NW
Artists for the Quality of Life

403-890-1261
 www.afqol.com
Calgary Gay Fathers

[email protected]

http://www.calgarygayfathers.ca
Peer support group for gay, bisexual and
questioning fathers. Meeting twice a month.
Calgary Men’s Chorus

http://www.calgarymenschorus.org
• Rehearsals

Temple B’Nai Tikvah, 900 - 47 Avenue SW
Calgary Sexual Health Centre---------- ✰

304, 301 14th Street NW
 403-283-5580

http://www.calgarysexualhealth.ca
A pro-choice organization that believes all people
have the right and ability to make their own choices
regarding their sexual and reproductive health.
1 Calgary Outlink-----------------------------✰

#4, 1230A 17th Avenue SW

403-234-8973

http://www.calgaryoutlink.com
Formerly know as the Gay And Lesbian Community
Services Association (GLCSA).
• Peer Support and Crisis Line
1-877-OUT-IS-OK (1-877-688-4765)
Front-line help service for GLBT individuals and
their family and friends, or anyone questioning
their sexuality.
• Between Men and Between Men Online
Peer support, sexual health education for gay
or bisexual men, as well as those who may be
uncertain or questioning their sexuality.
• Calgary Networking Club

Ming, 520 - 17th Ave SW
welcoming atmosphere, in which transgendered
people can meet others of like mind.
rentals are also available for meetings, events and
concerts.
• Inside Out
Peer-facilitated youth group for GLBTQ ages 15-25.
Aims to let youth know they are not alone, and to
connect them with their peers. Safe environment
with a variety of resources and activities.
• Worship Services
10:30am in July and August.
• New Directions
Drop in peer-support group to provide support and
resources for individuals who identify as transsexual
or inter-sexed.
• SHEQ Soulful Healing Ego Quest

Trudy or Krista, 403-585-7437
Workshop for women—a chance to grow and share
their experiences related to women’s sexuality. To
participate, please call or leave your name and a
contact time/number with Calgary Outlink.
• Womynspace
Peer social/support group for women providing an
evening of fun, bonding, discussion and activities.
Calgary Queer Book Club

Weeds Cafe (1903 20 Ave NW)
Deer Park United Church/Wholeness Centre
 403-278-8263

77 Deerpoint Road SE

http://www.dpuc.ca
Different Strokes

http://www.differentstrokescalgary.org
• Swim Practice

SAIT Pool, 1301 - 16th Ave NW
No practices on long weekends
Don’t Buy In Project

http://www.dontbuyin.ca
This Calgary Police Service Initiative aims to
encourage youth to working towards an inclusive
environment in which diversity is embraced in their
schools and community.
FairyTales Presentation Society

403-244-1956

http://www.fairytalesfilmfest.com
Alberta Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.
• DVD Resource Library
Over a hundred titles to choose from. Annual
membership is $10.
Gay Friends in Calgary

http://www.gayfriendsincalgary.ca
Girl Friends

[email protected]

members.shaw.ca/girlfriends
Girlsgroove
The networking meetings are open to all individuals
who would like to promote their businesses or
who would like to meet new people - no business
affiliation is necessary.

http://www.girlsgroove.ca
• Heading Out
Peer group for men who are looking for an
alternative social activity to the bar. Activities vary
and are fun and entertaining.
ISCCA Social Association

http://www.iscca.ca
Imperial Sovereign Court of the Chinook Arch.
Charity fundraising group..
• Illusions Calgary
Social group for Calgary and area transgender
community members (cross dressers, transvestites,
drag kings and queens). A safe, discrete and
Knox United Church

506 - 4th Street SW
 403-269-8382

http://www.knoxunited.ab.ca
Knox United Church is an all-inclusive church
located in downtown Calgary. A variety of facility
www.gaycalgary.com
HIV Peer Support Group

403-230-5832

[email protected]
Miscellaneous Youth Network

http://www.miscyouth.com
• Fake Mustache

Quincy’s (609 7th Ave SW)
Calgary’s ONLY Drag King Show. $5 cover. $2
cover under 18. Free for first 10 in drag. Early
show 7:30pm, late show 9pm.
• Mosaic Youth Group

The Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW)
Meets every Wednesday, 7-10pm.
Mystique

[email protected]
Mystique is primarily a Lesbian group for women 30
and up but all are welcome.
• Coffee Night

Second Cup (2312 - 4th Street SW)
NETWORKS

[email protected]
A social, cultural, and service organization for the
mature minded and “Plus 40” LGBT individuals
seeking to meet others at age-appropriate activities
within a positive, safe environment.
Parents for Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)

Sean: 403-695-5791

http://www.pflagcanada.ca
A registered charitable organization that provides
support, education and resources to parents,
families and individuals who have questions or
concerns about sexual orientation or gender identity.
Positive Space Committee

4825 Mount Royal Gate SW

403-440-6383

http://www.mtroyal.ca/positivespace
Works to raise awareness and challenge the
patterns of silence that continue to marginalize
LGBTTQ individuals.
Pride Calgary Planning Committee
 www.pridecalgary.ca

403-797-6564
Pride Rainbow Project

[email protected]

http://www.priderainbowproject.com
Youth run project designed to show support for
same-sex marriage in Canada and elsewhere. A
fabric rainbow banner approximately 5 feet wide
- goal is to make it 3.2km (2 miles) long, in order
to break the world record.
Primetimers Calgary

[email protected]

http://www.primetimerscalgary.com
Designed to foster social interaction for its members
through a variety of social, educational and
recreational activities. Open to all gay and bisexual
men of any age, respects whatever degree of
anonymity that each member desires.
• Free Pool
4 Calgary Eagle
• Saturday Coffee

Midtown Co-op, 1130 - 11th Ave SW
Queers on Campus---------------------- ✰

279R Student Union Club Spaces, U of C
403-220-6394

http://www.ucalgary.ca/~glass
Formerly GLASS - Gay/Lesbian Association of
Students and Staff.
• Coffee Night

2nd Cup, Kensington
Rainbow Community Church

Hillhurst United, 1227 Kensington Close NW

[email protected]

http://www.rainbowcommunitychurch.ca
The Rainbow Community Church is an all-inclusive
church; everyone is welcome.
Rocky Mountain Bears

[email protected]

http://www.rockymountainbears.com
Safety Under the Rainbow

http://www.safetyrainbow.ca
Mission: To raise awareness and understanding of
same-sex domestic violence and homophobic youth
bullying.
Scarboro United Church

134 Scarboro Avenue SW

403-244-1161  www.scarborounited.ab.ca
An affirming congregation—the full inclusion of
LGBT people is essential to our mission and purpose.
Sharp Foundation

403-272-2912

[email protected]

http://www.thesharpfoundation.com
Unity Bowling

Let’s Bowl (2916 - 5th Ave NE)

[email protected]
Urban Sex Radio Show

CJSW 90.9 FM

http://www.cjsw.com
Focus on sexuality; gay bisexual lesbian trans
gendered and straight issues here in Calgary and
around the web.
Western Canada Bigmen and Admirers

groups.yahoo.com/group/
WesternCanadaBigmenGroup/

[email protected]
Vigor Calgary

403-255-7004
 www.vigorcalgary.ca
Violence in Gay Male Relationships (VIGOR) is a
committee of professionals dedicated to increasing
the awareness of gay men’s domestic violence and
the services available to them.
“Yeah...What She Said!” Radio Show

CJSW 90.9 FM

[email protected]
Restaurants
4 Calgary Eagle Inc.----------------------
✰
See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.
60 Club Sapien------------------------------ ✰

1140 10th Ave SW
 403-457-4464

http://www.clubsapien.ca
9 FAB (formerly Money Pennies)-------See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.
✰
19
Directory & Events
DOWNTOWN EDMONTON
1
5
7
11 6 12
3
N
4
14
1 Pride Centre------------- Community Groups
3 HIV Network------------- Community Groups
4 Edmonton STD---------- Community Groups
5 The Junction------------------ Bars and Clubs
6 Buddy’s Nite Club------------ Bars and Clubs
7 Down Under Baths--------------- Bathhouses
8 Prism Bar & Grill------------- Bars and Clubs
11 Steamworks---------------------- Bathhouses
12 Woody’s----------------------- Bars and Clubs
13 PLAY Nightclub--------------- Bars and Clubs
14 FLASH------------------------- Bars and Clubs
 Calgary Contd.
Halo Steak, Seafood & Wine Bar

Canyon Meadows Plaza
13226 Macleod Trail SE

403-271-4111

www.halorestaurant.com
59 Village Bistro & Lounge------------------ 2F, 610 8th Ave SE

403-262-6342 ext 236

M-R: 9am-4pm, F: 9am-5pm, S: 11am-5pm

www.villagebistrocalgary.com
Retail Stores
Adult Depot----------------------------- ✰

140, 58th Ave SW  403-258-2777
Gay, bi, straight video rentals and sex toys.
Clothing and accessories. Adult toys, leather wear,
movies and magazines. Gifts.
Wares & Wear Ventures Inc.
See Canada - Retail Stores.
Services & Products
Calgary Civil Marriage Centre
Marriage Commissioner for Alberta (aka Justice of
the Peace - JP), Marriage Officiant, Commissioner
for Oaths.
 403-246-4134
24 Courtney Aarbo (Barristers & Solicitors)

1138 Kensington Road NW

403-571-5120

http://www.courtneyaarbo.ca
61 Holidays on the Hill----------------------- 403-263-3030
GLBT legal services.
Christmas, Halloween, and much more.

403-777-9494 trial code 3500

http://www.cruiseline.ca

210 - 7th Ave SW 41 La Fleur------------------------------------

103 - 100 7th Avenue SW
 403-266-1707
Florist and Flower Shop.
The Naked Leaf---------------------------

305 10th Street NW
 403-283-3555

http://www.thenakedleaf.ca
Organic teas and tea ware.
16 Priape Calgary------------------------- ✰

1322 - 17 Ave SW
 403-215-1800

http://www.priape.com
20
Cruiseline
Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY.
DevaDave Salon & Boutique

810 Edmonton Trail NE
 403-290-1973
Cuts, Colour, Hilights.
Duncan’s Residential Cleaning
 Jim Duncan: 403-978-6600
Residential cleaning. Free estimates.
Lorne Doucette (CIR Realtors)

403-461-9195

http://www.lornedoucette.com
Marnie Campbell (Maxwell Realtors)

403-479-8619

http://www.marniecampbell.ca
MFM Communications

403-543-6970

1-877-543-6970

http://www.mfmcommunications.com
Web site hosting and development. Computer
hardware and software.
MPs Catering

403-607-8215
SafeWorks
Free and confidential HIV/AIDS and STI testing.
• Calgary Drop-in Centre

Room 117, 423 - 4th Ave SE

403-699-8216

Mon-Fri: 9am-12pm, Sat: 12:15pm-3:15pm
• Centre of Hope

Room 201, 420 - 9th Ave SE

403-410-1180
 Mon-Fri: 1pm-5pm
• Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre

1213 - 4th Str SW
 403-955-6014

Sat-Thu: 4:15pm-7:45pm, Fri: Closed
• Safeworks Van

403-850-3755

Sat-Thu: 8pm-12am, Fri: 4pm-12am
Theatre & Fine Arts
36 ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects

403-294-7402  http://www.ATPlive.com
AXIS Contemporary Art------------------- 403-262-3356
 www.axisart.ca

107, 100 - 7 Ave SW

[email protected]
Fairytales
See Calgary - Community Groups.
Jubilations Dinner Theatre

Bow Trail and 37th St. SW

403-249-7799

www.jubilations.ca
43 Lisa Heinricks (Artist)---------------------

Art Central, 100 7th Ave SW, lower level

http://www.creamydreamy.com
35 One Yellow Rabbit-------------------------

Big Secret Theatre - EPCOR CENTRE

403-299-8888
 www.oyr.org
37 Pumphouse Theatre------------------

2140 Pumphouse Avenue SW

403-263-0079

http://www.pumphousetheatres.ca
✰
Stagewest-------------------------------
✰

727 - 42 Avenue SE
 403-243-6642

http://www.stagewestcalgary.com
58 Theatre Junction---------------------- 
Theatre Junction GRAND, 608 1st St. SW

403-205-2922
✰
www.gaycalgary.com
Directory & Events
 Calgary Contd.

[email protected]

http://www.theatrejunction.com
34 Vertigo Mystery Theatre------------------

161, 115 - 9 Ave SE
 403-221-3708

http://www.vertigomysterytheatre.com
EDMONTON
Bars & Clubs
6 Buddy’s Nite Club--------------------------✰

11725 Jasper Ave
 780-488-6636
14 FLASH---------------------------------------✰

10018 105 Street
 780-938-2941

[email protected]
 Edmonton Contd.
Group of older gay men and their admirers who come
from diverse backgrounds but have common social
interests. Affiliated with Prime Timers World Wide.
Edmonton Rainbow Business Association

3379, 11215 Jasper Ave  780-429-5014

http://www.edmontonrba.org
Primary focus is the provision of networking
opportunities for LGBT owned or operated and LGBTfriendly businesses in the Edmonton region.
Edmonton Illusions Social Club
5 Boots Bar & Grill

780-387-3343

groups.yahoo.com/group/edmonton_illusions
4 Edmonton STD

11111 Jasper Ave
5 The Junction---------------------------- ✰

10242 106th St
 780-756-5667

http://www.junctionedmonton.com
Edmonton Vocal Minority

780-479-2038
www.evmchoir.com

PLAY Nightclub (closed)-------------------✰
3 HIV Network Of Edmonton Society---- ✰
9702 111 Ave NW  www.hivedmonton.com

10220 103 Street
 780-497-7529

[email protected]

http://www.playnightclub.ca
Prism Bar & Grill (closed)------------- ✰
 780-990-0038

10524 101st St

http://www.prismbar.ca
12 Woody’s-------------------------------------✰

11725 Jasper Ave
 780-488-6557
Bathhouses/Saunas
Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose

http://www.iscwr.ca
OUTreach

University of Alberta, basement of SUB

[email protected]

http://www.ualberta.ca/~outreach
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender/transsexual,
Queer, Questioning and Straight-but-not-Narrow
student group.
• PFLAG

Red room - Downstairs  780-436-1998

[email protected]
Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays: A support
group for family members and friends of GLBT
people. An excellent resource for people whose
family members and friends have just come out.
• Prime Timers
See Edmonton Primetimers.
• Suit Up and Show Up: AA Big Book Study

Downstairs Couch Area
Discussion and support group for those struggling
with an alcohol addiction or seeking support in
staying sober.
• TTIQ

Green Room – Upstairs

[email protected]
TTIQ is mixed gender open support group addressing
the needs of transsexual and transgendered
individuals.
• Womonspace Board Meeting

Main Space – Upstairs

[email protected]
Womonspace is a Social and Recreational Society
in Edmonton run by volunteers. They provide
opportunities for lesbians to interact and support
each other in a safe environment, and to contribute
to the broader community.
• Youth Movie


[email protected]
Movie chosen by youth (aged 14 – 25), usually
with LGBT themes. Popcorn is served.
7 Down Under Baths-------------------------✰

12224 Jasper Ave
 780-482-7960

http://www.gayedmonton.com
1 Pride Centre of Edmonton-------------- ✰

95A Street, 111 Ave
 780-488-3234

[email protected]
11 Steamworks--------------------------------✰

11745 Jasper Ave
 780-451-5554

http://www.steamworksedmonton.com
• Community Potluck


[email protected]
A potluck open to all members of the LGBTQ
community. A time to get together, share a meal
and meet people from the community.
• YouthSpace

[email protected]
A safe and supportive space for GLBTQ youth aged
13–25. Video games, computers with internet,
clothing bank, and more.
• Free School


[email protected]
Free School provides workshops on a variety of
topics related to local activism.

[email protected]

http://www.teamedmonton.ca
Community Groups
Alberta Bears

www.beefbearbash.com
Altview-Strathcona County LGBTQ Group
#44, 48 Brentwood Blvd, Sherwood Park, AB
www.altview.ca
Book Worm’s Book Club

Howard McBride Chapel of Chimes
10179 - 108 Street

[email protected]
Buck Naked Boys Club

780-471-6993

http://www.bucknakedboys.ca
Naturism club for men—being social while everyone
is naked, and it does not include sexual activity.
Participants do not need to be gay, only male.
Camp fYrefly

7-104 Dept. of Educational Policy Studies
Faculty of Education, University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G5

http://www.fyrefly.ualberta.ca
Edmonton Pride Festival Society (EPFS)

http://www.edmontonpride.ca
Edmonton Prime Timers

[email protected]

www.primetimersww.org/edmonton
www.gaycalgary.com
• Get Tested for STIs
Free STD testing for anyone interested. For more
information please contact the Pride Centre.
• GLBT Seniors Drop-In


[email protected]
A social and support group for seniors of all genders
and sexualities to talk, have tea and offer each
other support.
• Men Talking with Pride


[email protected]
A social discussion group for gay, bisexual and
transgendered men to discuss current issues and to
offer support to each other.
• Men’s HIV Support Group

Green Room – Upstairs

[email protected]
Support group for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Team Edmonton
Members are invited to attend and help determine
the board for the next term. If you are interested in
running for the board or getting involved in some of
the committees, please contact us.
• Badminton (Mixed)
St. Thomas Moore School, 9610 165 Street

[email protected]
New group seeking male & female players.
• Badminton (Women’s)

Oliver School, 10227 - 118 Street

780-465-3620

[email protected]
Women’s Drop-In Recreational Badminton. $40.00
season or $5.00 per drop in.
•Ballroom Dancing

Foot Notes Dance Studio, 9708-45 Avenue NW

Cynthia: 780-469-3281
• Blazin’ Bootcamp

Garneau Elementary School
10925 - 87 Ave

[email protected]
• Bowling (Northern Titans)

Ed’s Rec Room (West Edmonton Mall)

[email protected]
$15.00 per person.
• Cross Country Skiing

[email protected]
• Curling with Pride

Granite Curling Club, 8620 107 Street NW

[email protected]
• Cycling (Edmonton Prideriders)

Various locations in Edmonton

[email protected]
• Dragon Boat (Flaming Dragons)

[email protected]
• Golf

[email protected]
• Gymnastics, Drop-in

Ortona Gymnastics Club, 8755 - 50 Avenue

[email protected]
Have the whole gym to yourselves and an instructor
to help you achieve your individual goals. Cost is
$5.00 per session.
• Hockey

[email protected]
• Martial Arts

15450 - 105 Ave (daycare entrance)
780-328-6414

[email protected]

[email protected]
Drop-ins welcome.
• Outdoor Pursuits

[email protected]
• Running (Arctic Frontrunners)

Emily Murphy Park, west end

[email protected]
All genders and levels of runners and walkers are
invited to join this free activity.
• Slo Pitch

Parkallen Field, 111 st and 68 ave

[email protected]
Season fee is $30.00 per person. $10 discount for
players from the 2008 season.
• Snowballs III

February 5-7th, 2010

[email protected]
Skiing and Snowboarding Weekend.
• Soccer

[email protected]
• Spin

MacEwan Centre for Sport and Wellness
109 St. and 104 Ave

Wednesdays, 5:45-6:45pm
Season has ended.

[email protected]
7 classes, $28.00 per registrant.
• Swimming (Making Waves)

NAIT Pool (11762 - 106 Street)

[email protected]
www.makingwavesswimclub.ca
21
Directory & Events
Edmonton Events
Mondays
Boot Camp------------------------------  7-8pm
See Team Edmonton
Men’s HIV Support Group--------------  7-9pm
See Pride Centre of Edmonton
 2nd
Curling---------------------------------  7:15pm
See Team Edmonton
Oct4Mar21
Amateur Strip----------------------------  12am
At 6 Buddys
Tuesdays
GLBT Seniors Drop-in------------------  1-4pm
TTIQ-------------------------------------  2-4pm
 2nd
Youthspace------------------------------  3-7pm
Bowling-----------------------------  6:45-9pm
See Team Edmonton
Sept7Mar15
Community Potluck---------------------  7-9pm
 Last
Recreational Volleyball--------  8:30-10:30pm
Oct5
See Team Edmonton
Swimming-----------------------  7:30-8:30pm
Sept9Dec21
See Team Edmonton
Martial Arts---------------------  7:30-8:30pm
See Team Edmonton
Wednesdays
PFLAG---------------------------------  12:10pm
 1st
Youthspace------------------------------  3-7pm
Youth Sports/Recreation------------------ 4pm
See Youth Understanding Youth
Youth Understanding Youth------------  7-9pm
At 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
Mixed Badminton----------------------  8-10pm
Jan13End of May
See Team Edmonton
Wing & Sing--------------------------- Evening
At 5 Junction
Wings + Karaoke------------------------- 7pm
At 12 Woodys
Thursdays
GLBT Seniors Drop-in------------------  1-4pm
Get Tested for STIs----------------------  3-6pm
 Last
Youthspace------------------------------  3-7pm
Fridays
Edmonton Illusions--------------------  8:30pm
At 5 The Junction
 2nd
Youthspace--------------------------  3-6:30pm
Youth Movie Night------------------  6:30-8:30
See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
Saturdays
Naturalist Gettogether---------------------- ???
 2nd
See Buck Naked Boys Club
AA Big Book Study--------------------  12-1pm
Monthly Meeting-----------------------  2:30pm
By Edmonton Primetimers
 2nd
 Unitarian Church, 10804 - 119th Street
GLBT African Group----------------------- 6pm
 2nd
Youthspace--------------------------  3-6:30pm
Swimming-------------------------------  7-8pm
See Team Edmonton
Sept9Dec21
Bowling------------------------------------ 5pm
See Team Edmonton
Sundays
Book Club------------------------------  7:30pm
See BookWorm’s Book Club
 3rd
Martial Arts---------------------  7:30-8:30pm
See Team Edmonton
Intermediate Volleyball--------  7:30-9:30pm
See Team Edmonton
Wet Underwear Contest--------------- Evening
At 6 Buddys
Running------------------------------  10-11am
See Team Edmonton
Free School----------------------------  11-5pm
See Pride Centre of Edmonton  2nd, 4th
Men Talking with Pride----------------  7-9pm
Ballroom Dancing--------------  7:30-8:30pm
See Team Edmonton
Monthly Meetings---------------------- 2:30pm
 Unitarian Church (10804 119th Street)
See Edmonton Primetimers
 2nd
Tuesday, February 8th
Business Mixer-------------------------  5:30pm
By ERBA

Investors Group
#107 Broadway Blvd, Sherwood Park
Queen of Hearts Pageant-----  9pm-11:30pm
By ISCWR at 5 The Junction
Legacy Gala-------------------------------- 6pm
By HIV Edmonton

Fairmont Hotel MacDonald - Empire Ballroom
10065 - 100 Street
Disney Extravaganza---------------------- 9pm
By ISCWR at 6 Buddys
Winterfest Wonderland-------  10pm-11:30pm
By ISCWR at 5 The Junction
Oscar Party-------------------------  5pm-11pm
By ISCWR at 12 Woodys
Womonspace Meeting---------  12:30-1:30pm
 1st
Yoga---------------------------------  2-3:30pm
See Team Edmonton
Legend:  = Monthly Reoccurrance,  = Date (Range),  = Sponsored Event
 Edmonton Contd.
• Tennis

Kinsmen Sports Centre

Sundays, 12pm-3pm

[email protected]
• Ultimate Frisbee

Sundays
Summer Season starts July 12th

[email protected]
E-mail if interested.
• Volleyball, Intermediate

Amiskiwacy Academy (101 Airport Road)

[email protected]
• Volleyball, Recreational

Mother Teresa School (9008 - 105 Ave)

[email protected]
• Women’s Lacrosse

Sharon: 780-461-0017

Pam: 780-436-7374
Open to women 21+, experienced or not, all are
welcome. Call for info.
• Yoga

Grant MacEwan Centre
Dance Studio ,Room 186, 10045 - 156 Street

[email protected]
22
Womonspace

780-482-1794

[email protected]

www.womonspace.ca
Women’s social group, but all welcome at events.
Youth Understanding Youth

780-248-1971
 www.yuyedm.ca
A support and social group for queer youth 12-25.
• Sports and Recreation

Brendan: 780-488-3234

[email protected]
Restaurants
5 The Junction-------------------------------

10242 106th St
 780-756-5667
12 Woody’s-------------------------------------✰
 780-488-6557

11725 Jasper Ave
Retail Stores
Rodéo Drive

11528 - 89th Street

780-474-0413

[email protected]

http://www.rodeodrive.ca
His and hers fetish wear, toys, jewelry, etc.
Products & Services
Cruiseline

780-413-7122 trial code 3500

http://www.cruiseline.ca
Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY.
Robertson-Wesley United Church

10209 - 123 St. NW
 780-482-1587

[email protected]
 www.rwuc.org

Worship: Sunday mornings at 10:30am
People of all sexual orientations welcome. Other
LGBT events include a monthly book club and
a bi-monthly film night. As a caring spiritual
community, we’d love to have you join us!
• Soul OUTing

Second Sunday every month, 7pm
An LGBT-focused alternative worship.
• Film Night

Bi-monthly, contact us for exact dates.
• Book Club

Monthly, contact us for exact dates.
Theatre & Fine Arts
Exposure Festival

http://www.exposurefestival.ca
Edmonton’s Queer Arts and Culture Festival.
The Roxy Theatre

10708 124th Street, Edmonton AB

780-453-2440

www.theatrenetwork.ca
BANFF/CANMORE
Community Groups
Mountain Pride

BOX 4892, BANFF, AB, T1L 1G1

Brian, 403-431-2569
1-800-958-9632

[email protected]

www.gaybanff.com
Serving the GLBTQS community in Banff, Canmore,
Lake Louise and Area.
GRANDE PRAIRIE
Community Groups
GALAP

10113 - 103 Ave, T8V 1C2

780-512-1990
Gay and Lesbian Association of the Peace.
• Wednesday Coffee Nights
www.gaycalgary.com
 Alberta Contd.
LETHBRIDGE
Community Groups
GALA/LA

403-308-2893

http://www.galalethbridge.ca
Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Lethbridge and Area.
• Monthly Dances

Henotic (402 - 2 Ave S)
Bring your membership card and photo ID.
• Monthly Potluck Dinners

McKillop United Church, 2329 - 15 Ave S
GALA/LA will provide the turkey...you bring the rest.
Please bring a dish to share that will serve 4-6
people, and your own beverage.
• Support Line

403-308-2893

Monday OR Wednesday, 7pm-11pm
Leave a message any other time.
• Friday Mixer

The Mix (green water tower)
103 Mayor Magrath Dr S

Every Friday at 10pm
Gay & Lesbian Integrity Assoc. (GALIA)

University of Lethbridge  [email protected]
GBLTTQQ club on campus.
• Movie Night

Room C610, University of Lethbridge
Gay Youth Alliance Group

Betty, 403-381-5260  [email protected]

Every second Wednesday, 3:30pm-5pm
Lethbridge HIV Connection

1206 - 6 Ave S
PFLAG Canada

1-888-530-6777

[email protected]

www.pflagcanada.ca
Pride Lethbridge

[email protected]
RED DEER
Community Groups
Affirm

Sunnybrook United Church

403-347-6073

2nd Tuesday of the month, 7pm
Composed of LGBTQ people, their friends, family
and allies. No religious affiliation necessary.
Activities include support, faith and social justice
discussions, film nights, and potlucks!
local charity responsible for HIV prevention and
support in Central Alberta.
Western Canadian Pride Campout

www.eventmasterinc.net
YouthSafe

http://www.youthsafe.net
Alberta’s website for youth with sex-and-gender
differences. Youthsafe.net lists the resources,
information and services to help youth find safe and
caring spaces in Alberta.
Theatre & Fine Arts
Alberta Ballet

http://www.albertaballet.com
Frequent productions in Calgary and Edmonton.
CANADA
Community Groups
Alberta Trans Support/Activities Group

http://www.albertatrans.org
A nexus for transgendered persons, regardless of
where they may be on the continuum.
Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition

P.O. Box 3043, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 3S9

(306) 955-5135

1-800-955-5129

http://www.rainbowhealth.ca
Egale Canada

8 Wellington St E, Third Floor
Toronto, Ontario, M5E 1C5

1-888-204-7777
 www.egale.ca
Egale Canada is the national advocacy and lobby
organization for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals,
trans-identified people and our families.
Membership fees are pay-what-you-can, although
pre-authorized monthly donors are encouraged (and
get a free Egale Canada t-shirt). Egale has several
committees that meet by teleconference on a
regular basis; membership on these is national with
members from every region of Canada.
Products & Services
Squirt

http://www.squirt.org
Website for dating and hook-ups. 18+ ONLY!
Theatre & Fine Arts
Broadway Across Canada

http://www.broadwayacrosscanada.ca
OUTtv

http://www.outtv.ca
GLBT Television Station.
ALBERTA
Community Groups
Central Alberta AIDS Network Society

4611-50 Avenue, Red Deer, AB

http://www.caans.org
The Central Alberta AIDS Network Society is the
www.gaycalgary.com
23
Politics
Dire Straits in Dire Straits after Censorship Ruling
By Stephen Lock
The tentacles of censorship have always uncurled in
insidious ways, but usually the grip is more immediate
than 26 years later and in reaction to one (count ‘em....
ONE) complaint about content.
However, the Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council,
the independent body responsible for what is aired over
Canada’s television and radio air waves, in response to that
one complaint has decided to ban the original version of
the song Money for Nothing by Dire Straits. This is because
it contains the anti-gay epithet “faggot” three times in the
fourth verse and therefore the song contravened the Human
Rights Clauses of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters
Code of Ethics and Equitable Portrayal Code.
Now, if the song had, in fact, been a nasty piece of antigay diatribe calling for listeners to go out and beat the crap
out of us perhaps such censorship might (and I stress the
word might) have been appropriate. However, it is no such
thing. If ever there was an argument about the importance
of context when it comes to dealing with controversial/
offensive material, this is a textbook case.
Mark Knopfler, the band member who wrote the piece,
was not attacking gay men. The entire context of the song
is about a manual labourer who resents the rock musicians
he sees on MTV and it is this individual from whose point of
view the song is written...and the individual describes those
he is envious of as “faggots”. This is clearly not a reference
to their real or perceived sexual orientation, since right at
the top of the song he complains about how “them yo-yo’s”
get their “money for nothing [i.e. they don’t really work for it
like he has to] and [their] chicks for free.”
This casual use of a homophobic term is familiar to all of
us, gay or straight. Hang out in the food court at any mall,
or a school yard, a convenience store, or a bar and “faggot”
is used as a putdown of anyone the user doesn’t like,
disagrees with, or has issues with. It’s like calling someone
a dork, or a rehab, or a doofus, only perhaps a bit nastier.
Do I find the word offensive? Of course. Is it more offensive
when used so casually, rather than as an epithet involving
sexual orientation? To be honest, I’m not sure but my gut
response is the casual use is marginally more offensive, if
only because it is such an unthinking use of a pejorative
term....rather like someone declaring he’s been “jewed”
when he means he was cheated. Is the use of the term in
the song, therefore, offensive? To some, absolutely it is, so
the question then becomes, is the use of the term, given the
context of the song, so offensive it warrants censoring it? I
would argue it is not.
I’m not a fan of Dire Straits but I’ve heard this song and
their other great hit, Sultans of Swing, on the radio for years.
Money for Nothing has an interesting riff, or hook, to it that
is immediately recognizable even to non-fans but other than
that, I never paid much attention to it. I certainly never
picked up on the word “faggot” in the lyrics and I’d say,
and I doubt many would disagree, that I tend to be rather
sensitive to such things.
In a 1985 interview with VH1 music critic Bill Flanagan,
Knopfler talked about the genesis of the song: “The lead
character...is a guy who works in the hardware department
in an...appliance store. He’s singing the song. I wrote the
song when I was actually in the store - I borrowed a bit of
paper and started to write the song down in the store. I
24
wanted to use a lot of the language that the real guy actually
used when I heard him, because it was more real...”
Ironically, given the current controversy, the song won the
Grammy for the Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group
with a Vocal in 1985. Assuming you were even born before
then, do you remember what else was playing on the radio
that year? I Want to Know What Love Is by Foreigner, The
Power of Love by Huey Lewis and The News, We Built This
City (On Rock’n’Roll) by Starship, Crazy for You and Material
Girl by Madonna, Heaven by Bryan Adams, We Don’t Need
Another Hero and Private Dancer by Tina Turner, and Born
in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen, to name a few. With
the possible exception of the blue-collar anthem, “Born in
the U.S.A.”, all were typical AM radio “pop”. For 26 years,
this Grammy winning song received air play throughout
North America with nary a complaint. Most people probably
couldn’t have told you what the lyrics were due to the
mumbled nasal whine of the vocals; I know I couldn’t, apart
from some reference to microwave ovens and colour TVs.
Having done radio for 14 years with my own show on CJSW
90.9 I understand the issues surrounding “controversial
language” and the responsibility a broadcaster has to
ensure any use is not gratuitous. The show I produced
and hosted, Speak Sebastian, was quite often politicallydriven and frequently dealt with “sensitive” topics. If I or a
guest ever used the term “faggot” on air, which I don’t recall
but in 14 years of doing a GLBT radio show it probably
happened at some point, it was in context of a larger issue
being discussed. To me, that is therefore appropriate.
We never had a problem with station management or the
Standards Council. I do know the term “dyke” was used
periodically and certainly “queer” was but, again, it was
within a cultural/political context.
The Standards Council received one complaint about
the song’s content after the song aired over a St. John’s
Newfoundland radio station. Since calling for the ban, more
than 250 letters questioning the ban have been received and
the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications
Commission (CRTC) is now asking the Canadian Broadcast
Standards Council to review its original decision. The role
of the CRTC is to ensure “...all Canadians have access to a
wide variety of high-quality Canadian programming as well
as access to employment opportunities in the broadcasting
system. Programming in the Canadian broadcasting system
should reflect Canadian creativity and talent, our bilingual
nature, our multicultural diversity and the special place
of aboriginal peoples in our society.” According to its own
website (www.crtc.gc.ca) the Commission does not regulate
the quality and content of TV and radio programs. In other
words, its role is not to censor or otherwise interfere in
content but to serve as a licensing and marketing body.
If the song had in fact been an anti-gay diatribe calling
for violence against us, it would have likely fallen under
section 319 of the Criminal Code, the so-called Hate Crimes
provision. However, the complainant did not pursue a
criminal complaint, but rather filed a complaint with the
Standards Council which would be the appropriate agency
to approach. That is not the issue. The issue here is
whether the Council was correct in banning the song. Is
censorship appropriate in such instances? Again, it comes
down to context and intent. Censorship should never be
a first response mechanism. In fact, censorship is such
an extreme reaction, its use needs to be very carefully
www.gaycalgary.com
Money for Nothing
monitored and rarely used, and then only in extreme cases.
This clearly was not the situation here.
The history of the use of censorship is not a good one.
Rarely, if ever, has censorship really been about the common
good. It wasn’t during the McCarthy Era in the United
States; it wasn’t under the Third Reich or Stalinist Russia;
it wasn’t when employed by the Church during the Middle
Ages (or any other era one might care to name); and it isn’t
under the theocracies of Iran, Saudi Arabia, or any number
of Taliban-controlled territories. Simply put, censorship
is bad. It is about control and the removal of individual
choice. It is the State, or agents of the State, deciding what
the populace can see, listen to, read, or experience. It is the
antithesis of democratic freedom.
As an aside, even Dire Straits has over the years modified
the lyrics when performing in concerts, replacing “faggot”
with “queenie” or “mother” (itself a sanitized version of a
well-known insult involving sexual relations with one’s
mother...), which is a type of self-censorship no artist should
engage in. The band, I assume, modified the lyrics in concert
out of concern for offending gay or gay-affirmative fans but
I think the concern, while appreciated, was misplaced.
People at concerts are there for the music, not the lyrics.
When the band goes into the opening riff of the song, that
is when the crowd starts to cheer and shout and wave their
arms in the air. It’s the melody or a particular aspect of the
tune, like the hook this song has, that taps into that part of
the human brain that can make us feel good or excited or
sad and, it is that which makes or breaks a song.
In its request to the Canadian Broadcast Standards
Council, the CRTC has asked them to examine the context
of the word within the song’s overall message, the age of
the song and how frequently it has been played since its
release, and use of the word since the song was released.
These are important questions to ask, which should have
been part of the original process - especially the question of
context and overall message. Censorship too often tends to
be a gut-level, knee-jerk response to something one finds
offensive or upsetting. When I was the Regional Co-Director
for Egale Canada we had to deal with a letter published by
the Red Deer Advocate by Rev. Stephen Boissoin.
While one cannot compare the lyrics of “Money for
Nothing” to the vile Boissoin letter - they operate in totally
different contexts and on entirely different levels - the
concept of using censorship to address real or perceived
slights is probably not the best approach. Especially with
a song that has received considerable air time over the last
26 years.
I happen to think the song, or rather its lyrics, are hardly
the stuff of greatness. It’s a commercial pop song, something
one has playing as background while at work or driving the
car; all in all, pretty innocuous. Banning it has given the
song more notoriety than it probably deserves. There is
far worse stuff out there, stuff that is truly offensive. Most
Hip-hop lyrics are far worse, far edgier. Punk was more
dangerous than this. John Lennon singing “Imagine there’s
no heaven” was anti-religion but it didn’t get banned and it
shouldn’t. Neither should this have been.
by Dire Straits
Now look at them yo-yo’s, that’s the way you do it,
You play the guitar on the MTV.
That ain’t working, that’s the way you do it,
Money for nothing and your chicks for free.
Now that ain’t working, that’s the way you do it,
Let me tell you them guys ain’t dumb.
Maybe get a blister on your little finger,
Maybe get a blister on your thumb.
We got to install microwave ovens,
Custom kitchen deliveries.
We got to move these refrigerators,
We got to move these colour TVs.
The little faggot with the earring and the makeup,
Yeah buddy, that’s his own hair.
That little faggot got his own jet airplane,
That little faggot he’s a millionaire.
Look at that, look at that,
I should have learned to play the guitar,
I should have learned to play them drums.
Look at that mama, she got it sticking in the camera
Man we could have some fun.
And he’s up there, what’s that? Hawaiian noises?
Banging on the bongos like a chimpanzee.
Oh, that ain’t working, that’s the way you do it,
Get your money for nothing get your chicks for free.
Listen here,
Now that ain’t working, that’s the way you do it,
You play the guitar on the MTV.
That ain’t working, that’s the way you do it,
Money for nothing and your chicks for free,
Money for nothing and chicks for free.
Get your money for nothing, get your chicks for free.
Money for nothing, chicks for free.
Look at that, look at that.
Get your money for nothing, get your chicks for free (I want my,
I want my, I want my MTV)
Money for nothing and chicks for free.
Easy, easy.
That ain’t working.
www.gaycalgary.com
25
Community
2011 Survey Results
Outcomes from the GC&E Magazine Reader Survey
By Rob Diaz-Marino
We ran our bi-annual in-house reader survey over the
course of last month. I’m happy to report that we got
a good deal more people participating this year than we
did back in 2009. This is extremely helpful – the more
people that respond, the better we can understand what
is going on. Otherwise, with Alberta readers as quiet
as they are, we have no idea whether the crickets are a
good thing or a bad thing.
There are a number of interesting statistics and responses
that we’d like to bring up. The numbers below refer to
survey respondents; however we use this sample to estimate
trends within our entire readership.
Our most remembered edition was oddly September
2010 with Adam Levigne on the cover, followed closely by
December 2010 (Cher), and May 2010 (Adam Lambert).
From responses given, by our calculation the average reader
spends 70 minutes reading GC&E Magazine each month.
Our most popular articles were the Community Photo
Features (of course), followed by Community Organization
and Event articles and Celebrity Interviews. As online
articles go, we’re happy to see that 81% are reading them in
some capacity.
Compared to our 2009 survey there is a significant dip
in the number of people going out to the bars on a regular
basis. All around, people’s spending seems to be a little
more conservative.
A good point for event organizers across Canada hoping
to attract people from Alberta (or vice versa): 82% of readers
said they need one month or more of advance notice to
consider attending an event in another province. That
means running an ad the month of your event is not likely
to be effective – at least 3 months of consecutive advertising
prior to the event are required for the best results.
An impressive result that gives testament to the trusted
reputation of our magazine, and effectiveness of advertising
with us, is that nearly 70% of respondents stated that they
are more likely to attend an event if it is sponsored by GC&E
Magazine!
When it comes to being out of the closet, 78% stated
they are fully out to their family, 81% are fully out to their
friends, and 61% are fully out at work. These are pretty
impressive numbers, and up from our 2009 survey.
Surprisingly (perhaps just to me) was the fact that
so many people in the community are still experiencing
discrimination. Over the past 12 months, 24% have felt
discrimination at work, 20% at a mall or store, and 12%
from healthcare workers (I’m listing only the top 3 here).
This year we asked many open ended questions, regarding
how readers would like us to do things differently. A
surprisingly common response was some rephrasing of
“keep doing what you’re doing”. It seems a lot of people
are satisfied with the direction we are going with the
magazine, and remain interested to see where we take them.
Nevertheless we received some very reasonable suggestions
that we will look into for this coming year.
One respondent said, “You folks are doing a great job!
Serving all the different communities inside Alberta’s diverse
group of queer and trans of all sorts is a tough job and you
do it with seeming ease. Thank you for adding Edmonton
into the fold and providing a great mix of fun mainstream
and queer culture with Alberta focused stuff.”
And the Winner Is…
26
We asked readers to name some of their community
favourites; which businesses they thought were doing a
great job, and which not so much. While we’re keeping
some of the results a surprise for our upcoming Alberta’s
Top 10 LGBT Figures article, here are the ones that we can
reveal.
Keep in mind that for many of these questions, answers
were so varied that it was often difficult to group them
toward single categories. This resulted in percentages
seeming low even for the top entries, and caused difficulty
separating the lower numbers into different ranks.
Lastly, remember that this is our readership talking, and
not us. Officially, we love everyone.
Favourite Major Alberta LGBT Event of 2010 (Top 5)
1. Canadian Rockies International Rodeo – ARGRA (17%)
2. Calgary Pride (15%)
3. TIE: Apollo Western Cup (5%), Edmonton Pride (5%), Fairy
Tales Film Festival (5%)
Best LGBT-operated or LGBT-friendly Business or NonProfit Group (Top 9)
1. Club Sapien (13%)
2. GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine (10%)
3. Priape (7%)
4. Edmonton Pride Centre (6%)
5. TIE: FAB (4%), Texas Lounge (4%), Junction (4%), ISCWR
(4%), Team Edmonton (4%)
Worst LGBT-operated or LGBT-friendly Business or NonProfit Group (Top 4)
1. Twisted Element (17%)
2. TIE: Calgary Outlink (3%), Pride Calgary (3%), FLASH (3%)
www.gaycalgary.com
Community
Team Edmonton Mixer
Sports and Recreation Mingles with the Public
By Dallas Barnes and Sam Casselman
Team Edmonton is having its 4th annual Mixer on
Saturday, February 26th at the Sawridge Inn. This is
the second year that the Sawridge Inn has played host
to the event, and according to Keith Andony of Team
Edmonton, this partnership has been fabulous.
“They were such great hosts to work with on our previous
event we were glad to return and work with them again.”
Andony sees how the growth of the organization has
brought out more facets of the community.
“The event has become increasingly diverse in terms of
attendance.
All genders, sexual orientations, ages and
ability levels are welcome to attend. The event is not just for
jocks and jockettes. At last year’s event we had everyone from
seniors to University students coming out to find out what
was available in the community. As Team Edmonton has
grown from supporting 6 groups to 32 different activities, the
size and scope of our mixer has increased as well.”
Andony explains the event further. “As usual the event is
free for all [18+] to attend. This evening is about providing
the GLBTQ community with an opportunity to meet the
organizers and participants from the entire spectrum of
sports and recreation community. From hard core triathletes
to recreational bowlers there is something for everyone to
discover. Team Edmonton invites our community partners
such as the Pride Week Society, Womonspace and HIV
Edmonton to promote the work that they are involved with as
well. It is an evening of awareness and opportunity for all.”
A silent auction also takes place during the evening.
“The silent auction is filled with some great items donated
by business and organizations that include everything from
gourmet dinners to athletic apparel.“
Team Edmonton is a volunteer-operated, non-profit
society catering towards well organized and fun sporting
events and recreational activities for the GLBTA community,
which including: yoga, ultimate Frisbee, kickboxing, hockey,
Hip-Hop, Dragon Boating, and badminton. This is not all, so
make sure to check out their website for a complete list.
“The [mixer] is also a perfect opportunity to find out about
how you can participate in the Outgames in Vancouver from
July 25 to July 31st of this year. … This evening is focused
on getting over 300 guests mixing and mingling in a social
atmosphere and discovering all that Edmonton has to offer to
the GLBTQ community.”
The Team Edmonton Mixer
Sawridge Inn (4235 Gateway Blvd, Edmonton)
February 26th, 7-11:30pm
www.teamedmonton.ca
www.gaycalgary.com
Q Scopes
“Trust your instincts, Pisces!”
The Sun lining up with Neptune in Aquarius, and in a rare
combination of aspects with Uranus (for the last time in our
lifetime!), offers an unusual boost to intuitive clarity.

ARIES (March 20–April 19): Enjoy the company of good
friends; talk about where you all expect to be in about 10 or 20
years. That can trigger inspired hunches about the future. As
wild as they seem, talk about them for a clearer vision of what
will be.

TAURUS (April 20–May 20): The future is necessarily
uncertain. Don’t let that worry you, even the best astrologers
can only hint vaguely at what will be. Focus on what you really
want and expect of life – that will alleviate concerns about your
career.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20): When you’re not sure what
else to believe in, believe in yourself. Even that may be difficult
while you are in the midst of redirection, but look into your own
heart, your own guiding light, to see what you know to be true.

CANCER (June 21–July 22): Discuss your deepest, darkest
sexual fantasies with your partner – or someone you can trust.
Something new is likely to come up. You may not be ready to
act on it, but at least consider the notion and what’s behind it.

LEO (July 23–August 22): The bedroom can be a great
place to clear up misunderstandings with your partner. Be
willing to let your lover lead you to places and positions you’d
never considered. Also be open to returning the favor. It’s all
about trust and empathy.

VIRGO (August 23–September 22): Your ideas at work are
brilliant enough, but winning support can be a problem. The art
of persuasion is more seduction than argument. Let others think
they had a part in your ideas if you don’t mind giving up some of
the credit.
LIBRA (September 23–October 22): The phrase “being a

team player” does include some actual play – even at work.
Morale-building fun-and-games will help you get into better
sync with your colleagues. Even solo, new techniques will
improve your game.

SCORPIO (October 23–November 21): Family secrets
or community scandals, some innocent, and even playful
explorations could open quite a can of worms. In the end it
could prove very healing, although the catharsis could put
some big bumps on the path to resolution.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 20): Confusion is
the first step to enlightenment. Remember that when things get a
little crazy with neighbors or siblings. Their “deception” is probably
not deliberate. Be patient, forgiving and alert!

CAPRICORN (December 21–January 19): A necessary
choice between diplomacy and honesty could test your values.
“Being kind” is a mistake if it means hiding the truth, which
will be discovered in any event. Gentleness and finesse will be
appreciated; pussyfooting and sugarcoated lies will not.

AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18): Birthday splurges
can carry hidden costs. Enjoy, but think ahead and consider the
consequences. Take time out to consider where you’re going in life.
Maturing is a process of adaptation. Aging offers opportunities for
insight and liberation.

PISCES (February 19–March 19): Take as much time
out as you need from worldly demands. You need to be able
to charge your batteries to intuit the big changes coming up
both globally and personally. Trust your instincts and act on
them.
Jack Fertig, a professional astrologer since 1977 teaches at the Online
College of Astrology : http://www.astrocollege.com. He can be reached for
personal or business consultations at 415-864-8302 or through his website
at http://www.starjack.com
27
Gossip
Oprah’s caged heat
In Oprah’s world, the press
releases come fast and furious,
especially where her new OWN
channel is concerned. It’s a
good thing Romeo was paying
close attention to Winfrey’s every
move or he would have missed
the coming-up-soon debut of
Breaking Down The Bars, a
new reality series about women
in prison. Cameras will follow
a group of female inmates at
Indiana’s Rockville Correctional
Facility as they attempt to
sidestep the usual prison
pitfalls of violence, toothbrush
knives and scantily clad riots
(OK, yes, those are maybe more
the selling points of women’s
prison
exploitation
movies)
and focus on getting their lives
together. And because it’s an
Oprah product it’ll probably
also be more heartwarming
than scandalous. But you know
there are going to be some tough
lesbians involved somewhere.
And that’s plenty reason to tune
in when it debuts Feb. 15.
When Seth met
Streisand
Old-school gay icon meets
Gen Y stoner-bear bro? It’s
happening, like it or not.
Barbra Streisand will team up with Seth Rogen for a generation gap
road trip comedy called My Mother’s Curse, to be executive produced
by both of them (as well as Rogen’s writing partner Evan Goldberg and
others). Rogen will play an inventor on a cross-country trip to sell his
new product, with Streisand riding shotgun, making his life difficult
and reuniting with a long-lost love. Dan Fogelman (Cars) penned the
screenplay after dealing with real-life travels alongside his own mother
and it all goes in front of the cameras sometime this spring. Skeptical
after seeing Little Fockers? Understandable. But think about this: once
upon a time, Streisand turned in one of the great comedic performances
of the 1970s in the never-not-funny-no-matter-how-many-times-youwatch-it What’s Up Doc? Who’s to say lightning can’t strike twice?
 Barbra Streisand, Photo by Universal Pictures
Deep Inside Hollywood
A Star is Beyoncé
By Romeo San Vicente
It looks like the always-seemingly-being-discussed update
of A Star Is Born, the one Beyoncé has been attached to for
some time now (and before her it was Whitney and before her,
etc.), might finally be ready to take flight. And who’ll be the
man to make it happen? Clint Eastwood. Yes, you read that
one correctly. The pair is in talks to add the Dreamgirls star
to the Janet Gaynor/Judy Garland/Barbra Streisand legacy
with Eastwood in the director chair. If it works out then Jon
Peters, who produced the 1976 Streisand version, will be a coproducer. And who’ll star opposite Knowles? That one is still
up in the air, and it’ll probably wind up going to a guy like
Usher or Jamie Foxx, but wouldn’t it be cooler if it went to a
guy whose career really is past its sell-by date? It’s not like
Jermaine Jackson is all that busy, right?
Romeo San Vicente is superbad. He can be reached care of this
publication.
Moulin John
Elton John recently told BBC Radio that his life story is going
to be turned into a movie by his Billy Elliot collaborator Lee
Hall. One potentially awesome feature of that plan? Elton John
will be hands-on helping every step of the way. Now, to sane
people, this should bring to mind images of Michael Jackson
directing giant statues made in his likeness to be erected in
Romania. And you know how excellently entertaining that was.
So if John is determined to see a Moulin Rouge-style film of his
life take place, then rest assured it’s going to be narcissistic,
extravagant, shiny and flat-out bonkers. Think EJ-themed
episode of Glee meets drug addiction meets shopaholism meets
sparkly boots and Donald Duck costumes. Now, will someone
please bring Tommy (in which John co-starred) director Ken
Russell out of semi-retirement to take over?
28
www.gaycalgary.com
Lifestyle
Cocktail Chatter
The Pomegranate Cocktail and The Virtue of Pricey Liquor
by Ed Sikov
“I will! I will! I-I wi-ill!” I sang wildly off-key in the shower, where
only the Korean family next door and the lesbian phlebotomist
with the Phyllis Diller wig below us could hear me. Also
Bruce, who was making honking noises outside the bathroom
door. Didn’t bother me. In crisis therapy, I accepted Craig
and Kyle’s affair. Therapist Gary and I aired the musty roots
of my breakdown, and eventually the stink of emotional rot
receded. I’d been half right: My puke-green jealousy came from
my mother, my dick and my creationist-like denial of aging.
Having unearthed them, I achieved enlightenment. ”Om shanti
namaste”!
This Nirvana was admittedly eccentric. I stopped swiping sleeping
pills from Dan’s supposedly secret stash. (Even cretins start with
the boyfriend’s jockstrap drawer for the drugs, or the money, or that
strumpet’s phone number.) As for stewing over Craig and jerking off to
filthy thrilling images of Kyle every day? I wiped my hands of them (in
Kyle’s case, literally).
Facts: I’m 53 and have a loving partner and a fine life. No reason to
ruin it over some perfect-assed boy with the shoulders of Apollo. My
constant put-downs of Craig had to stop. I ceased fishwife-screeching
at Dan. But how could I prove my shiny new peace with my buddy
Gargantua screwing my tight-as-a-2(x)ist-sport-brief dreamboy?
Solution: cocktails and dinner. Those wretched margaritas Craig
adores were considered and rejected; shanti namaste had its limits. Still,
a fruity cocktail for Craig would show off my fabulous new generosity of
spirit, which was entirely absent during mein psychoticschen episode.
Cosmically, the very next day a cooking blog featured a pomegranate
cocktail. The recipe was vile – more suitable for pomegranate Jujubes.
Craig would love it. The insane but inspiring recipe called not only for
making your own fresh pomegranate juice (oh, squeeze my ass!) but for
adding pomegranate molasses. What? Waltz into Costco and inquire as
to the whereabouts of the pomegranate molasses? I’d sooner slap on an
Elizabeth I wig and ask for the mead department. I adapted the recipe for
those of us who are not deranged. Lo: it worked! We all enjoyed a marvelous evening. The drinks were
luscious – a little tart, a little sweet and quite refreshing. Craig had three.
I had one. Dan was relieved. Craig did a brief impersonation of Dolores
Del Rio, which even I found a bit rarified, but Kyle beamed with pride,
though Señorita Del Rio’s identity escaped him. We adjourned to a steak
joint, where Craig polished off a 24-oz. porterhouse, and I made no jokes.
This boy was back!
At which point Kyle piped up: “Um, hey guys? Robbie can’t find a
place for next summer. Nobody else will put up with him. Can he stay
with us?” Craig responded in the voice of Helen Lawson: “So Satan’s
come crawling back to Broadway! Well, Broadway doesn’t take to
rudeness and fire-red treasure trails!” But we needed the rent money, so
I supposed we’d have to.
The Virtue of Pricey Liquor
“You drink too much.” This was Dan’s opener at dinner
the night after I passed out from too many Old Fashioneds.
I reacted with instant hostility, since I’d spent the afternoon
making his favorites: braised pork shoulder with parsnips and
white wine; brussels sprouts slaw; and a tarte tatin.
But before I sniped back something harsh – like “piss off” – I considered
his point of view. It’s painful to admit it: he was right.
“It’s an occupational hazard,” I attempted. “I have a column to write.”
“That’s a lame excuse, and you know it. It was terrifying to find you
like that – unconscious on the floor!” “People are said to be ‘asleep’ at
night – not ‘unconscious,’” I replied with futile indignation, since I had
been, in fact, unconscious.
“All right,” I sighed as I placed the platter of aromatic pork in front of
him like an offering to an angry deity – Athena, say, the goddess of both
warfare and reason. “I’ll cut back,” I promised.
“Way back,” he ordered from Olympus as he skewered a large chunk
of moist pork, a slab of cooked meat to which I humiliatingly related.
And so I offer this column on single-malt scotch. Since they’re what
my great aunt called “dear,” meaning costly, you’re a fool to gulp it. Even
I, a professional drinker, can only have one shot a night. So I drink less.
Bank-breaking liquor: a solution to Dan’s concern.
For many of us, scotch is an acquired taste. I nearly spat out my
first sip. Then again I was 10 at the time. Rum tasted good then, and
so did bourbon. But scotch tasted like somebody set fire to my mother’s
burlap sack of peat moss and somehow made rotten moonshine out of
the smoke.
I grew up. Now I love the intensely smoky, peaty kind of scotch that
you can only get in single malts. Given the choice, most poor suckers
go for the bland over the exceptional or unusual, so blended scotches
dominate, though they all taste basically the same. But single malts vary
greatly. I’m the kind of guy who goes for ultra-spicy food, high-cocoa
dark chocolate, and certain out-there sexual practices which shall go
unelaborated, so I prefer single malts that are heavily smoky, or peaty,
or both.
Oban and Talisker are great single malts, but this time I opted for
Tormore. I chose it because the liquor store guy boasted that his Tormore
was a single-cask, special reserve made solely for his emporium. That
brought out the essential snob in me, so I bought it. At home, alone with
(as Gollum would say) “my precious” (Dan had flown off to Toronto for
meeting of his medical geek society) I sipped my single shot – neat, of
course – for about an hour and a half. Tormore’s first taste is a sharp
alcohol tang, which turns into a rich smoke in the mouth before softening.
It finishes as though you had just smoked a rare cigar. Perfection.
Tormore Single Malt scotch
Face facts: Unless you live in New York City, San
Francisco, Los Angeles or Boston, you’ll have to order most
small-distillery single malts online. If your state forbids such
imports, move. You never liked it there anyway, did you? The
Puritanical bastards!
Pomegranate Cocktail
2 parts Absolut
1/2 part Cointreau
3 parts bottled pomegranate juice
* “Really” Simple Syrup (optional)
Ed Sikov is the author of Dark Victory: The Life of Bette Davis and other
books about films and filmmakers.
Pour Absolut and Cointreau into a pitcher. Add pomegranate
juice. Stir. Taste. Add 1/4 tsp. simple syrup if you like. Pour
over ice.
*Put equal parts sugar and water into a jar, seal it tight and
shake until the sugar dissolves.
www.gaycalgary.com
29
Sports
The OutField
The beautiful game heads to anti-gay Qatar and Ryan Quinn comes out with The Fall
By Dan Woog
When the World Cup kicks off in Qatar in 2022 there will
be no alcohol.
There will also be few gay people in the stands, watching the most
popular sports event on the planet.
FIFA – soccer’s world governing body – stunned the world late last
year with the announcement that the quadrennial tournament heads for
the first time to the Middle East. It was a coup for Sepp Blatter. FIFA’s
president already helped steer the 2010 World Cup to South Africa, a
first for the continent.
The same day he announced Qatar for 2022, he said that Russia
would host the 2018 event. That too was a first. Some observers thought
Blatter, who wields great influence over the politicized voting for host
nations, was angling for the Nobel Peace Prize.
But Blatter’s statement a few days later torpedoed any hope for such
an award. Instead, it set off a human rights firestorm that reached from
Qatar to FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, to England and the
U.S. – anywhere on the globe where soccer is played.
In other words, everywhere.
Immediately following Blatter’s announcement about Qatar, questions
arose. How can games be played in heat that reaches 125 degrees? What
will happen when hard-drinking fans arrive in a country where public
consumption of alcohol is forbidden?
And how can LGBT fans travel to a nation where homosexuality is
strictly forbidden?
Asked at a news conference if he foresaw any cultural problems, the
74-year-old Blatter replied, “I’d say they (gay fans) should refrain from
any sexual activities.”
His tone was jocular. He then turned serious, saying simply he was
sure there would be no problems.
A FIFA spokesman said there would be no further comment.
Howls of indignation arose from gay and straight organizations –
sports-minded, and not.
Former NBA basketball star John Amaechi – raised in England, the
birthplace of soccer – was among the first to respond.
He said, “It’s absurd. It’s not about people having sex in public and
being sanctioned for it; it’s the fact that Qatar was one of 79 countries to
sanction executing gays at the United Nations.
“FIFA has endorsed the marginalization of LGBT people around the
world. Anything less than a full reversal of his position is unacceptable…
. If sport cannot serve to change society, even temporarily during
the duration of an event like the World Cup that invites the world to
participate, then it is little more than grown men chasing a ball and we
should treat it as such.”
Amaechi did not limit his criticism to Blatter. Referring to giggling
by reporters when the gay question was asked, the basketball player
said, “It is the most childish response I could imagine. This does make
it harder for footballers that are gay, but let’s not limit this. This story
is big enough, his influence is big enough, to impact young people in
school, people in workplaces, anybody who is perceived to be gay or is
gay.”
Blatter’s comments, Amaechi said, underscore that “the seat of power,
straight white men” are “very, very clearly uncomfortable with this issue
and certainly not interested in taking it seriously.”
Kick It Out, an organization combating racism in soccer, spoke out
against Blatter’s remarks too.Chairman Herman Ouseley said, “It was
all frivolity and laughter, but it’s a serious business. People’s existence
he has ridiculed.
“We can’t have that from the top of the world governing body. You’ve
got to show leadership because you’ve got to influence the standards
of behavior required and then you’ve got to enforce it when there’s a
failure.”
Juriv Lavrikovs, communications director at the European branch of
the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association,
said simply, “This is not a joke. This is a matter of life and death to
people.”
Qatar enforces its anti-sodomy laws strictly. An American serving a
six-month sentence for homosexuality also received 90 lashes.
Gay Football Supporters Network chair Chris Basiurski noted, ““Many
LGBT people live in countries where they would face execution or
imprisonment if discovered. These people deserve our help, our respect
and our support.”
“They, like the rest of us, do not deserve to be laughed at… . Mr.
Blatter is naive to think that by taking the beautiful game to Qatar, it will
bring an end to discrimination in the Middle East.
“He says that football is ‘everything for everyone,’ but he has not yet
explained just how FIFA is going to ensure that LGBT football players
and supporters will be welcome in Qatar.”
Blatter later condemned discrimination “against any human beings
be it on this side or that side, be it left, right or whatever.” He did not
mention anti-gay discrimination specifically.
The powerful chairman still has his job. And the World Cup is still
headed to Qatar.
Ryan Quinn comes out with The Fall
Ryan Quinn calls being gay a “gift.” There are challenges, sure – but,
he says, “as you overcome them you gain the rewards of being more
introspective and aware.”
That gift has helped him as a writer. He’s “more attuned to the social
mechanics of our culture, and the bigger picture of what makes each of
us – or each character I’m writing about – who we are.”
Quinn’s understanding of the human condition makes his first novel,
The Fall, an intriguing work. Weaving together the perspectives of three
characters – a film buff fantasizing about a football player, a football
star bored with his girlfriend and a burned-out classical musical prodigy
– it examines their unexpected relationships at college. The gay aspect
bubbles up often, but not obtrusively. It’s a realistic look at contemporary
friendships and coming of age, and it works because Quinn is not far
removed from that world himself.
A native of Alaska, he was skiing by age 3. Earning a ski team
scholarship, he headed to the lower 48 – the University of Utah – for
college. He was a two-time All-American in cross country skiing, and as
a senior in 2003 the Utes won a national championship.
Quinn came out to his teammates during sophomore year. He knew
no other openly gay college athletes anywhere – but even in Salt Lake
City, his teammates and coaches were “extraordinarily supportive.” He
found that when people “put a face to what it means to be gay,” they are
less likely to be homophobic. That, Quinn says, is why gay people should
come out. He knows “dozens and dozens” of out athletes – and not one
has regretted the decision.
After writing an article for Outsports.com in 2003 about his
experiences at Utah, he was flooded with responses. He realized the
impact a writer can have. He moved to New York to work in publishing,
and became obsessed with the idea of identity. He realized that college
is a time of understanding one’s identity. The Fall developed from there.
Quinn weaved several passions – sports, classical music, wine, art
history – into the story. When he began, he assumed he would identify
most closely with Ian – the gay college athlete in the midst of coming out.
To Quinn’s surprise, he found himself intensely drawn to the other two
main characters too.
Still, his sports background informed the book on two levels. Though
none of the events he describes is autobiographical, his experience as a
college athlete helped him understand what it’s like to be on a team, to
share the weight room with football players, to go to jocks’ parties, to feel
the atmosphere of a sports-minded university.
With the exception of one person – a football player Quinn had a crush
on in college, much like Ian does in the book – none of the characters
represent someone in real life. They are composites – but Quinn brings
them to life, with dialogue and detail.
Yet Quinn’s athletic training also provided the discipline he needed to
write. Like cross-country skiing, novel-writing demands endurance. “It
requires putting in time day after day, even when you’re not particularly
motivated,” he says. “Taking time off just isn’t a choice if you’re serious
about the end goal.”
The Fall fills an important niche. Young adult literature has proven
receptive to gay themes, and several recent books focus on high school
athletes’ same-sex attractions. By making his characters college seniors,
Quinn stakes out a different spot on the sexuality-and-age continuum.
30
www.gaycalgary.com
Advice
Queeries
By Steven Petrow
Q: Even though my good friend Letisha lives with her
girlfriend, she is not out to her family. At least she wasn’t
until last week. Right after the holidays I posted a loveydovey photo of the two of them on my Facebook page, tagging
both. Then of course bam! The photo was automatically
uploaded to Letisha’s Facebook page and suddenly her
whole family knew she was gay. Now Letisha won’t speak to
me because she says I outed her. I say it’s her fault that she
kept such a big secret from her family. Who’s right?
A: Every day I get more and more questions about Facebook
gone awry. It’s so easy to stumble on some social faux pas
that didn’t even exist before. However, from what you write,
there’s enough blame to go around in this situation. First
off, here’s my advice to you: No matter what, don’t tag people
without asking their permission. Maybe you’re at the beach
and unaware that your Facebook friend has called in sick
from work. Maybe you’re photographing someone who is
underage and the photo has caught him drinking. Or maybe
your friend isn’t out. On the other hand, Letisha does need
to wake up and face the fact that everything about Facebook
is viral. No matter how you set your privacy settings, you
can’t protect your privacy 100 percent. Lastly, a special note
for your friend: Please don’t ask others to be complicit in
your secrets. It’s certainly your right to stay closeted, but as
you can see, it gets mucked up when you’re asking friends
to be accomplices. (And a technical pointer: Remember that
you can always de-tag yourself from a photo.)
“He’s never had sex before”
Q: I’ve been going out with a guy who’s never had sex
before with a man and is more than a little apprehensive.
We’re really into each other, but to tell you the truth I’m a
little nervous myself at the thought of initiating a virgin. I
just want to make sure to handle things right. Do you have
any advice for me?
A: There’s a special responsibility in being someone’s
“first.” I don’t know about you, but I still remember my
very first time—and let me just say I was a nervous wreck.
Since you already know that your fella is anxious, see if
you can tease out what’s on his mind. Often a first timer’s
main concern is that he’ll do something “wrong.” If you can
help your new lover realize that it’s not about technical
performance but rather emotional connection, you’ll both
benefit. Also, let him know that he can determine the pace.
Still, there will likely be some teachable moments as he
tries new things on for size. I wouldn’t make corrections or
suggestions in the heat of the moment, but instead maybe
chat a bit later on if you feel the need. One last thing: Be
sure to lead by example when it comes to the topic of safer
sex.
Steven Petrow [www.gaymanners.com) is the author of “The Essential Book
of Gay Manners & Etiquette” and a regular contributor to Huffington Post
and GayWeddings.com. Send him your questions: [email protected]
“Confronting a Cheater”
Q: I really need some advice. I think my boyfriend is
cheating on me and sleeping with other guys behind my
back. When we first got together we decided that we weren’t
going to have an open relationship. Recently he said he
would have no problem if I wanted to sleep with other guys
– as long as I told him first. That made me suspicious so I
did something I probably shouldn’t have: I logged into his
Facebook account and found an incriminating message. I
know we need to talk but I am really bad with confrontation.
What should I do?
A: Very few of us like the idea of confrontation, but when
it comes to questions about monogamy and sexual health,
you really have no choice. This doesn’t mean you need to
come at him like a bat out of hell, but you do need to express
your point of view and ask the important questions. The
ability to do so is really important for your own self-respect.
Perhaps there’s a middle ground that you’d be comfortable
with? Many couples create rules in situations like this: No
tricking in your own bed, for instance; it’s okay if one of you
is out of town; or the number of liaisons is limited to prevent
a romantic attachment. On the other hand, you may have
no interest at all in anything but monogamy—as per your
original agreement. Either way, you need to talk together
and make some mutually comfortable decisions. If you do
agree to have some new openness in your relationship, by
the way, remember that you’ll need to come to some clear
understanding of what each of you considers safer sex; there
are about as many different definitions of that as there are
couples. As for your logging into your boyfriend’s Facebook
account: That’s a form of cheating, too. Leveling with him
about your actions may help him to do the same.
www.gaycalgary.com
 Out Field - From Page 30
With the real world beckoning, life – and life’s choices – becomes a bit
more serious; the stakes a bit higher.
The book has been out for only a month, but reaction is positive.” This
isn’t a gay novel,” one reviewer wrote on Amazon.
“It doesn’t contain characters in drag and glitter, betrothed to drama,
gossip and victimhood. It’s the coming out story of normal guys, who are
completely comfortable in a world of pigskin and beer pong. It’s the ‘gay
world’ in which they’re out of place. Any questioning youth who identifies
more as a jock than a diva should read this novel – and make this welltold fictional story his own.”
Marketing a book in 2011 is hard – and gay books are even harder.
Many LGBT bookstores have closed; mainstream booksellers are
consolidating their gay sections. With his background in publishing,
Quinn knows he cannot position The Fall as either a gay novel or a
sports novel. It is, he says, “a coming-of-age journey.”
Maybe that’s the important point about novels in today’s age. Just
as out college athletes don’t want to be identified solely by their sport
or their sexuality, books don’t need to be categorized. The Fall is about
growing up in modern America. And that’s something everyone – gay or
straight, male or female, jock or musician – can relate to.
Dan Woog is a journalist, educator, soccer coach, gay activist, and author
of the “Jocks” series of books on gay male athletes. Visit his website at
www.danwoog.com.
31
Photography
ISCWR Gleek Show at Twisted Element - Calgary
Iconika at the Junction - Edmonton
Straight to Diva Launch at Calgary Eagle
32
www.gaycalgary.com
Memorial
Dow Hicks
Edmonton Remembers Roost Founder
Dow Hicks, founder of The Roost Nightclub in Edmonton,
passed away this past January 19th.
A memorial was held on Friday, January 28th at the Christ
Church on 102nd Avenue. In honor of Dow Hicks, three gay
bars in Edmonton - Woody’s, Buddy’s and the Junction - were
open following the memorial with Happy Hour prices until 8pm.
Dow will leave a lasting mark on the Edmonton GLBT
community. Linda Veraart, a friend of Dow, talked to GayCalgary
& Edmonton Magazine.
“Dow will be remembered for being a truly genuine person. He
opened the doors at the Roost and made people feel at home, and
[made the bar] a place that was safe for them to be no matter who
they were. Dow would do anything he could for people and he
always had a smile and a hand shake for everyone. Dow leaves
behind a sister, his dog Jake and many, many friends.”
Dow founded The Roost Night Club in 1968. It was a crucial
part of Edmonton’s GLBT scene, and made an impact not only
on the community, but local organizations as well. He partnered
with Grant Mac Ewan’s drama program, allowing student-run
plays to be staged at The Roost’s theatre upstairs. He also made
generous donations to numerous causes such as multiple
sclerosis, breast cancer, heart and stroke research, and AIDS
research.
“…If you needed anything he would be there to help you,
or he would let you know of someone that could help. There
weren’t many instances where he would not know an answer to a
question being asked, but if by chance he didn’t know, he would
find the answer somehow or even a few times he would make up
an answer just to please us. He had a great sense of humour and
if he could trick you into believing something that wasn’t really
true, he would be the first one to say gotcha and laugh out loud.”
“I think anyone that knew Dow would say that he was a great
boss, a great friend and just a genuine person. Dow is going to be
truly missed by myself and everyone that knew him. If I could do
anything to bring him back, I would. Dow, we are going to miss
you more than words can say.”
Dow Hick’s Memorial Facebook page is inundated with
messages of remembrance and hope. Ava Karvonen writes, “Dow
leaves a great legacy behind with his kindness and generosity
and for creating an environment for people to celebrate and
embrace their differences. I spent many great evenings at the
Roost. Thank you, Dow. We miss you.”
Similarly, Jeff Thiessen writes, “Thanks to a truly great man
for all help and advice you gave me as a young, scared farm boy
new to the city. And [thanks for] all the many good memories
from the Roost. RIP.”
“When I first moved here almost ten years ago the first place
I found was The Roost … and those people accepted me with no
objections, and with that I found the strength to find out who I
really am and to do what was right for me,” adds Sean Joseph
Thomas. “And there is a very large hole in the hearts of many
who have discovered themselves through The Roost Family. Dow
will be sadly missed by all.”
It is obvious from the written words and heartfelt memories
that Dow Hicks was a trailblazer in the Edmonton GLBT
community, as well as a kind man in general. He gave the gift
of acceptance to all who attended The Roost, and he made long
lasting friendships as well. May he rest in peace.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Dow can be made to the Alberta
Lung Association, Box 4500 Street South, Edmonton, AB T6E 6K2, or to
the University Hospital Foundation (Pulmonary Unit-5E3), 8440 - 112
Street, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7.
www.gaycalgary.com
33
Miami and South Beach
Out of Town
 Beautifully restored art deco buildings line Ocean Drive in South Beach. Photo by Andrew Collins
by Andrew Collins
Long a magnet for gay tourists, especially in winter
but increasingly year-round, Miami is the largest and
most diverse of the three prongs that comprise South
Florida’s GLBT vacation trinity (Fort Lauderdale and Key
West being the others). And it’s really a few destinations
in one: there’s Miami proper, a city of about 440,000,
and – across Biscayne Bay via a series of bridges – the
separate city of Miami Beach (population 90,000), plus a
slew of distinct neighboring communities that make up
the nation’s seventh-largest metro area.
Leisure travelers tend to focus on the beaches, and GLBT
visitors have long been particular, drawn to the southern end of
Miami Beach, aptly known as South Beach, which bulges with
trendier-than-thou luxe hotels, throbbing nightclubs, scene-y
restaurants and gorgeous beachfronts (and sometimes appears
utterly devoid of bulging tummies – indeed, the South Beach
reputation for perfect bodies is both a hallmark and a criticism).
What’s terrific about Miami Beach as a vacation getaway is
that it’s a 10- to 15-minute drive from museums and growing
cultural offerings of Miami proper. And once you’re here, it’s not
much more than an hour’s drive to reach the edge of Everglades
National Park, the thriving gay scene in Fort Lauderdale and
the upper reaches of the scenic Florida Keys (Key Largo, John
Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park). There’s a lot more to see
and do on a Miami vacation than merely sunning your buns by
the ocean – although there’s plenty of opportunity for that, too.
As you’re planning a trip here, keep a couple of resources
in mind: The city’s Greater Miami Tourism has an excellent
34
GLBT travel site (www.miamiandbeaches.com/visitors/gay.
asp), which details recommended places to stay, eat, shop and
play, along with relevant events. And right in the heart of South
Beach, at 1130 Washington Avenue, the official Miami-Dade
Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce operates an LGBT Visitor
Center (www.gogaymiami.com), where you can pick up advice
on what to see and do – and where to stay – throughout Miami.
Another point worth considering is that Miami is one of the
world’s leaders in gay and lesbian circuit parties and events,
and many of these take place in late winter and early spring.
One of the longest-running gay circuit events in the country,
the Miami Winter Party Festival (www.winterparty.com), a
fundraiser produced by the National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force, takes places from March 2 through 7 and delights some
10,000 participants with some 20 parties, arts and cultural
events, tours and cocktail receptions – there’s also a extensive
roster of events geared just toward women, from a Latin dance
party to a jazz brunch.
The following month, the third annual Miami Beach Gay
Pride parade and festival (www.miamibeachgaypride.com)
draws hundreds of spectators to Ocean Drive – this is one of the
more community-oriented, laid-back parties in South Beach,
an excellent opportunity to mingle and party with locals, and
check out the dozens of bands, vendors, and local organizations
at the festival between Ocean Avenue and gay-popular 12th
Street Beach. The organizers also run a Miami Beach Pride
Cruise to the Bahamas, from April 18 through April 22 (www.
pridecruise.com).
Just after Pride, the increasingly prestigious Miami Gay
& Lesbian Film Festival (www.mglff.com) comes to the area,
www.gaycalgary.com
Travel
presenting dozens of screenings and events from April 23
through May 2. Other noteworthy events of GLBT interest
to keep in mind later in the year include Aqua Girl (www.
aquagirl.org) women’s weekend in mid-May, Sizzle Miami
(www.sizzlemiami.com), which caters to gay men of color, and
Sizzle Her Miami (www.sizzleher.com), a concurrent women’s
event, both of which are during Memorial Day weekend in
late May; Miami Beach Bruthaz Black and Latino Gay Pride
(miamibeachbruthaz.com) in mid-July; and the Miami White
Party Week (www.whiteparty.org) in late November.
Part of the fun of South Beach, beyond Ocean Drive and
the sunny sands that flank it, is sauntering along the main
north-south drag, Washington Avenue, a sometimes slick,
sometimes raffish stretch of shops, hotels, and restaurants,
plus the refreshingly sex-positive World Erotic Art Museum –
the curious, extensive collection inside includes phallic fertility
relics from 100 BC, exhibits on Lady Godiva and Catherine the
Great, Tom of Finland figurines, and a magnificent four-poster
bed, whose four “posts” are actually massive carved wooden
penises.
Running perpendicular to Washington, the Lincoln Road also
abounds with culinary and retail diversions – this pedestrianonly promenade is lined with palm-shaded sidewalk cafes and
nightclubs. A full square mile of South Beach comprises the
Art Deco District, a historic collection of some 800 prominently
preserved buildings that showcase the sleek, distinctive style of
1910s to 1940s Miami. You can learn more about the city’s art
deco heritage at the Wolfsonian Museum.
South Beach is one of the country’s bona fide hot spots for
dining. Red Steakhouse (redthesteakhouse.com) is one of the
most impressive venues, serving deftly prepared Italian fare and
tender steaks. For upscale creative Cuban fare, try D. Rodriguez
Cuba (www.drodriguezcuba.com) inside the Astor Hotel – crab
empanaditas and crispy-skin pork are among the specialties.
And, of course, don’t overlook favorite longtime standbys, like
the stainless-steel 11th Street Diner (www.eleventhstreetdiner.
com), which serves tasty diner fare 24/7; Books & Books, with
its sunny sidewalk cafe along Lincoln Road; and touristy but
fun Joe’s Stone Crab (www.joesstonecrab.com), which has been
serving fresh seafood for nearly a century.
Lincoln Road is also home to a pair of the most popular gay
nightspots in South Beach, MOVA Lounge (www.movalounge.
com), a classy cocktail bar, and Score (www.scorebar.net), an
expansive place with a trendy see-and-be-seen crowd. Other
gay social spots of note include Twist (www.twistsobe.com), an
expansive two-level video bar with a big patio out back that’s
been de rigueur with revelers since it opened in 1993; and the
Palace Cafe (www.palacesouthbeach.com), which overlooks
Ocean Drive and is a favorite spot for lunch, cocktails, or
dinner, especially after a visit to the gay beach at 12th Street.
If you’ve tended to focus your energy on South Beach in past
visits, you really owe it to yourself to hop over to Miami proper
for at least a day of exploration. It’s here that you’ll find one
of Florida’s most fascinating house-museums, Vizcaya. A short
drive north of downtown, the Wynwood Arts District, where
you’ll find the outstanding Rubell Family Collection (an amazing
assemblage of cutting-edge contemporary pieces spanning
several large gallery rooms) and a number of terrific galleries,
including Calix Gustav, which made a particular strong mission
of including GLBT works, and the Wynwood Walls, a series of
large-scale murals. There’s also a great restaurant around the
corner, Joey’s Caffe & Ristorante (www.joeyswynwood.com),
serving tantalizing thin-crust pizzas, antipasti platters, and
elegant salads.
Downtown itself is a neighborhood with a burgeoning
restaurant scene – check out Cviche 105 (www.ceviche105.com)
for stellar Peruvian cuisine, Tre Italian Bistro (www.tremiami.
com), and Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill (www.sugarcanerawbargrill.
com), plus such important arts venues as the historic Gusman
Center for the Performing Arts (take a tour of the ornate
interior) and the dazzling Adrienne Arsht Center for the
Performing Arts. Miami also has a few of the top gay bars in
the region, downtown’s Club Mekka (www.mekkamiami.com),
on Saturdays, for Discotekka); the Latin-flavored Club Sugar
(clubsugarmiami.com) in Coral Gables, and the multiracial
Club Boi (www.clubboi.com) – which is more Latin on Fridays,
and African-American on Saturdays – in North Miami.
Trying to keep up with Miami’s, and especially South
Beach’s, constantly evolving lodging landscape requires a
scorecard – glitzy new hotels and resorts continue to open at
a remarkable pace (this has even been true during the rough
economy of the past couple of years). One of the most talkedabout openings has been that of the Lords South Beach Hotel
(www.lordssouthbeach.com), which opened inside a vintage
art deco stunner (formerly the Nash). Reviews thus far have
been mostly positive – the Lords has 52 rooms with simple but
stylish white, yellow, and turquoise colors schemes and plenty
of cushy amenities, from iPod stations to DVD players.
The latest high-profile entry, opened in February 2011
behind the Versace Mansion in a pair of restored Collins Avenue
deco gems, Dream South Beach (www.dreamsouthbeach.com)
contains 108 chic rooms and suites, the full-service Chopra
Spa, and a superb restaurant – The Tudor – opened by vaunted
chef Geoffrey Zakarian. Also near the beach and shopping,
the the Z Ocean Hotel (www.zoceanhotelsouthbeach.com) a
relaxing low-rise that spans a block between Collins and Ocean
avenues. Rooms in this contemporary, low-keyed property are
richly appointed with large windows, expansive balconies, fine
bathrooms, and cushy feather beds.
In downtown Miami, the gay-popular Kimpton brand
operates the swanky and chic Epic Hotel (www.epichotel.com),
a soaring 411-high rise on the Miami River with expansive
views of Biscayne Bay and the downtown skyline. This is a
great base for exploring downtown, and it’s just 10 minutes by
car to South Beach. Inside the hotel, you’ll find the excellent
Exhale Spa, and a pair of superb restaurants, Area 31 – which
overlooks the pool – and the sleek modern Japanese eatery from
London, ZUMA.
The area also has a few top-notch smaller properties catering
significantly to gay and lesbian visitors. With a slightly quirky
(but interesting) location just across the Miami River from
downtown Miami’s retail, dining, and culture, the Miami River
Inn (www.miamiriverinn.com) is a terrific, affordable option if
you’re a fan of historic residential architecture – it occupies
several stunningly restored early-20th-century houses and
cottages, with a total of 40 rooms.
Intimate options in South Beach include the beautifully
kept, lesbian-owned SoBe You B&B (sobeyou.us), a 10-room
stunner on a quiet street that’s within an easy walk of local
nightlife and shopping; and the super-affordable Tropics Hotel
and Hostel (www.tropicshotel.com), which has both private
and dorm-style accommodations with among the lowest rates
in greater Miami – it’s clean, friendly, and a short walk from
the beach and Lincoln Road. For such a glamorous city, Miami
offers a surprising value, even during the winter season –
just book ahead, and expect higher rates, during some of the
aforementioned festivals.
Andrew Collins covers gay travel for the New York Times-owned website
About.com and is the author of Fodor’s Gay Guide to the USA. He can be
reached care of GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine.
www.gaycalgary.com
35
Film Review
 Movie Poster courtesy of Bountiful Films
 Psychologist Cheryl Malmo with Hilary
When the Devil Knocks
A raw and intimate look at Dissociative Identity Disorder
By Pam Rocker
I admit, I’m hooked on The United States of Tara, the
Showtime series that follows the life of a suburban
housewife with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID),
formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder. Toni
Collette (Tara) has won various prestigious awards for
her leading role in the show, which is due in no small
part to her depiction of Tara transitioning into her
alternate personalities.
As eye-opening as this series has been for me, as I have had
no experience with DID, it was no match for the depth of insight
that the documentary film, When the Devil Knocks, had in store.
This challenging story, based in Alberta, packs a different
punch, as the plotline is completely true and portions of the film
are excerpts from actual therapy sessions. The films’ subject,
Hilary Stanton, gave the filmmakers unlimited access to more
than 40 hours of videotapes of her psychotherapy, filmed over
10 years. These therapy tapes revealed a cast of supporting
characters, “alters”, who kept Hilary alive by taking over for her
during times of crisis.
Dr. Cheryl Malmo, Hilary’s psychologist, initially videotaped
these therapy sessions (with Hilary’s permission) to help train
therapists in the treatment of DID. There are still many people,
therapists included, who don’t recognize DID as a valid disorder,
or believe that people who suffer from it are simply “acting” and
can control their behaviour. This is frightening for many reasons,
36
especially since the commonality of DID has been linked to be
as similar in numbers as bi-polar disorder (1 in 100 or approx.
1-3% of the population.)
“It’s more common than people think,” says Cheryl, “the basic
thing that needs to change is that people understand that it does
exist. In the professional community there is a whole lot of denial
of its existence, and because of that, it’s not properly diagnosed,
and people are being given drugs for other things instead of for
this condition.”
“The position that this is a made-up illness can only be taken
by people who have not experienced working with somebody who
has DID, and someone who is not aware of the current literature
available. Hilary was very motivated to have her sessions
videotaped because of a very bad experience she had with a
therapist who told her it was all in her head, that memories
are unreliable and that she couldn’t trust them. She was very
keen that therapists should be educated. Without the proper
diagnosis, people cannot get the proper treatment.”
This motivation was indeed strong for Hilary, as she not only
agreed to the filming of her therapy sessions for training on DID,
but ultimately for use in a documentary that would have her in
the leading role.
When Helen Slinger, director of When the Devil Knocks, learned
of the tapes and approached Hilary about their possible use in
this capacity, Hilary almost instantly said yes. “For someone who
had so little safety in her life, she was really open,” said Helen,
www.gaycalgary.com
“because she wanted people to be educated by her experiences.”
And educate she did, in the most vulnerable yet powerful way
she could: by sharing her story.
The film is a spliced narrative of past and present, as we hear
stories from Hilary’s past, and the events that triggered the
alternate personality fragments, “alters”, to take over for her,
protecting her from a reality that was too cruel to withstand.
Severe traumas during childhood are the link that most people
with DID have in common. Also, nine times more women than
men are diagnosed with DID and 97% of those diagnosed have
a history of physical sexual abuse, with a huge majority being
objectively verified even when the patient didn’t recall the abuse.
Although we see but a brief glimpse into the dozen years of
treatment that Hilary had with Cheryl, the images left with you are
indelible. Real footage of Hilary becoming her alters; personalities
that differed widely in age and physicality. From the 12-year-old
Tim who contained his anger by always clenching his fists, to
the withdrawn 10-year-old Joanie, who initially had no voice and
had to write everything down. Each alter held a specific purpose
for Hilary’s protection, although until she began her therapy
with Cheryl, she was unaware that these other fragments even
existed.
While watching the film it could seem that Hilary can easily
transition in and out of personalities at will, as Cheryl asks for
the alter by name. But this perceived ease was borne out of years
of therapy and intentionally creating a safe and non-judgmental
environment for them to come into.
“People who are untreated go in and out of their alters all the
time; this switching happens automatically,” says Cheryl. “When
she (Hilary) was living her life, it was happening all of the time,
it was very dangerous for her, but in therapy we were able to
practice in a very controlled and safe environment. Much of the
work in therapy is to work with the alters so that they can stay
safe and keep the others safe as well. Alters would never come
out if the therapist were judgmental or dismissive of abuse; they
are there to protect her.”
Although tragic in many ways, Hilary’s story is not devoid of
hope, in fact, against all odds, it flourishes.
“This is a story of hope because she succeeded in healing,”
Cheryl said. “She never gave up, she kept working, even when
she felt like giving up but when she felt that way, I wouldn’t let
her. She never missed an appointment, she never cancelled, she
always did her homework and wrote in her journals, and even
when she was terrified to go into the world, she finally consented
to going into a support group, and eventually became a mentor
and leader to the people in that group.”
It was clear that the learning between Hilary and Cheryl was
a two-way street. “I learned a tremendous amount from her,”
Cheryl stated confidently. “Hilary had a magic about her which
was very compelling, a sparkle and a dry wit; people loved her.
She was gentle, bright, interesting, and interested. It was a
privilege to be able to work with her.”
Hilary’s gentle and curious spirit goes a long way in dispelling
the myth that DID is not something that happens to “normal”
people.
“People can tend to be skeptical about this disorder because
it challenges their sense of safety, that you’re not dealing with
something ‘known’,” says Director Helen Slinger. “But with a film,
you’re no longer in discussion, you’re watching. A real, ordinary
person dealing with their life. The fact that you see it actually
happening, instead of simply talking about it, is powerful.”
One delightful but unexpected part of this film is the love
story between Hilary and her wife, Debbie Stanton. Having lived
together since 1999, Debbie knew much about Hilary’s struggle
with DID, and was a constant source of love without judgment.
During their wedding vows, Hilary shared, “Now that I am well,
I can either follow or lead, but I will always walk by your side.”
I wish that this story could end here, but regrettably, there
was yet another tragic twist in Hilary’s life. One month after
Hilary appeared at the triumphant festival launch of this film
in Vancouver in October 2010, she was killed in a car accident
in Mexico.
“As Hilary went through so much to get healthy and whole, it
seems desperately unfair that she didn’t have more time,” said
Helen. “But at least she was finally truly happy. She found real
pleasure in the making of the documentary and, as the credits
rolled at the premiere screening, she glowed in the warmth of an
absolutely thunderous standing ovation. Hilary was very brave
to lay open her life in the way that she did and she was proud of
the resulting film, now her legacy.”
Her legacy is a film that beats with sincerity and hope, and a
story that will surely inspire us, as individuals, therapists, and
as a society, to become better educated on DID and other mental
illnesses; is one that speaks to the power of the human spirit
and the insurmountable bravery of one woman to let us into her
world, in hopes to make ours better.
“Because of Hilary’s courage, maybe one person (and hopefully
many more), will realize that it is possible, through treatment, to
live through the trauma and come out a whole, strong person at
the end,” says Debbie. “It is a long, hard road, but it is worth it.”
For more information on this film and on DID, visit the films’
website. When the Devil Knocks is also available to watch for free
online, through CBC.
www.gaycalgary.com
When the Devil Knocks
http://whenthedevilknocks.com
http://whenthedevilknocks.com/screening-times
http://www.gaycalgary.com/u198
37
Politics
Defining Hate Crime
By Evan Kayne
Late November 2010, local Country musician Patrick
Masse and a friend pulled their vehicle into a strip mall
downtown on 11th Avenue and 5th Street SW. It was
early in the morning and they just wanted to get some
pizza after the bars had closed. When his friend went into
the pizza place, Patrick relaxed in the car and moments
later an individual - belonging to a group of four males
loitering at the strip mall - tapped on his window.
Patrick, having lived in Vancouver for years, assumed the
man was going to either ask for spare change or a spare
cigarette, so he rolled down the window. The offender began
to call Patrick “faggot” and “homo”, then started spitting on
him. When Patrick moved (as much as you can from a seated
position) to defend himself, the offender punched Patrick
the face, causing a swollen eye, bloody nose and a split lip.
Patrick was trying to roll up the window, and his friend (who
at this point had returned to the car and had witnessed some
of this) got out of the car to chase after the assailant.
The group of men retreated, but were still trash talking
– including insulting the ethnicity of a cab driver nearby.
The friend decided to stand down and look after Patrick, who
was in shock. Patrick realized later “it was just a matter of
the wrong place at the wrong time...it was just somebody
looking for trouble and I happened to be sitting right there” meaning the victim could have been anyone, gay or straight.
Patrick admits he should have called the police at the time,
but he was also thinking about a flight he had to catch out
to Vancouver the next day. “I didn’t think it was that big of a
deal until I woke up and realized what had happened.” When
he called the police, the officer on the phone told him it was
a hate crime (as the assailant’s actions indicated it was all
driven by hate). An officer arrived within ten minutes and
took Patrick’s statement. While the Calgary Police Service
does have a description of the individuals, given the length
of time that had passed after the incident occurred, it is
doubtful anyone will be arrested.
In Canada, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans, and Queer folk
live in a country that allows us the right to marry, and our
rights are enshrined in law. Society, in general, is becoming
more accepting of us, but this doesn’t discount the fact our
community is still at risk of being victimized due to hate
crime. But what is a hate crime?
Or rather the question should be, what is a hate motivated
crime, for there is no such charge in the Criminal Code of
Canada (CCoC) identified as a “Hate Crime”. Section 319
does deal with Hate Propaganda and Advocating Genocide,
and section 319 covers Public Incitement of Hatred – these
are the sections under which Holocaust deniers Jim Keegstra
and Ernst Zundel were charged. Yet under assault, arson,
vandalism (etc.) an offender can’t be charged with hate
assault, hate arson, hate vandalism.
Where the charges of hate-motivated crimes come into effect
is in sentencing, according to Constable Lynn MacDonald of
the Calgary Police Service Diversity Resources Unit.
“Whenever you talk about additional hate crimes
provisions...the courts may define motivations of hate, bias or
prejudice aggravating factors in sentencing of an accused....
Then what happens during the sentencing part if that person
is found guilty, what the judge looks at is those aggravating
factors.”
Therefore, while an assault could be a hate motivated
crime, and it may result in a stiffer sentence for the offender,
38
the offender doesn’t face another charge of “hate crime” along
with the assault charge.
In the case of what happened to Patrick Masse, if this
incident ever made it to court, it could prove tricky to say
this assault was a hate-motivated crime. Specifically, when
sentencing, Section 718 of the CCoC compels a judge to take
into consideration eight factors on a Hate/Bias Crime. These
factors include: hate/bias motive; motivation of the offender;
comments and literature; racial, ethnic, gender, or cultural
differences; affiliation to organized hate groups, tattoos,
graffiti, internet sites; criminal history, and; location of the
offence. If no single factor is sufficient to determine this,
then a combination of these factors may apply.
By reviewing this list and considering the evidence brought
forward, the Court can then assign a stiffer sentence if the
judge concludes a crime was hate-motivated. It’s an imperfect
process, yet it takes into account the situation as a whole.
The police and the courts have to investigate and discern if
the assault was motivated by hate. It’s not a simple matter to
say calling someone “faggot” while inflicting injury is a hate
crime. In many cases, the word is meant particularly as an
insult toward someone who is believed to be straight.
“It could be a consensual fight between two guys and a
guy might not even know the other guy is gay or suspect
he is gay,” says Constable MacDonald. “He’ll call him a fag
because that’s one [insult] that’s common amongst straight
men to use as a derogatory term to put another person down.”
There was an even more horrific incident in South Eastern
British Columbia this past December 29th. A gay couple on
a cross-country skiing trip stopped into a secluded, natural
hot spring just north of Nakusp on Highway 23. They were
relaxing in the pool and eventually three other people came
along (two males, one female). They all sat in the pool for a
while until, as part of the conversation the couple “outed”
themselves. One of the men, identified as “Terry” got out of
the pool and told his friends he was going to kill the couple.
One half of the couple ran into the bush and hid, while Terry
viciously beat the other male. The victim suffered bruising
and cuts to most of his body and a large cut over the bridge
of his nose.
After the beating, “Terry” and friends left on snow mobiles.
The victim’s partner then returned to assist him. Currently,
the BC RCMP have not been able to find the suspect, and are
asking for our help. The suspect is described as a Caucasian
male, approximately 6 feet tall, around 44 years of age,
stocky build with defined muscles and has a short “flat-top”
hairstyle. As well, he has a tattoo of a bird’s silhouette on his
chest - approximately 2 inches in diameter. What we should
know is that the suspect, “Terry”, is believed to be from
Calgary. Police believe the motive for this crime was one of
hate and ignorance relating to the victim’s sexual orientation
and are urging anyone with information to come forward.
In this case, because the couple identified themselves
as gay, whereupon “Terry” indicated he would cause them
physical harm, and then carried this threat out on half of
the couple, the police and the courts would be able to cite at
least two of the factors to say it was a hate-motivated assault.
Of course, they may find more factors after arresting and
investigating the offender.
This investigation process allows Police and the courts
to really delve into the situation to discover if the offender
targeted that person because of their sexuality, and it also
prevents any frivolous abuse of the system.
Usually, any claims of “hate crime” triggers extra police
resources to fully examine the case. For example, in Calgary,
www.gaycalgary.com
as soon as certain key words are entered into a police report
(like “faggot”), a copy of the case is sent to the Hate Crimes
officer, Constable MacDonald tells us.
“He reviews the file, he works with the investigators to
make sure that all the right questions are asked, all the
avenues are explored to see if it was a hate-motivated crime.”
In this situation, civilians may not be aware of all the checks
and balances the police undertake as part of the case. There
may be several different officers pursing the hate-motivated
aspects alongside the officers who are pursing information on
the crime itself. If there are questions that these additional
officers see haven’t been answered to determine if the case
is a hate-motivated crime, the investigating officers will be
asked to go back and do more legwork.
Regarding slurs and insults, while those may be hate/bias
incidents, they aren’t crimes by themselves. “A lot of people
think that just because someone simply says a word, makes
it a hate crime, and it doesn’t.” Constable MacDonald told us.
“I get what people are trying to say that it should be, but the
reality is that it’s not.”
This is because the use of a taboo word is not cut and
dried. Even in our community (and in other communities)
taboo words may be used by members thereof, yet not by
outsiders. Or a taboo word may have been allowably used
as part of a character’s voice in a work of art (as seen in
the recent media coverage of the Dire Straits song “Money
For Nothing”, the use of the word “faggot” by an ignorant
character described in the song, and the split response in
our community). For those situations, it’s a grey area where
social values, education and discussion are needed to decide
what’s allowable.
But for situations where slurs are used along with the
intent of harm because the victim is a member of the GLBTQ
community, then and only then do we consider it part of a
hate-motivated crime.
Finally, if you or someone you know ever experiences
what you suspect is a hate-motivated crime, like any other
dangerous situation, you should first remove yourself from
harm and then contact emergency services (police and/or
paramedics).
No matter what you may feel at the moment, no matter
if someone has irresponsibly told you that the police will
do nothing...REPORT THE CRIME. This cannot be stressed
enough. Silence will allow any hate-mongers the license to
continue. This time they committed an assault. The next time
it could be murder. The police are equipped to investigate
and prosecute, and will also put you in touch with Victim’s
Support groups. The more we get this out in the open, the
better - not just for our community but for the mainstream
community as well, because in both assaults there were
bystanders who were friends of the assailant. The police will
not tolerate hate crime. Our community will not tolerate hate
crime. And one day, in another similar assault, the friends
of the assailant will realize they should not tolerate it either.
If you have any information on the suspect or the incident
in either the Nakusp assault or in Patrick Masse’s assault,
call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
And online version of the Criminal Code of Canada can be
downloaded at: www.gaycalgary.com/u191
www.gaycalgary.com
39
Trans Identity
The Ex-Gay Jesus-Fix-It Perpetual Emotion Machine
By Mercedes Allen
(The following is not meant to absolve anyone, but to just
show what it’s like. Because the religious right would
have everyone believe that it’s all so simple: just pray,
believe, and it will all go away. What follows is the first
17 years of my life.)
The nightmare begins in the morning, awakening to Your
Same Old Reality™ again; afraid, ashamed, torn. Today will
bring another fall, you fear, yet you steel yourself against
it, determined to resist all temptation. Don’t doubt, or it
will make you fail. You say a prayer… you begin by begging
forgiveness, by confessing the ongoing falls from grace, the
failures, acknowledging the worthlessness of being one of the
many who “have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
You know you cannot fight this temptation on your own, and
you pray that God will deliver you from it. No, you beg God
to deliver you from it. But you remember that temptation
will come — it always does — and you pray that you’ll have
the strength to cast it out. You remember that “anyone who
looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery
with her in his heart,” and you despair that it only takes a
moment to fall.
You have breakfast. Someone says something that you
don’t really hear because your consciousness stream is going
on and on, beating you up for being so filthy and weak and
prone to failure, and telling yourself that today has to be the
day you turn it all around. The news is on, but you don’t
really hear it, because you’re plotting out your day, trying
to pinpoint those moments where you will have to be most
on guard. You feel lonely, but you try really hard not to
articulate in your head what you would like to wish for. You
pray that God will deliver you from it. No, you beg God to
deliver from it.
And now, you’re on the bus. This is one of those moments
your anxiety level spikes. So many things could go wrong.
You’re so scared that you are breathing heavy, and the fear
that someone will notice makes you all that much more
afraid. You have to hold your breath for moments, to try to
disrupt the impulse to hyperventilate. Your sweat is deathly
cold. You pray that God will deliver you from it. No, you beg
God to deliver you from it.
And then there he is. He’s gorgeous (no, you didn’t just
think that, you filth). You look away. There’s so many things
wrong with that thought. He’s a boy. You’re a boy. Or
that’s how you’re supposed to think of yourself, anyway.
Sometimes you think otherwise, but that’s wrong too. Okay,
it’s all getting muddled, and that consciousness stream is
40
ribbonning everywhere and tripping over itself and you’re
hyperventilating. You’ve induced an anxiety attack. You
pray that God will deliver you from it. No, you beg God to
deliver you from it.
You get off the bus a stop early, and have to walk the
rest of the way to school. That was close. It’s never been
completely clear where something stops being temptation
and becomes sinning in your heart, but you know it must be
around the moment you choose not to look away, so that was
really close. You thank God for delivering you from it.
You fall in behind someone you’ve seen around the hallways
at school. She’s really cute. You’re jealous (no, you didn’t
just think that, you filth). You look away. You’re attracted to
her, which is good, you suppose, but again, you don’t really
know when it becomes something sinful, so you try to control
that thought. The consciousness stream is flipping around,
but you’re able to calm it down by looking at the pigeons.
You pray that God will deliver you from it. No, you beg God
to deliver you from it.
You’re in class. The teacher is conducting a lesson on
calculus, but you don’t really hear him. The kid in front of
you was out playing football during his spare, and you can
smell the fresh scent of musk on him. It’s playing in your
head. You’re busy thinking about trying not to think about
it. But he’d have strong arms. They’d probably make you
feel really small, wrapped in them…
Damndamndamndamndamn. You excuse yourself to go
to the washroom. Damndamndamndamndamn. It’s a good
thing you’ll have homework this evening to try to get this
Calculus stuff, because you totally can’t think right now. In
the washroom stall, you’re beating yourself on the head with
your fists. Damndamndamndamndamn. “I’m the worst in
the world. I’m the worst in the world.” It’s not some tonguein-cheek Keith Olbermann shtick, it’s the mantra of an
eleven-year-old boy. Or girl. Damndamndamndamndamn.
You’ve never figured that part out, so you assume that what
everyone tells you must be correct. All your instincts are
wrong. It’s a character flaw. You’re wicked. You pray that
God will deliver you from it. No, you beg God to deliver you
from it.
Later, you’ll have supper and listen to your mom. She’ll
be down on herself about smoking and cursing and all the
things she finds it difficult to excise from herself in order to
live a pure life. She’ll be praying to God and hoping that this
time she can get it right. All these flaws… need to keep on
praying, keep on giving to the church, keep on reading the
Bible, keep on receiving instruction, keep on seeking help.
www.gaycalgary.com
She prays that God will deliver her from it. No, she begs God
to deliver her from it.
After that, you’ll be at Bible study. They’re going to be
talking about homosexuality, about the dangers of falling,
about fallen wicked people like Alan Downing, George Rekers,
Ted Haggard, John Paulk, and about people fighting the good
fight like Peter LaBarbera, about how you can always pray
the gay away, and that Jesus will deliver you from it. You’ll
be shouting with the rest of them. You’ll be angry like the
rest of them. You’ll hate it with a most perfect hate, because
it’s the part of yourself that still defies you. You’ll vent with
abject venom about that sin, and you’ll be fine about doing
it, because it’s the one time you can actually feel like you’re
doing something proactive and fighting it in some way. It’s
the only time you feel like you’re somehow winning. And you
never tell anybody, and you pray that God will deliver you
from it. No, you beg God to deliver you from it.
And then the night comes. Like a vengeance, the night
comes.
It’s always worse when you’re left to your thoughts. That’s
when you get lonely. That’s when you need it so badly, a
pair of arms around you, someone to desire you, someone to
feel desire for, someone to touch. That’s when you fantasize,
and you try to channel it so it is who you’re supposed to
dream about, and so you’re who you’re supposed to dream
you are, and then you forget and you stop yourself and
damndamndamndamndamn. And she’s so pretty and now
you’re a lesbian? And you pray that God will deliver you from
it. No, you beg God to deliver you from it. But you feel so
lonely and all your instincts are firing and you can’t direct it
anymore and damndamndamndamndamn.
And then you’ll be weeping, begging forgiveness, for
sinning in your heart, maybe more, and vowing tomorrow
will be different, and hating yourself for being so weak. “I’m
the worst in the world. I’m the worst in the world.” All of
a sudden, nothing can break that consciousness stream.
And you cry until your head hurts and the snot covers your
pillow and you pray to be delivered, and Jesus never does.
You must not be praying enough. You must not be believing
enough. Or maybe Jesus just can’t love someone like you.
You keep waiting, but he’s stood you up. It goes on and on
until you’re so exhausted that sleep finally accepts you.
It’s better when it’s someone else. It’s better when you
witness to the gay kid at school. You tell him that if he
prays, God will deliver him from all of the confusion. And
you remind yourself of the same. When you’ve prayed
enough. When you’ve done enough to fight homosexuality in
the world. When you’ve cried enough. When you’ve believed
enough and stopped having those seconds of doubt. When
you’ve hated yourself enough. When enough years have
gone by of enduring the suffocating 24/7 perpetual emotion
machine.
Someday.
The nightmare begins in the morning, awakening to Your
Same Old Reality™ again; afraid, ashamed, torn. Today will
bring another fall, you fear, yet you steel yourself against it,
determined to resist all temptation. You say a prayer…
www.gaycalgary.com
41
Community
HIV Edmonton’s Legacy Gala Apollo SPYKE! Women’s Volleyball
A Wrap Up to a Fabulous Project
A Women’s Only Event!
Fifteen months ago HIV Edmonton launched the seven
component Legacy Project, a 25th Anniversary initiative
aimed at “raising awareness, garnering support from
the media and community-at-large, and re-engaging our
champions from the past.”
Apollo Friends in Sport has granted the wish of many
women in Calgary by sponsoring SPYKE! Women’s
Volleyball from January 9th to April 17th.
The Legacy Gala, a celebration and finale of the past 15
months is going to be help at the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald on
February 20th. Tickets are now on sale.
The Legacy Project has had a successful run. It ran with such
notable events as the Distinguished Speaker Series highlighted
with a talk by Dr. Elizabeth Pasini, a world-renowned
epidemiologist specializing in HIV/AIDS.
Other speakers
included Richard Elliott, from the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal
Network, and Storytellers Blanket with Val Gervais.
There was the Big Gay Bar Challenge, The Body Mapping
Exhibit, and performances by such diverse talent as Jeffrey
Straker and Chloe Albert.
Another initiative of the Legacy Project was the launch of the
coffee table book, Around the Kitchen Table: 25 Years of AIDS
in Edmonton. The book is a commemorative look at the past 25
years of HIV Edmonton, and is filled with pictures and stories of
the trials and tribulations of this Edmonton staple organization.
The Legacy Gala is sponsored by TD Bank Group and Viiv
Healthcare, and is in partnership with Shire Canada. There
will be a dinner and wine sponsored by Yellowtail Wines.
According to Joyce LaBriola, HIV Edmonton’s Development and
Communication Director, “HIV Edmonton’s favourite, The Big
Breakfast Boogie Band, will be playing, and you can bid on items
in the amazing silent auction.”
The Big Breakfast Band is described as an eclectic group
with a “collection of Soul, Jazz, Swing, and Blues from one
of Edmonton’s most entertaining, creative, and in-demand
ensembles.”
Adds LaBriola, “The Legacy Gala will be held in the Empire
Ballroom and will celebrate the accomplishments of the agency,
reflecting on a quarter century of AIDS work in Edmonton, as well
as showcasing highlights from the Legacy Project, the agency’s
25th anniversary celebration held over the last 15 months.”
The evening begins with a reception at 6pm, followed by
Dinner and Program at 7pm. The dance begins at 8:30pm.
A celebration for HIV Edmonton like this has not been held
since The Black and White Affair and Art of Living events had
their finale in 2004. Formal attire to black-tie is required to
attend. The ballroom will be dressed in a blanket of black and
white with splashes of red. Tickets for the event are $50.00 or
$500.00 for your own table of ten, and all proceeds go towards
all the programs hosted by HIV Edmonton.
42
Sue Bossley, creator of SPYKE!, was interested in starting
an all-women’s volleyball league after much feedback from the
Lesbian community of Calgary. It was apparent that many of the
women in the community were seeking an all-women league as
it was often less intimidating for new players, and would provide
a rare all-woman space for athletics.
She generated interest in the event through a posting on
Facebook. After much discussion, and a negotiation amongst
members, a day of the week was decided, and negotiations with
Apollo began. A location was finally secured and SPYKE! was
born.
This is not a new event that Bossley has organized. Last year,
she created BYKE!, a bike riding group for women interested
in getting out and about in the spring and summer for some
fabulous bike rides. This venture was a success, and continues
to run in the spring and summer. Information on BYKE! can be
found on its Facebook page.
Apollo Spyke! Women’s Volleyball is held on Sundays from 7
to 8:30pm at the YWCA Downtown. Skill levels range from novice
to beginner and all women are invited to participate. It is meant
to allow women to have fun while getting fit and enjoying the
game of volleyball.
Attendance is growing every Sunday as word gets around.
Bossley is happy with the attendance and is excited about the
future.
Fees are reasonable, and get less expensive with higher
attendance. In order to participate in any Apollo events, an
Apollo membership is required. This costs $20.00 a year, and
you can purchase it either at the Spyke! event or online from
Apollo’s website.
The Drop-in Fee, as mentioned, is dependent on attendance,
and ranges from $5 to $8 per person. If you are a non-member,
you can try out the event for $10.00 a night for a maximum of
three nights. The drop-in costs cover facility fees.
Sue encourages people to come and try it out. “It is fun! It is
a great way to meet other people in your community. It is also a
comfortable setting to learn a sport you’ve always wanted to try,
or renew your interest in it.”
To find out more about on Apollo’s SPYKE! Volleyball for
Women, look for it on their Facebook page under or contact Sue
Bossley by E-mail.
The Legacy Gala
Fairmont Hotel MacDonald - Empire Ballroom
Sunday, February 20, 2011
www.hivedmonton.com
Apollo SPYKE! Womens Volleyball
January 9 to April 17, 2011. (No game on February 20)
Sunday`s, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
YWCA Calgary: 320 5th Avenue SE
[email protected]
www.gaycalgary.com
www.gaycalgary.com
43
44
www.gaycalgary.com
 Editorial - From Page 6
for several cycles of your event, and you are likely to see
people coming out earlier and staying longer.
Finally, event organizers need to get over whatever frail
egos they may have, and take a realistic look at what
things work well, and what things don’t. If they truly
don’t understand why they aren’t getting the response they
expected, then they need to understand why. There is
always a reason. To do this, they need to stop snubbing the
people who don’t show up, the people who leave dissatisfied,
even the people who criticise them directly. Instead they
need to ask why, and what they could have reasonably done
to make it worthwhile; consider it, and act to improve on
their event.
So in conclusion, drag time is no longer a cute excuse that
warrants a “drag queens will be drag queens” shrug. It’s
disrespectful to the people who come out to see a show, and
it’s destructive to the venues that host. No time is just as
bad, if not more likely to set patrons up for disappointment.
It is high time to stop wasting people’s time and return to
a way of doing things that can make organizers, performers,
venues, patrons – everyone – happy again.
Reader Survey 2011
This section of my publisher’s column grew so long that
we decided to split it off into its own article. Read it on
page 26.
2011 Media Kits and Calendars
Suffice it to say, I had a “fun” time crunching numbers
from our Reader Survey and other sources in order to
update our 2011 Media Kit. Thankfully it is something we
only need to update once a year.
Our Media Kit is a booklet of information that lists our
ad prices, publishing deadlines, reader demographics, and
other information that helps advertisers get a sense of who
we are as a magazine, and who we reach for readers. The
difficult part of providing detailed, accurate, and wellfounded information is, of course, the upkeep. Despite
our best efforts we ended up completing this project a bit
later than we had hoped, however I am pleased to announce
now that this information is available from the Advertising
section of our website.
Part of the delay came from a new initiative this year that
we have released at the same time as the new Media Kits:
the GC&E Magazine - Community Wall Calendar. Mainly
this is intended as a resource for businesses, to help them
with planning around major community events throughout
the year (not to mention keeping on top of our publishing
deadlines).
Many businesses will be receiving a free copy of this
calendar over the next month, however if you want to ensure
that your business is on our list, or if you feel you may need
more than one, please contact us – we’ll be happy to arrange
it for you.
An electronic PDF of the Media Kit and Calendar are
available for download from the Advertising section of our
website – click the “Media Kit 2011” link in the left-hand
sidebar:
http://www.gaycalgary.com/advertise
We have already received requests from individuals who
want calendars of their own, and we will look at how to
handle these requests once we have produced enough to
satisfy our list of local businesses. If you don’t want to wait,
however, you’re more than welcome to retrieve the calendar
from our website and print it for yourself.
• OUTtv held a launch party for Season 3 of RuPaul’s Drag
Race here in Calgary at Club Sapien. Season 2 winner, Tyra
Sanchez, was in attendance and performed two numbers to
a busy Friday house. Read the interview with Tyra on page
54.
• The Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose,
Edmonton’s Imperial Court, braved treacherous highway
conditions (okay, they said it wasn’t that bad) to put on
an amazing show at the Twisted Element. It was a tribute
to the television show Glee, that included a backdrop,
costumes, a big variety of performers, choreographed group
numbers – all set to hit songs from the Glee soundtrack. If
you missed this for the crappy weather, then pooh on you.
• The Calgary Eagle held their launch party for Straight
to Diva, where we met two of the three contestants. They
are related – stepfather and stepson – so this should be an
interesting competition.
• At the ARGRA Dance on January 29th, Calgary’s own
Big Rock Brewery was announced as the new Title sponsor
of the 2011 Rodeo.
Coming up this month:
• The Calgary Eagle celebrates their 9th Anniversary on
Saturday, February 12th.
• Team Edmonton is holding their annual mixer on
Saturday, February 26th. See their ad for more details.
• The main event for Straight to Diva is coming up this
February 20th. Don’t forget to buy your tickets. Proceeds
from this event go to HIV Peer Support and the AIDS Calgary
HEAT program.
Letters to the Editor
Dear GC&E Magazine,
I cannot believe how stressful it is living in Alberta, what with
the cold weather and the constant threats and intimidation
I face in my quest for gender reassignment surgery. I sent a
bouquet of flowers to “Chastity” Bono (Cher’s daughter and now
son) along with a note when he became legally recognized as a
man, or “Chazz” Bono in a California court. Why can’t I get the
same respect here in my quest to do the reverse and switch
from male to female?
Cabinet Ministers (including the Premier) get unlimited free
health care without restrictions and quite often get pushed
ahead of regular citizens if they know the right Doctors to call.
I think that’s reasonable as the sooner they get well, the faster
they can get back to governing and ensuring continuity for our
citizens. So if former Health Minister Ron Liepert were to ask for
gender reassignment surgery to become “Ronita” or “Veronica”
Liepert, he would get it, no questions asked. I ask you how is
that fair?
Graciously,
Walter Dean Blake
Community
Some highlights from January 2011 were:
www.gaycalgary.com
45
 Interview - From Page 9
stage and don’t give 110% because we know that it goes a heck of a
lot quicker than it ever starts. People are in for a great show.”
This tour will have one challenge for Mates, as it is the first tour
he is away from his son, born last year.
“Thank god for iChat and Skype, it is nice to see a face on the
screen instead of just a voice on the line. He can’t talk yet but if I
can see him on the computer, that is better than not seeing him at
all. …It is going to be difficult, no question about it, because I have
been fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with him since he was
born. It is a whole new part of life but it drives me a little bit more. It
is not just going on the road anymore, it is with another purpose to
support a family and have something that my son can look back on
in 15 or 20 years and be proud that his dad was part of something
that was small at the beginning and grew into something big.”
If the name Emerson Drive only sounds familiar, you have likely
heard them on the radio or seen them open for acts like Shania
Twain. You may have also seen them as the Cabarat performers at
the ARGRA Rodeo in 2007.
“We had a blast. It was the first time we played it and it was
one of those things where you just don’t know what to expect. We
walked away thankful that we had the opportunity to play it. It
comes down to people that love music, it doesn’t matter if you are
straight or gay. There were people there singing the words from the
very first song to the end. If you can have music that hits people
in the right way that is a huge plus. None of us feel any different
because we all have friends that are gay. To be able to accept and
embrace it is a powerful thing. It is nice for people to know we are
not out to judge people we are here to do our job and play music.
Straight or gay, like it or don’t like it, that is completely up to you.”
The album includes the song When I See You Again and its
video, which are a tribute to Patrick Borque. He took his own life
on September 26th, 2007, one day shy of his 30th birthday. His
death affected the band and added another layer to their music that
resonated with others who have lost loved ones.
“It comes back to the age we are at now. We got started when
we were teenagers in school and signed a record deal in our early
20’s. …We are now in our thirties and you get to a different place
in your life. Things become important that weren’t there before.
The music and lyrics that have been written in the past few years
showcase what we have gone through in the band, with personal
relationships with our wives and children, and losing a member
of the band to suicide. These are all building blocks that make up
the core of Emerson Drive as a band, character, and sound. …
It adds to the structure and foundation of what we are. We have
always been blue collar, hard working Alberta guys and that hasn’t
changed. We just have a few more scars to show people and talk
about.”
The song Moments is in a similar vein, as a man contemplating
jumping off a bridge is reminded by a homeless man of the important
moments in his life, and decides not to jump after all. The song was
the most played country music song in Canada in 2007 and the
band received a lot of feedback about how it influenced people.
“It is still one of the most amazing sides of a song, and what it can
turn into and become when it hits someone the right way. When
the song was first released to the radio it only took a few weeks
before we started hearing incredible feedback [because of it]. That is
the amazing thing about music and lyrics: sometimes it just takes
over, there isn’t much you have to do if it is a great message and
if it resonates in people. That was one of those songs where, once
it went to the top of the charts, we got e-mails day after day after
day, people coming to us at shows and meet and greets and telling
us their stories and how they interpreted the song. Everyone has a
different situation that they go through and sometimes music can
help that person through [their life]. If it is someone in the army,
someone who loses someone close in their family, someone who is
gay and going through a tough time being accepted, these are all
pieces of what people take from music. The power of it is amazing
because it can change someone’s thinking 180 degrees, turn them
right back around.”
Emerson Drive
A Decade of Drive available February 8th.
www.EmersonDrive.com
On Tour
February 25th – Century Casino, Calgary
February 26th – Myer Horowitz Theatre, Edmonton
 Interview - From Page 52
“We aren’t great at writing songs on the road, we have to
go home and deflate in order to be creative and start writing
a new record. We are always envious of bands that can write
on the road, come off tour and go right into the studio. We
need that time home, a lot of stuff [singer] Scott [Anderson]
sings about is relationships and things he goes through in
life that doesn’t happen on the road. So you have to live a bit
of both to be creative and make songs that mean something
to other people. You can only do so many songs about living
on a tour bus.”
Life Turns Electric is the band’s fifth studio album, and
takes a different sound from previous collections.
“It is not as heavy, more rock and roll / classic rock feel
to it than some previous records. It doesn’t have as much
angst, or as dark. It comes from where we are in our lives
right now. When we were making the record we came off a
really successful album and tour for Them vs. You vs. Me.
So when we started writing, spirits were high and the songs
had a really uplifting feel. We made the record in New York
and the pace there added to the excitement of the record. So
it is the most classic rock record we’ve made.”
Going into writing, the band had to deal with the monster
that became the song Paralyzer. Instead of feeling pressure
to create another hit of that caliber, the band just focused
on putting out the best album they could.
“You are lying to yourself if you are not aware of how huge
that song was. We have been around as a band for so long,
we never knew that Paralyzer or One Thing were going to be
46
big hits. What we have always trusted is our own instinct,
and the only pressure we put on ourselves is to write great
songs and make a solid record. As long as we achieve that,
we’ve done our job and the rest is a gamble. Radio changes
so quickly and dramatically, one day something could be a
hit and the next day it’s not. We put pressure on ourselves
to make a good record of potential singles. That is what
the last album was and that is what Life Turns Electric is.
…We’ve made a record we are proud of and happy with
whatever results happen. Just creating it and having it out
there is already successful for us.”
It seems at times that Finger Eleven’s music is everywhere.
From WWE wrestling to video games to shows like Scrubs,
Smallville, Third Watch and Gossip Girl, the band’s songs
have become a staple of pop culture.
“They just kind of come to us. We have been lucky, we are
with wind-up records in New York, that really helped bring
people to us. We don’t know how it comes to be that we are
asked, we just know we are thankful. It is nice to be part
of things you are into. We are all big gamers in the band so
attaching yourself to games, movies and TV shows you are
into is special.”
Finger Eleven established themselves in the 1990’s. If
you look at their peers at the time, bands like Moist, The
Tea Party, The Matthew Good Band, and many others are
no longer together or performing. For the original band
members to have gotten together in high school and endured
22 years together is a pretty remarkable achievement.
www.gaycalgary.com
Community
“We are lucky to be a bunch of best pals that make music
together. I would like to think if we weren’t doing this at
this level we would still be getting together evenings and
weekends after our day jobs and jamming together in our
garage. The one thing that really stuck with this band is
the enjoyment of making music together, and that has just
gotten stronger as each band member has gotten stronger
at their instrument. We are all just good friends who enjoy
spending time together making music. We have always tried
to not make this a big corporate venture, it is about getting
out on a bus and playing rock shows.”
“We have always tried to keep that fun element to it and I
think that is what people do get from the band. They sense
that we are having a good time up there and giving our all.
We really enjoy what we are doing.”
Finger Eleven
Life Turns Electric available now.
www.FingerEleven.com
On Tour
February 4th - MacEwan Hall, Calgary
February 5th - Edmonton Events Centre
Apollo Boot camp
Boot camp Doesn’t Have to Be Scary
Are you ready to brush up on your hardcore military
techniques? What about sending your kids to toughlove wilderness camps celebrated by Maury Povich’s
television show? Not your cup of tea? Well, read on
because this is a boot camp that is meant to be fun, and
doesn’t involve a stint on daytime television.
Fitness boot camp has received a bad rap. Stories of exhaustion,
aches, pains, and sweating your butt off tend to describe this group
fitness regime. These stories are all true, but usually left out are the
rewards. Boot camp is an invigorating class of interval training that
involves running, weight training, strength training, push-ups, sit-ups,
and any other exercise that can benefit participants.
Apollo, Friends in Sport, Calgary’s only GLBT athletic group is offering
a boot camp class two days a week.
Apollo’s Fun Boot Camp offers a supportive environment for people
to get healthy and fit. There is no minimum fitness level required in
order to to attend. In fact, all body types are welcome and encouraged to
come. Platoon FX, a brand new training facility for indoor and outdoor
boot camps will host Apollo’s Fun Bootcamp. Described as an “adult
playground,” Platoon FX describes themselves as, “rather than being
littered with a bunch of machines that no one uses, or does half the
work out for you, our facility is only outfitted with the best functional
equipment to help you reach your fitness goals.”
Platoon FX also offers top of the line fitness equipment and training,
nutritional and health related counseling, mixed martial arts, a fitness
retail outlet, and a café. Apollo members who sign up for boot camp
receive exclusive access to all of these.
Dakota Hart will be the instructor for Apollo’s Fun Bootcamp. Hart
is the University of Calgary’s Head Coach of aerobic gymnastics, World
Sportaerobic Silver Medalist in 2004, Group X City Director of World
Health Club Edmonton, and Canadian National Gymnastic Sportaerobic
Champion.
A current member of the boot camp offers nothing but praise for this
class. “I thought boot camp was going to be sort of a military training.
But after the first day I realized two things: the facility has an amazing
amount of equipment such that we end up doing so many different
things and, Dakota is an extremely good trainer. Both make it a fun way
to improve shape and fitness.
Registration for boot camp can happen in a number of ways. You
must be a member of Apollo
to take part in this class. Membership is $20.00 and can be purchased
along with your class registration, or online at Apollo’s website.
To get a 10 visit punch card it will cost you $122.00. Each visit entitles
you to attend Platoon FX and use any of their facilities.
If you are willing to take the plunge and commit to a whole month,
it will only cost $82 per month. This will allow you to have full access
to the facility and all it has to offer, as well as admission to Apollo Fun
Boot camp.
Many New Year’s resolutions focus on weight loss and fitness training.
It is already February. How far have you come with your resolution?
Why not take part in a workout guaranteed to keep your New Year’s
promise?
Apollo Fun Boot Camp
Tuesdays: 7-8:30pm, Sundays: 10:30am-12pm
Platoon FX (1351 Aviation Park NE)
www.gaycalgary.com
47
Classified Ads
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Travel.................................... 680
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Classified Ads
Seeking Employment275
Erotic Massage
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Customer Service or a Bar/
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Seeing employment vibrant customer
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Dating Services
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Interested in a satisfying and visually
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Massage
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business. Whether you’re looking
for a one-time clean, or a regular
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Please contact 780-298-2626 or
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for rates and scheduling information.
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Commissioner for Oaths
[email protected] • 403-246-4134
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680
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assist you in finding a great place
to stay for a month or two, or a
second permanent Winter home.
Thanks hope to see you in AZ soon,
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Young, local Edmonton man
looking to kick off his cleaning
49
Music Review
Hear Me Out
George Michael, Natasha Bedingfield
By Chris Azzopardi
Also Out
Faith
(Special
Edition)
By: George Michael
My Rating: 
When he wasn’t setting his
own monkey free, George
Michael was singing about
it. The single “Monkey”
was, and remains, one
of the weakest tracks on
this classic – but on a
10-song album full of diamonds, it’s like getting a pearl. With
the fantastic remaster of Faith, the British pop star’s genesis
from boy band to sexually liberated solo act, the rerelease of
the 1987 watermark shows an artist in bloom, boldly pushing
buttons (“I Want Your Sex” would still turn heads today for its
unapologetic straight talk) and setting the stage for a legendary
career. The timeless hits – “Father Figure,” the title track and
one of the best ballads of all time, “One More Try” – are all intact
on one disc; the other two, a DVD and another CD, include
corresponding music videos and rarities packaged with a hardbound book of interviews and photos. A very candid, in-depth
chat from the late ’80s is the highlight on the DVD; another,
“Music, Money, Love, Faith,” is an interesting behind-the-music
making of. Both features add perspective to a masterwork that
remains not only an era marker, but – even now, 24 years later
– one of immaculate pop prowess. (Out Feb. 1)
Strip Me
By:
Natasha
Bedingfield
My Rating: ½
So
that
pocketful
of
sunshine
might
be
hurting
Natasha
Bedingfield more than
she
thought.
She’s
stamping smiley faces
all over her third U.S. release, sounding like she’s written
the soundtrack for a late ’90s chick flick; but her “journey
of hope” seems less like an exploration and more like a
destination she’s already reached. “Little Too Much” is so
cute you can practically see Julia Robert’s pearly whites in
it. The reference might seem dated, but everything about
Strip Me is – from how generic it sounds (even producer Ryan
Tedder, with the gimmicky title track, gives Bedingfield the
same drumbeat he’s criminally bestowed upon Beyoncé and
Kelly Clarkson) to how blandly safe it is. Even the elementary
lyrics go way back with clichés about playing a lover like a
musical instrument – in this case, on “No Mozart,” a piano.
What really sours Strip Me, though, is the uncharacteristic
vocal lunges Bedingfield throws herself into during the
disc’s almost-unlistenable last half, particularly on the
overreaching ballad “Recover,” where she really wants you
to feel what she’s singing – even if she has to scream it to
you.
50
No Boys Allowed
By: Keri Hilson
You know something’s up when a song features an “anus/
famous” rhyme. The sad part is that said line, courtesy of a Nelly
cameo on “Lose Control,” will go down as the most memorable
moment of the siren’s second album, a drab follow-up to 2009’s
In a Perfect World. So much of Hilson’s pop-soul sophomore
CD slips through the cracks (sorry, couldn’t help it) that we’re
left with a middling album of hookless sonic slop whose only
triumphs are the ones with the most attitude.
Live in London
By: Regina Spektor
No offense to Regina Spektor, who impresses during her first live
release, but the DVD is a mess. Shot in 2009 with what appears
to be webcams, it does no justice to this folk-bending talent
who is completely absorbing during her set, also available on
an accompanying CD. “Samson,” one of her best, is sadder and
sweeter live – and you can’t help but love the buoyant bounce of
“Folding Chair” – but the real surprise is the unreleased “Love,
You’re a Whore,” a cheeky country closer.
The Love EP
By: Corinne Bailey Rae
Didn’t see this one coming: the “Put Your Records On” soulstress
doing Prince? Yep, Rae gets funky on the sexy “I Wanna be
Your Lover” as part of this digital-only release of covers for
Valentine’s Day. Her silky-smooth voice works magically, and
it’s cool to hear her cut loose just after her very serious The Sea.
Other tracks on the EP include the haunting rocker “Low Red
Moon” and the sweet Paul McCartney & Wings song “My Love.”
Put this record on, for sure.
www.gaycalgary.com
www.gaycalgary.com
51
Finger Eleven Rock Onwards
Veteran Canadian band hits the road with Life Turns Electric
By Jason Clevett
Finger Eleven drummer Rich Beddoe has mixed feelings
about the band’s cross country tour (bringing them
to Macewan Hall on February 4th and the Edmonton
Events Centre on February 5th). On the one hand, he is
excited to be performing shows for their loyal Canadian
fans. On the other hand, driving across the country in
the winter isn’t so much fun.
“We we do a lot of tours in Canada in January and
February. It is a great time to go out because not a lot of
bands are coming to those cities to play. We get such a
welcome reception from people for rolling into cities in the
middle of winter,” he said over the phone. “It is cold on
the bus - I just got a nice new sleeping bag for Christmas
that I can’t wait to use on the bus. We just did a tour in
December and I was freezing…so you have to adjust and
dress appropriately. You get used to it. We have had buses
in the past break down on highways in the winter, I had
better knock on wood that it doesn’t happen.”
The Edmonton-raised Beddoe is excited to be coming
home but also has a certain fondness for Calgary. In support
of their 2007 album, the band played Calgary five times.
“Calgary has been one of our favorite places to play. It is a
real rock city and some of the best crowds we have. We have
been there so many times because we really like coming. We
always have the most fun in that town so it is always on the
list to get there and play. I grew up in Edmonton and there
is just a different energy in Calgary that I can’t explain. You
can definitely feel it from the stage...”
In addition to songs from their new album Life Turns
Electric, the band will mix in fan favorites like One Thing
and Good Times. A band that has always focused everything
onstage, Beddoe says to expect the same level of show that
Finger Eleven has become known for.
“We are really excited for this tour because we just had a
break over Christmas, so we are re-energized and ready to
go. We have a really good package together a great set list,
with a bunch of old and new songs. The lighting package we
have is really cool…it will be a fun, energetic night.”
In July 2008, Beddoe’s band mate James Black was
interviewed for GayCalgary, and talked about how important
being on the road was to him. Beddoe provided his own
outlook on balancing home life with touring.
“It sums up who you are. You live day to day on the road
and your habits really revolve around being on the bus and
in hotels and on stage every night. When that ends and it is
time to make another record, you really need time to deflate
and get back into living at home for awhile. It is always a
little difficult on everyone in the band to get used to that. At
the same time our wives would like us to be home. Finding
a balance somewhere in the middle is what is most healthy.”
“We spent two and a half years on the road and at a
certain point you burn yourself out a bit. I hope with this
record we can find a balance between being at home and
getting re-energized and being out there playing shows. The
older you get, the more you appreciate being home, but we
have always been road dogs. We love being out there and
playing and that lifestyle is what has been normal for us.”
52
www.gaycalgary.com
www.gaycalgary.com
53
Interview
The Other Tyra
Drag Race winner Tyra Sanchez goes cross country
By Jason Clevett
With the launch of the third season of RuPaul’s Drag
Race, airing Mondays on OUTtv, the previous season
winner Tyra Sanchez recently left the warmth of her
Atlanta home to embark on a cross-Canada promotional
tour. Prior to her January 29th appearance at Club
Sapien in Calgary, we caught up with Tyra over the
phone.
She told us about how, initially she didn’t want to apply for the
show. As fate would have it, a friend stepped in and sent her on
her path to victory.
“I enjoyed doing drag but a friend of mine went behind my back
and sent in the application for me. When they called about me
doing a video I thought it was a joke. I did the video and three
weeks later they selected me to be on the show. With not having
anywhere to stay and sleeping on my drag mother’s floor, of course
if I was selected to be on a TV show I was going to go ahead and do
it. It was a chance to win $25,000 and exposure. It ended up being
a life changing experience.”
Up to the last minute, there was doubt in her mind.
“Going to the final episode, I thought that I wasn’t going to win.
I thought I would be like Nina Flowers, who had never been in
the bottom two but didn’t win. I was like Oh My God I am going to
follow in her footsteps! …When Ru
said my name I forgot to breathe, I
was overjoyed and overwhelmed.”
Tyra had advice for future
contestants as well.
“Just be yourselves, do
what is asked of you but
make sure the judges still
see you. You can challenge
yourself to do different
things but at the same time
be yourself while doing those
things. There wasn’t a difficult
challenge for me. The Rock n
Roll challenge was harder
because I can’t sing, but
I knew I can’t sing. I had
immunity so I just went
out and had fun.”
Being able to provide a
home and support for his
son is a big part of why Tyra
is determined to maximize
her Drag Race victory.
“My son is with me now, I see
him every day. When I travel out of
town his Mom comes and stays at
the house and watches him. We work
together as a team.”
She has been busy since the show
making guest appearances, working on
a planned TV show, and touring across
Canada and possibly the UK. Being the
next drag superstar comes with high
expectations for performing live.
“I just make sure that I am relaxed.
When getting ready in makeup and stuff,
I make sure everything is in order and on
schedule. I know how long it takes to do
my makeup and hair and I don’t want to be
rushed, I want to relax and meditate while
getting ready.”
The queens seemed to clash a lot
over the course of the show, and
in the Untucked episodes that
aired afterward. But Tyra says, on
the whole, the experience brought
contestants closer together.
“What everyone saw was the truth. It did leave
out a lot of the good parts and showed the bad parts for ratings, but
the good parts outweighed the bad parts. We got along and were
happy a lot of the time, we were really good friends.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race - Season 3
OUTtv, Monday nights at 8:00pm
www.outtv.ca
54
www.gaycalgary.com
www.gaycalgary.com
55
Community
Take Back the Night
Art Fundraiser
Eclectic Art Showcase Hopeful to Fund
September’s March
Janine Eva Trotta
On February 3rd, the doors of the Marquis Room opened
for the Take Back the Night Calgary committee’s first
fundraiser for the annual march that has taken place
every fall for the past 23 years.
Last year’s Take Back the Night (TBTN) march was funded
by a one-time Arusha grant, while this year’s budget is hoped
to be collected through the month-long art show, inspired
by the theme “Body Image: Beyond the Female Body”.
“It’s the first fundraiser we’ve ever done,” says Juliet
Burgess, chair of the TBTN Calgary committee, regarding
the evening of “general mingling and having of wine, talking
about art.”
The Take Back the Night Calgary grass roots committee
was founded just two and a half years ago.
“We have a great committee of cool ladies involved in the
art scene,” says Burgess, noting the crew is keen on other
issues too.
“We’re really supportive of trying to get across the
importance of queer issues in this show as well… to illustrate
the gender spectrum in the program,” Burgess continues. “I
think everyone in the committee but one of us is queer.”
56
Opening night was highlighted by burlesque and a drag
queen troupe performance, as well as appearances by
spoken word artists. Of the 30 submissions received by the
TBTN team, 15 local artists were selected to contribute work
to the February show - three of whom are male.
“We do have some dudes in the show,” Burgess says. “The
male perspective is important as well in this situation.”
The selections committee, composed of respected artists
and women’s advocates active in the community, adjudicated
the submissions based on the “general quality of the work
and artist’s skill, keeping with the theme of the image of a
woman and how it is used for society’s purposes,” Burgess
explains. “How the world views us; how they see women at
first glance.”
Some material submitted was very “Sexually charged,”
Burgess says. “We didn’t want to objectify anybody, but
then realized that objectification is a part of how society
views [women].”
The show aims to exemplify “the pain and tribulations that
come along with womanhood” through textiles, painting,
sculpture and prints.
On February 12th and 13th, the Market Collective has
generously donated space for some of the artists selected in
the Take Back the Night Marquis Room Show to showcase
their pieces, as well as any additional works of their
choosing.
A number of the selected artists will donate proceeds of
any sale made at the Marquis Room to the TBTN committee.
Burgess says based on the success of this month’s event,
we could be seeing an annual TBTN event take place every
February.
“If the community demands it, we’ll keep it going in future
years,” she says. “Women’s issues, body issues – these
issues are still important to women everywhere.”
Calgary’s annual Take Back the Night march is slated for
late September, though the firm date cannot be announced
until 60 days prior to the event; City of Calgary rules.
www.gaycalgary.com
Photography
Drag Queens & Divas at Hooliganz Pub, Edmonton
www.gaycalgary.com
57
Photography
ARGRA White Party - Calgary
PopSex! at Alberta College of Art - Calgary
Apollo Registration Kick-off Party at Club Sapien - Calgary
58
www.gaycalgary.com
Photography
TD Canada Trust Networking at Club Sapien - Calgary
Carnal Desires at FLASH - Edmonton
Tyra Sanchez at Club Sapien - Calgary
www.gaycalgary.com
59
Photography
Snowballs Ski Weekend - Banff
Photos courtesy of Mike Stansberry
60
www.gaycalgary.com
www.gaycalgary.com
61
62
www.gaycalgary.com
www.gaycalgary.com
63

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Transcription

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