Toronto`s diminishing gay club scene E22

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#772 MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014
TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
WE
DANCE
IF WE WANT TO
Toronto’s diminishing gay club scene E22
PLUS!
LUMINATO
WORLDPRIDE GAY PC
HONOREES CANDIDATES HIGHLIGHTS
E11
E12
E 26
2 MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 XTRA!
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#772 MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014
WE
DANCE
IF WE WANT TO
Toronto’s evolving gay club scene E23
PLUS!
LUMINATO
WORLDPRIDE GAY PC
HONOREES CANDIDATES HIGHLIGHTS
E11
E12
E 26
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#772 MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014
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Dyke March route to
change for WorldPride
Organizers want march to retain its roots
as a ‘radical political demonstration’ E 14
Feedback E6
Xcetera E9
Upfront
Wellesley parking lot
may become condo E11
PC Party running three gay
candidates in Ontario election
Brant candidate Phil Gillies says
his party has embraced gay
rights as attitudes shift E12
History Boys
The opera-singing, swordfighting Julie d’Aubigny
By Jeremy Willard E16
ondailyxtra.com
Out in the City
Arts roundup
A fresh crack at best ass E19
Cover story
We should be dancing
Toronto dancefloors are
vanishing, leaving few places
to bust a move E22
A shift in gay club culture
makes way for a new kind
of dancefloor E23
Lumineers
The 2014 Luminato Festival’s
gay-interest quotient reaches
an all-time high E26
Style Life
All-day style essentials to
make the most of summer
By Diego Armand E28
Erica Bestwick, [email protected]
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2 MINUTES TO CHURCH ST
OR THE SUBWAY
ALL OF TORONTO
IS AT YOUR DOORSTEP
Club Scene E32
Deep Dish
By Rolyn Chambers E34
E Full WorldPride
lineup revealed
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PRIDE NEWS
Editorial
Toronto’s last big gay club
is closing, but who cares?
By Phil Villeneuve E6
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By Drasko Bogdanovic E37
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Comment
Phil Villeneuve is Xtra’s arts editor.
The outcome that we seek is this — gay and lesbian
people daring together to set love free.
Xtra is published by Pink Triangle Press, at 2 Carlton St, Ste 1600, Toronto, M5B 1J3.
6 MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 XTRA!
MARK MALONEY
TORONTO, ON
The park should be renamed Treeless
Cement Patch to more accurately
describe its transformation.
RYAN
TORONTO, ON
I don’t like it when they name things
after living people. And where was the
consultation? Wong-Tam has a nasty
habit of asking for input while doggedly sticking to her original idea regardless of the input she just asked for.
SCOTT GLEN (FACEBOOK)
TORONTO, ON
Gay PC party
candidates
I hardly think it’s worth applauding
when the last horse finally crosses the
finish line [“PC Party Running Three
Gay Candidates in Ontario Election,”
dailyxtra.com, May 26]. The other
major parties supported equal rights
for LGBT persons ages ago. What’s
more, does Gillies even live in Brant
anymore? If not, he should not be
running there.
ARZIE CHANT (FACEBOOK)
LONDON, ON
I take offence to your statement that
in 2011, the PC Party distributed homophobic flyers. I saw the flyer before
[RE: GAY PC PARTY CANDIDATES]
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#771 MAY 15–28, 2014
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I wasn’t sure if Councillor Kristyn
Wong-Tam had sent, or shared with
you, the background documentation
on the proposed renaming of Cawthra
Park to Barbara Hall Park [“Councillor Wants to Rename Cawthra Park
after Barbara Hall,” dailyxtra.com,
May 14]. I did some research on the
matter: the park was originally named
after William Cawthra in the 1800s
simply because he was so rich. He had
no major or particular connection
or affiliation to the street, or to the
wider Church-Wellesley area, other
than being a major landlord and one
of the city’s wealthiest citizens and
landowners. I think it is far better to
name it after someone who has had a
deep relationship with a community
she has fought for her entire life. I
am currently writing a book on all 64
mayors of Toronto and can tell you
Barbara Hall is very deserving indeed
of this honour.
When the news was announced that Fly nightclub
would be closing after WorldPride this
year, I clutched my pearls and let out a
big “No!”
How could a “world class city” like
Toronto lose its only official gay club?
When cities like Hamilton and London,
Ontario, are able to support gay venues
filled with party-hungry queers, how is it
that TO isn’t up to the task?
The questions and conversations continued with a few friend groups over
the days and weekends that followed
the announcement, but the talk always
ended with us putting on our dancing
shoes and heading to our favourite bar
to dance until 3am.
I quickly realized that Fly’s closing
actually has little or no effect on my life
or on the lives of most gay people I know
in Toronto. Don’t get me wrong; there’s
nothing like an enormous space, filled
with sweaty men dancing and having a
great time with their hands in the air.
I remember first walking into Fly when
I landed in the city — it blew my mind. So
many men! Such huge sound! So much
room to dance and jump surrounded by
giant inflated penises and over-the-top
décor! I hope that every young gay person gets to experience a giant gay club.
It’s an important step in one’s nightlife
development.
But these clubs don’t mean much to me
and never have. Give me a dancefloor the
size of a postage stamp any day. Those tiny
spaces are full of life and a kind of fearless
abandon that big clubs seem to silence.
I grew up as a gay man dancing at
Peroxyde, downstairs at Neutral in
Kensington Market (remember that
crazy aquarium?); Big Primpin’, at Stone’s
Place; Hump Day Bump, at the Gladstone; and the tiny corners of The Barn
for whatever was happening there that
weekend. Hell, I had the most epic dance
party of 2014 one night after the bar in
my kitchen! (Never underestimate the
value of raiding a fridge in the middle of
a Beyoncé dance-off.)
As flamboyant as the mega-venues are,
they’re going the way of the dinosaur for
a reason — no one really cares. Big spaces
along our waterfront and on the outskirts
of the city have become the go-to places
for weekend warriors who want to party
in large spaces. And I don’t mind, do you?
Does anyone?
As Rolyn Chambers and John Caffery
— who are still heavily involved in the
scene, and have been for years — both
mention in stories in this issue, the trend
is toward smaller spaces and parties. We
can blame hook-up apps and ancient city
bylaws, but we the party people of the city
are the ones responsible, and that’s okay.
I recently DJed a party at Fly, to give
all the west-end boys and fringe fags a
chance to visit the club one last time — or,
for many, for the first time ever — before
the club closes its doors for good. About
70 percent of the crowd were regulars,
20 percent were revelling tourists, and a
final 10 percent were just there to watch
the live sex show that was promised.
My DJ partner and I thought it would
be a big draw to have one final blowout
in the massive club that everyone loved
or hated... turns out, not as many as we
expected actually cared.
They’ll continue to dance at fantastic
venues around the city that offer double
the dancing for a lower price.
The gays of Toronto don’t require a
club like Fly anymore because we’ve got
more options than ever. We want variety,
we want shows. We want to be shocked
and entertained, but really, we just want
to let loose and have fun. Smaller bars
with dancefloors, while we can count
them on both hands, are where it’s at!
Fly’s closing is sad, but the fact is, it’s
a sign of the times, and these are good
times to be dancing.
Cawthra Park
I hardly think it’s worth
applauding when the last horse
finally crosses the finish line.
dailyxtra.com
EDITORIAL
PHIL VILLENEUVE
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AN ORAL
HISTORY OF
THE 519
E 10
Our guide to the best of Toronto’s LGBT film fest E19
there was any controversy. The flyers
were very colourful because they were
designed by the local riding staff. The
actual written words on the flyers
were not homophobic. The flyers
were created because the PC people in
those ridings did not want sex education in schools. They did not want any
sex education, not straight or gay. The
party was and is against sex education
for young children. The liberal media made a big deal about the flyers,
but anyone who actually examined
the flyers would have realized they
were not homophobic. This election,
there are three gay PC candidates. Let
me assure you that there are many
LGBT persons within the PC Party,
some within ridings and some at the
executive level. The liberal media
go to great lengths to portray PCs as
homophobic, but it just is not true.
PEGGY
TORONTO, ON
Gay life in Jamaica
The church is the problem (including
most Christian fundamentalist ministries that originate from the USA),
and until that’s addressed, things in
Jamaica and the West Indies aren’t
going to get better for gays and lesbians
[“Jamaica’s Long Game,” dailyxtra.
com, May 18]. The late author Christopher Hitchens said it best: “Religion
poisons everything.” Nowhere is this
more true than in Jamaica. Spiritual
awakening? The nation, and the region, needs a secular awakening. North
America needs it, too.
NEVILLE ROSS
TORONTO, ON
These are excellent proposals for a
government response, but LGBT folk
also have a responsibility in dealing
with countries that follow official
policies of homophobia [“Canada
Must Do More to Defend Global
LGBT Rights, Government Told,”
dailyxtra.com, May 16]. The fact is
that gay men in particular have a
penchant for visiting these countries “because they want to see that
part of the world.” This only gives
support and money to these countries and therefore support for their
homophobic policies. It is essential
for LGBT people to boycott any and
all countries that practise official
homophobia or that fail to deal seriously with homophobic violence. For
that matter, as an action of solidarity,
we should boycott any country that
officially practises or encourages any
kind of intolerance.
WAYNE M
TORONTO, ON
WorldPride honorees
How many times has Reverend
Brent Hawkes been honoured by
Pride Toronto [“Brent Hawkes, Fierce
Femmes Among Pride Toronto Honorees,” dailyxtra.com, May 23]? I have
a feeling Pride has a shopping list they
run through every few years. The
Inspire Awards, The 519 and Pride
Toronto are always trotting out the
same tired faces from the Church
Street gay village every three to five
years. It’s hardly very inspiring. It’s
more of an old-boys’ club.
MICHAEL F PARÉ
TORONTO, ON
Lindsay Anne
Black retirement
Lindsay Anne Black is a wonderful
stage artist [“Canary in a Culture
Mine,” dailyxtra.com, May 15]. She’s
a very kind woman who I once had the
pleasure of working with on a show.
I am so sorry to hear of this.
DAVID WOOTTON
TORONTO, ON
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Russia: Children’s stories
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24
XCETERA
FROM THE ARCHIVES 40 YEARS AGO
BODY POLITIC #13, MAY/JUNE, 1974
Adam and Steve are on the cover, with
a gorgeous four-panel illustration by
AW Kellogg, and religion is on The Body
Politic’s mind. Quakers affirm the protection of
sexual minorities, and Catholic priest Gregory
Baum takes a hopeful stance on the future of
gays in the church.
COVER STORY
“For the cover story, John Caffery and
Rolyn Chambers are arguing about
the state of gay dance clubs in the city.
Should we commission an illustration?”
“How about we smash a
disco ball in stop-motion?”
“But what
would we
illustrate?”
“A disco ball,
crossed out, to
say ‘no dancing’?”
“What if people think
it means ‘no disco’?”
Age of the
world’s oldest cat.
Poppy
The elder cat’s name,
whose favourite food
is KFC.
“Oooh, like the Justin Timberlake
album cover? Yeah, cool!” (Runs off to
contact disco ball suppliers.)
KFC
A lesbian couple
was recently
kicked out of the
fast-food chain’s
Bath, England,
location for “heavy
petting.”
“Hmm. Not quite
the impact that we
are looking for.”
“Back to
illustration?”
“So, my suppliers tell me that nowadays
disco balls are just made of Styrofoam,
so they won’t shatter; they’ll just
bust into chunks, of, well, Styrofoam.”
(Time
passes.)
“Hey, remember those
old step-by-step dance
illustrations?”
“Maybe we could write
the headline in dance steps!”
“Oh, that’s kind of cute . . .”
Heavy Pettin’
(In unison) “Meh.”
Name of a
Glaswegian
heavy-metal band
formed in 1981.
(Time
passes.)
“That lyric would make a great headline:
‘We can dance if we want to.’ ”
Duodildo Vibrator
Name of a not-sonotable noisemetal band, also
from Glasgow.
“Hey, we could show John replacing
the word ‘can’ with ‘can’t’!
And have him looking angry, like this.”
(Makes peculiar angry face.)
Running vibrator
Object found inside
a Fresno, California,
man’s large intestine
after he complained
of constipation.
1.5 metres
Average length of
the large intestine.
Longest intestine
The average length
of a blue whale’s
large intestine is
145 metres.
(“The Safety Dance” plays
on Songza, in background.)
“Yeah! And we could create a second
version with Rolyn’s opinion.”
OUT ON THE STREET BY KYLE BURTON
Where is your favourite gay dancefloor in Toronto?
(Later, at the photo shoot,
Phil helps get everybody
into the mood. The results
speak for themselves.)
Blue Smoke
Title of
Dolly
Parton’s
latest
album, her
highest
charting
yet.
Highest note hit
D sharp 8,
by male singer
Francis Xavier
Serdoncillo.
Alex
Justin
Natasha
Connor
FILMMAKER
SERVER
MODEL
STUDENT
I’m straight, but I
love dancing with
gay people because
they know how to
party. I like Crews &
Tangos. People are
really open there.
Buddies. It’s top
40 — really good
music and easy to
dance to. The place
is always full, and
the drag shows are
amazing.
I like Crews &
Tangos. I like the
atmosphere and the
entertaining drag
shows and all the
stuff going on in all
the rooms.
Byzantium. They
have really good
martinis, and
it’s cool how the
restaurant turns
into a dancefloor
at night.
Buying? Selling? Pre-construction?
Proudly Serving Our Community!
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XTRA! MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 9
10 MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 XTRA!
Upfront
I campaigned quite aggressively for the first gay-rights bill. It was a very
acrimonious and contentious debate. Brant PC candidate Phil Gillies E 12
Pride honorees announced
Brent Hawkes,
Fierce Femmes
to be lauded at
WorldPride
PRIDE NEWS
ROB SALERNO
Pride Toronto announced its honoured
individuals and groups on May 22; those
who will lead the Pride Parade, Dyke
March and Trans* Pride March (the
asterisk indicates that “trans” is an
umbrella term that encompasses the
gender-identity spectrum). All three
events will take place on Yonge Street
this year, reflecting a longstanding demand by Trans* March organizers for
equal footing with the other marches. In
previous years, trans activists marched
down Yonge Street despite not getting
official permission from the city.
The Pride parade’s grand marshal will
be longtime human-rights activist Brent
Hawkes, of the Metropolitan Community Church. Hawkes achieved global
prominence in 2001 when he performed
NEWS BRIEFS
Jane Farrow bids
for seat on Toronto
City Council
Author, activist, radio host, former
Xtra contributor and one-time city
hall insider Jane Farrow has launched
a campaign to win the Ward 30 Toronto
City Council seat held by Councillor
Paula Fletcher since 2003.
Farrow announced her candidacy
with the tagline “progressive, independent, fabulous” on her Twitter account
(@FarrowJane) after filing her nomination papers May 20.
The Pride parade’s grand marshal
will be longtime community
activist Reverend Brent Hawkes,
of the Metropolitan Community
Church, pictured here in the 2013
Pride parade. ADAM COISH
“I think it’s time for change,” Farrow
tells Xtra. “People really want to, I think,
get out of the partisan-politics business.
I think they want to have constructive
dialogues that lead to action.”
Ward 30 was already a hot race before Farrow’s announcement. The
left-leaning Fletcher is set to rematch
against broadcast personality Liz West,
who’s been described as a conservative.
In 2010, Fletcher retained her seat by
just 259 votes. “It’s very obvious in this
particular riding there’s an appetite for
change,” Farrow says. “What I’m doing
is stepping forward into a very big gap
— a progressive form of change.”
Farrow isn’t worried about splitting
the progressive vote with Fletcher.
“There’s a lot more colours in progressive than just orange,” she says. “I’ve
the first (retroactively) legal same-sex
marriages in the world.
Leading the parade as honoured group
will be 2 Spirits Toronto, a non-profit
group that provides services to two-
spirit people. This year’s honoured dyke
is Connie Bonnello, initiator of IBM
Canada’s Teaching Respect in Schools
program, which teaches kids strategies
to combat bullying.
been approached by hundreds of people
and asked to run in this ward. We live in
a democracy. People are allowed to declare and get in, and I don’t have to ask
permission from a party.” — Rob Salerno
The lot, across the street from Wellesley subway station, has approximately
150 parking spots and is transformed
into a large performance venue during
Pride weekend. The Wellesley Stage is
Pride’s largest outdoor performance
space and has in the past hosted performances by Mia Martina and Kelly Rowland, as well as the Blockorama parties.
The TPA has been entertaining proposals to redevelop the lot and has settled on a proposal from one developer.
The TPA does not yet have authority
from the city to sell or redevelop the
property.
Marie Casista, TPA’s vice-president of
real estate, says there’s no guarantee the
proposal will proceed. “It’s an integral
part of the community in that it supports parking and therefore supports
Wellesley parking lot
may become condo
Pride may soon lose another of its performance venues as the Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) pursues plans to
sell its Wellesley Street lot for a possible multiple-tower development that
would also see a pair of adjacent properties on Maitland Street, including
the Catholic Children’s Aid Society
building, demolished.
The Dyke March chose as its honoured group a collection of activists,
artists and educators they’ve aptly
dubbed the Toronto Fierce Femme
Organizers. The group comprises Kim
Milan (Crosby), Catherine Hernandez,
Gein Wong, Chanelle Gallant, Sedina
Fiati, Leah Lakshmi, Dainty Smith,
Monica Forrester, Belle Jumelles,
Anna Camilleri, Alyson Mitchell and
Vee Stun.
The Trans* Pride March has chosen
two honoured individuals: homelessyouth advocate Alex Abramovich and
educator and zine publisher Monica
Forrester. The honoured group is
Trans Pulse, a community research
project investigating the impact of
exclusion and discrimination on the
health of trans people in Ontario.
Forrester says she’s excited that the
Trans* Pride March has been given
official sanction to use Yonge Street
this year. “I think it’s important that
we bring more visibility to the community within the bigger community
of Toronto and the world. That’s something over the years that a lot of trans
people rallied for,” she says.
The honoured positions at the parade
and marches are a great way to recognize the work being done in Toronto at
its biggest Pride yet, says Sean Hillier,
Pride Toronto co-chair. “The recognition is well deserved,” he says.
the businesses,” she says. “But it’s a lot
of land, and there must be something
we can do with that land to revitalize it
or make it something more than just a
surface parking lot.”
The TPA is sensitive to the needs of
the community and the lot’s use during
Pride, but that doesn’t mean a stageready space will survive the proposed
redevelopment, Casista says. “We are
aware that it’s an important area for
staging for Pride,” she says. “I think an
important component can be market/
residential. I’m not saying the whole
area, but that’s also part of maintaining
a vital community.” —Rob Salerno
For more on these stories,
go to dailyxtra.com.
XTRA! MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 11
PC Party running three gay
candidates in Ontario election
Brant candidate Phil Gillies says his party has
embraced gay rights as attitudes shift across province
POLITICS
ROB SALERNO
In a move that comes as something of a
surprise for a party that has long been
associated with a hostile attitude toward the queer community, the Ontario
Progressive Conservatives are running
three out gay men on their slate in this
election — and at least one of them
stands a serious chance of being elected.
Only two out LGBT candidates have
run for the PC Party in its history: Toronto Sun columnist Sue-Ann Levy ran
and lost in a 2009 by-election, and former cabinet minister Keith Norton ran
and lost after coming out in 1990.
But now Norton’s former cabinet
colleague Phil Gillies — who came out
after leaving politics in 1987 — is seeking
a return to Queen’s Park in the southwestern Ontario riding of Brant. And as
the PCs lost Brant in 2011 by fewer than
1,000 votes, they think it’s one of their
strongest chances for a pick-up.
Since leaving office, Gillies has continued to be involved in politics, serving
as an advisor to the PCs in a number of
campaigns, working on environmental
and endangered-species issues, and
sitting on the advisory council of ProudPolitics, a non-partisan organization
that encourages LGBT people to run for
office in Canada.
Although he was still in the closet,
Gillies is best remembered in the queer
community as being one of just four
members of the PC caucus to vote in
favour of Bill 7 in 1986, which expanded
human rights law in the province to
cover sexual orientation. He describes
the experience as “bruising.”
“I campaigned quite aggressively for
the first gay-rights bill. It was a very acrimonious and contentious debate,” he
says. “It was really quite remarkable that
when the trans rights bill went to the
house, it passed unanimously. I thought
that was great, the contrast with the first
gay-rights bill.”
He says there’s been a strong change
in attitude across the province, which is
being reflected in the PC Party. “For a lot
of us who were from ridings particularly
outside of the big urban centres, [coming
out] just wasn’t an option if you wanted to
go anywhere in politics,” he says. “What a
difference the last 20-odd years has made.
“[PC leader Tim Hudak] was well
aware of my role in working with MPPs
Jamie Ellerton is the PC candidate in the Toronto riding of Parkdale–High Park.
ROB SALERNO
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that brought gay rights to Ontario in the
’80s. He’s actually told me this is one of
the reasons he wanted me on the team.
The more of us who are working at the
very centre of Queen’s Park, the further
it goes to improving attitudes,” he says.
And in the wake of a 2011 election that
ended on a sour note when a number of
PC candidates distributed homophobic
campaign flyers and were backed up by
Hudak, Gillies says the party is actively
reaching out to the LGBT community.
“I was running the campaign in
Brant, and I was very upset and concerned, and I certainly made my displeasure known,” he says of the 2011
campaign flyers. “But in terms of my
involvement in the last couple of years,
I accompanied Tim Hudak and his wife,
Debbie, and a number of other gay
conservatives, both two years ago and
last year, to the Starry Night Gala [at
Pride]. I was delighted to see how well
Tim was received by the community.”
One of the issues Gillies says he’d
like to push for is improved health
and mental-health services for LGBT
people outside the province’s major
urban centres, citing the Rainbow Program at CAMH as an example.
“A lot of people may not realize how
important this is... When you face discrimination or tension in the family,
all of these things that can arise out of
a young person coming out as gay, it can
put pressures on people that lead to any
number of problems,” he says. “I’m not
saying for a minute that there should
be brick-and-mortar facilities in all the
smaller communities. That’s not feasible. But there should be people in the
field who are trained in these issues.”
Meanwhile, hoping to establish a toehold for the PCs in downtown Toronto
is Jamie Ellerton, who’s running in the
west-end riding of Parkdale–High Park.
It’s a constituency the PCs have never
won, but Ellerton wants to bring the
party’s message to the riding.
“LGBT people, like the rest of Ontarians, are tired of getting a bad deal
from their government. Young LGBTs
are looking for job opportunities; they
want to get ahead, but they can’t get into
this job market,” he says. “Just because
you happen to be gay or lesbian doesn’t
mean you have to be a tax-and-spend
socialist who wants government to
manage your life.”
Ellerton lives in the Junction neighbourhood, runs his own communications business and has served as
executive assistant to PC Leader Tim
Hudak and Jason Kenney, the federal
minister of employment. He is also a
spokesperson for the lobby group Ethical Oil, which advocates for increased
production of the Alberta oil sands, and
sits on the board of the Iranian Railroad
for Queer Refugees.
$
Ellerton says the PCs are allies of the
queer community.
“Tim Hudak and the whole caucus
voted en masse to have the Pride flag
fly at Queen’s Park to show solidarity
with LGBT people during the Sochi
Olympics,” he says.
In the Liberal stronghold of Ottawa
Vanier, the PCs are running Martin
Forget, who is perhaps best known in
political circles as the longtime partner of former Liberal MP Mario Silva.
Forget says that he and Silva maintain
domestic harmony despite disagreeing
on some political issues.
“We live together and we’re happy...
but there are some concerns we don’t
share about the economic agenda in the
province of Ontario,” he says. “I think
that’s very indicative that I disagree
with the Liberal agenda.”
Forget says that agenda will turn Ontario’s economy into one resembling the
ruined economies of Spain and Greece.
“The bottom line is the way to change
this is putting people back to work. We
need to stop the waste; we need to bring
back the hydro bills at the right level, so
that the people from the LGBT community... have the power to start small
businesses and thrive,” he says.
#news
#arts
#travel
#events
Everything gay, every day.
The provincial election is
Thurs, June 12. For more coverage
of the campaign, go to dailyxtra.com.
DAILY
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XTRA! MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 13
Dyke March
route to change
Organizers want march
to retain its radical roots
PRIDE NEWS
ANDI SCHWARTZ
F E AT U R I N G
J U N O N O M I N AT E D DA N C E M U S I C A R T I S T
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For the first time since its start in 1996,
Toronto’s Dyke March route is changing significantly.
Past years have seen hundreds of
women walk west on Bloor Street,
south on Yonge Street and east on
Carlton Street to end their march in
Allan Gardens. This year, the march
will be reversed. Marchers will start in
Allan Gardens, head west on Carlton
Street, north on Yonge Street and east
on Charles Street to end in George
Hislop Parkette.
“The change made not only logistical sense, but also keeps focus on
building community and maintaining
the Dyke March as a radical, political
demonstration,” says Laura Krahn,
one of the lead organizers.
“It is symbolic of how the Dyke
March is, in fact, a march, not a parade.
It goes in the exact opposite way of the
Pride parade,” adds Dallas Barnes, colead of the Dyke March team.
Organizers expect WorldPride to
attract 5,000 women to the festivities
on Saturday, June 28. Allan Gardens
offers the much-needed space to organize marchers and to set up a stage
worthy of the impressive lineup of rally
speakers beforehand, they say. “Allan
Gardens will provide a great sense of
truly gathering together as a community — it’s like launching the march
from one big, dyke picnic,” Krahn says.
Dyke day will begin at 1:30pm on
June 28 with a rally in Allan Gardens.
Participants are encouraged to gather
earlier to create signboards, make
friends and take in the Pride programming happening in the park. The
march kicks off at 2pm and ends with
a performance by the taiko drumming
group Raging Asian Women in George
Hislop Parkette.
The first Toronto Dyke March took
place in 1996; three years earlier, the
Lesbian Avengers organized what is
recognized as the first official dyke
march, in Washington. The group
formed in the early 1990s to combat
lesbian invisibility in queer activism.
To get back to these political roots,
the Toronto Dyke March has been
rebuilding since the radical “Take
Back the Dyke” march in 2010. At the
time, community members organized
the alternative event to resist Pride
Toronto’s ban of the term “Israeli
apartheid” and the corporate cooptation of the Pride festival. Since then,
the Dyke March has been committed
to keeping this political spirit alive.
“The march is a reminder that our
work is not done,” Krahn says. “It is
both a celebration of our accomplishments over the past year and also
reminds and energizes us for all the
work still ahead.”
Laura Krahn (left), Dyke March team
lead, and Adriana Alarcon, Craft
Action TO facilitator, have been
working on a crafty new banner for
the 2014 Dyke March. ANDI SCHWARTZ
The Dyke March committee is also
running Craft Action TO, a craft circle
that meets weekly to knit, crochet,
cross stitch and sew the 2014 Dyke
March banner.
Dyke March organizers will host
their annual party and fundraiser on
June 13 at the Gladstone Hotel. In
keeping with the crafting theme, the
event is called Beer Craft, with the
tagline “A craft circle. With beer.” Attendees can expect to hear poetry and
prose written and read by local women,
followed by a dance party.
For more information and a map
of the new parade route, go to
dykemarchtoronto.wordpress.com.
Video:
Torontonians
weigh in
on Uganda
entry visa
controversy
dailyxtra.com
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The singing blade
The opera-singing, sword-fighting Julie
d’Aubigny seduced both men and women
HISTORY BOYS
JEREMY WILLARD
Born in 1670, Julie
d’Aubigny (aka La Maupin) had a voice that was as alluring
as her sword was deadly, and thus
armed she cut her way across late
17th-century France, seducing men
and women alike. The more I read
of her, the more I’m convinced that
this woman — who started breaking
conventions and doing as she liked
when she was just 14 — is my favourite
queer woman in history.
Julie’s father, Gaston, seems to have
thought that, irrespective of gender,
everyone should know how to defend
themselves on the perilous streets of
Paris. Being secretary to the Comté
d’Armagnac, the man charged with
the education of Louis XIV’s pages,
Gaston was able to give Julie much
the same education as that received
by the pages, and he personally taught
her how to handle a sword.
Julie’s adventures began at age 14 or
15 when she seduced the count, who
introduced her to high society and
the royal court. To hide the affair, he
arranged for her to marry Monsieur
Maupin. After about a year, Maupin
was given an administrative position
outside Paris. It’s likely the count, fed
up with Julie’s antics, arranged the
position, hoping Julie would leave
with her husband.
Instead she stayed, and
with her husband absent
and the count distancing himself,
she unleashed
violence and her
rabid libido upon
a confused Paris. When
her lover, a man named
Sérannes, was accused of
killing someone in a duel,
they both fled to Marseille,
where they made a living
singing in taverns and
giving duelling exhibitions. Julie started dressing as a man, but not to
hide her gender; on the
contrary, she flaunted
the contrast between her
gender and attire to draw
larger crowds.
Julie soon grew bored of Sérannes.
Tall, dark and athletic, with lily-white
skin, comely breasts and curly brown
hair, she decided that what would suit
her best was a blonde girl, who would
contrast charmingly with her own
darker colouring.
Julie found such a girl, and when
the girl’s aghast parents sent her off to
a convent in Avignon, Julie followed.
She, too, entered the convent and soon
arranged their breakout by hiding a
dead nun’s body in the blonde’s bed
and setting the convent afire so they
could escape in the turmoil.
She soon ditched the blonde and,
fleeing a death sentence, travelled
from town to town before heading
back to Paris in the hope of finding a
career onstage. Along the way she met
Julie d’Aubigny flaunted the
contrast between her gender
and attire to draw larger
crowds. JORI BOLTON
a group of squires, got into a disagreement with them and fought them,
beating them all and driving her sword
through one man’s shoulder and out
the other side. The man was the son of
the Duke of Luynes, and this encounter was the beginning of a long sexual
relationship between him and Julie.
Julie tracked down the count and
convinced him to speak with the king,
who, probably amused by her boldness, annulled the death sentence,
allowing her to reenter Paris. Despite
a lack of musical training, Julie had
been accepted into a music academy in
Marseille because of her beauty, verve
and pleasant contralto voice. Now she
inveigled her way into the Paris Opera
and, at approximately 20 years of age,
made her debut as Pallas Athena in
Cadmus and Hermione.
Untamed by her new career, Julie
made a scene at a court ball. She attended in male dress but, as always,
made it known she was female.
She danced with a young lady and,
when Julie kissed her ardently on
the dancefloor, three of the young
lady’s suitors confronted Julie,
who promptly humiliated them
all in the gardens with her swordfighting skills. When she returned
to the ball, the king confronted
her. “You are the jade La Maupin?” he asked. “I have heard
of your handiwork! Need I
remind you of my decree
against duels in Paris?”
While the king dithered as to whether his
law applied to women,
Julie fled to Brussels,
where she started the next
chapter of her adventures
as the mistress of the Elector of Bavaria, Maximilian
Emanuel.
Playwright Margo MacDonald, who inspired me to write
this article, has written a
play about Julie d’Aubigny,
which will premiere in
2015.
History Boys appears in
every issue of Xtra.
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Outinthe City
POLITICS
OF THE
TOILET
If Sheila Cavanagh had had her way, she
would have spent the day discussing
Freud’s Three Essays on the Theory of
Sexuality. The York University professor was in
her Critical Sexualities seminar, trying to focus
her students on the assigned reading. But all they
wanted to talk about was the john. Initially, she
was frustrated by their inability to stay on topic,
but as the discussion progressed something clicked.
“It occurred to me that the politics of the toilet
was something we actually should be discussing,”
she recalls. “Historically speaking, the bedroom
was a taboo area. But today it’s the bathroom.
Given they’re the last formally gendersegregated spaces, we know little about them
apart from our own experiences.”
One class discussion catalyzed a two-year
research project. Cavanagh interviewed
nearly 100 LGBT folks from across the con-
Tyson James, Chy
Ryan Spain and
Hallie Burt, in Queer
Bathroom Stories.
DRASKO BOGDANOVIC
Summer, is that you? You’ve been making some cameos,
but please stay for the rest of the party! Diego Armand E28
tinent on their experiences with public toilets.
In 2010, she published Queering Bathrooms, a
scholarly look at the subject. That was supposed
to be the end of the line. But she didn’t feel
quite finished. Despite having zero theatre
experience, she entered the 2011 Toronto
Fringe Festival lottery.
Two months after her show was put
on the waiting list, she was told that
another company had dropped out,
clearing the way for her production.
“It wasn’t until I put the phone
down I realized I had no director,
actors or any technical knowledge
of theatre,” she says. “I’d never
produced a play in my life. It was an
outlandish gut response to accept. But
I’ve always loved theatre and believed
stories needed to be seen onstage.”
Cavanagh’s shoot-first, askquestions-later response was ultimately
the right one. The production was a success, snagging the festival’s Audience Pick
Award. Now she’s bringing the piece to
Buddies for Queer Pride. Her returning
team of three actors play 72 characters
struggling with everything from deciding which door to go through to how to
hook up once inside.
“There’s something so inherently
erotic and traumatic about bathrooms,” she says. “I really think
people will be moved to the edge
of their seats.” —Chris Dupuis
Dirty looks
In Toronto, we too often try to silence our
performers, visionaries and freaks who take
transgressive ideas about the body, art,
politics and performance to the next level.
I refer specifically to rebellious relics like
Donnarama, Reg Hartt, Enza “Supermodel”
Anderson and Chris Edwards. Dreaming
of these four encountering similar
desperados such as Nick Zedd, Anne
Heche, Margot Kidder and Jack Smith at a
future Occupy event makes me have a hot
flash. Thankfully, there are still spaces for
those who refuse to be defanged. Places
like Buddies in Bad Times, Videofag and
Pleasure Dome.
Pleasure Dome has been presenting
experimental media art since 1989; it isn’t
really a place so much as a state of mind.
This time around, the art collective welcomes Dirty Looks NYC — a platform for
queer experimental film, video and live
art — to Toronto, screening a program of
films and videos culled from their defining
first three years of
existence. Also at the
Toronto event, New
York performanceart doyenne Narcissister will present
a rare and special
Queer Bathroom Stories
performance.
runs Sat, May 31–Sun, June
What is a
15 at Buddies in Bad Times
Narcissister? She is a
Theatre, 12 Alexander St.
trompe I’oeil; a soothbuddiesinbadtimes.com
saying, virtuostic,
hyperbolic, renegade
weirdo whose performance style tips
You and Disney cruises — they just wandered
over the edge of
NYC’s Narcissister
in. “There were three or four from each, and
political camp using
they were all dancers, so they were doing
mask, dance, storyfull splits, jumping up and showing their asses.
and I’m like, ‘Oh, my goodness!’” she says.
telling and raw athleticism. As an extension
Sofonda reflects on the beauty and variety of the It was crazy.”
of her screening and performance at the
Woody’s is hosting a relaunch party for
posteriors that she, with the keen eye of
Dirty Looks party, Narcissister will offer
the contest, at which Toronto-area
the connoisseur, has admired over
her first-ever workshop at Videofag. The
Squirt’s best-ass
members of Squirt will be invitthe years. “All types of guys from
contest gets a lift.
event will investigate what it means to use
ed to come out and have a few
all around the world compete,”
disguise as radical and physical transformadrinks, and folks can meet and
she says. “And there are stution. “My performance refigures narcissism
have their pictures taken with
dents, bears — the hairiest
through radical acts of self-love,” she says.
the Squirt models. Going
asses; the asses have been
“Using a mask and a handful of merkin, I
forward, the prizes will be
so beautiful that I faint.
play with the limits of burlesque, masquereven better, beginning with
They’re so round and lusade and performance art.” — Keith Cole
A fresh crack at best ass
Toronto is awash with culture, from exhibits at
Paul Petro Contemporary Art to the latest revolutionary queer play at Buddies in Bad Times,
but sometimes what really hits the spot is a row
of magnificent bubble butts winking at you from
beneath harsh stage lights in a rowdy tavern.
The Squirt Best Men’s Ass Contest at Woody’s
has long been a staple of Saturday nights in the
Church-Wellesley Village, where men of all
sorts bare and work their asses to win applause
and prizes.
The contest is almost always preceded by host
Sofonda Cox and guests giving drag performances. “After a couple of numbers, we call volunteers
up onstage to show off their best assets,” Sofonda
says. “We’ve had a few battles. When you narrow
it down to the top three, they battle it out in a
dance-off or twerk-off or whatever.”
“They’re not allowed to show their wee-wee; it’s
forbidden, but accidents do happen sometimes,
cious, like apples ready for
the pickin’.”
Occasionally, transgender
guys compete. “The trans guys
are beautiful, so yummy. I think
a trans guy won once. Usually they
wear a jockstrap,” she says.
Recently, she says, there was a battle between dancers from The Lion King, We Will Rock
a contest on the night of the
relaunch, when a group of
volunteer hunks will compete
for Squirt memberships and
prize packs. — Jeremy Willard
The relaunch of the Squirt Best
Ass Contest is Sat, June 7, 9–10:30pm, at
Woody’s, 467 Church St. woodystoronto.com
Dirty Looks NYC: Three Years is Thurs,
June 5, 7:30pm, at Buddies in Bad Times
Theatre, 12 Alexander St. Narcissister and
The Mask: A Workshop is Fri, June 6, noon–
2pm, at Videofag, 187 Augusta Ave. Email
[email protected] to reserve. pdome.org
XTRA! MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 19
QUEER
MEDIA
PARTNER
LEAD
CORPORATE
SPONSOR
MAINSTAGE
MEDIA
SPONSOR
MUTKI FUND
20 MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 XTRA!
Design: lightupthesky.ca Photo: Drasko Bogdanovic, draskobogdanovic.ca
FESTIVAL
SPONSOR
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre presents
BUDDIES AFTER HOURS
JUNE 12
Education Partner TD Bank Group
JUNE 21, 27, 28 & 29
Buddies celebrates its 35th anniversary as the world’s largest and oldest
queer theatre with a massive birthday blow out! The event is hosted by
Evalyn Parry and Clinton Walker and features a collection of some of
our favourite performers.
8:00pm | The Chamber | Tickets FREE for youth 25 and under, $10 for adults 26+
| All advance tickets $10
35 YEARS & COUNTING
10:00pm | The Cabaret | Tickets FREE
CLUB
CABARET / MUSIC
COMEDY
THEATRE
Libido Productions presents
QUEER BATHROOM
STORIES
MAY 31 – JUNE 15
Tues-Sun | The Chamber | Tickets $20- $25
written by Sheila Cavanagh | directed by Megan Watson |
starring Hallie Burt, Tyson James, & Chy Ryan Spain
Queer Bathroom Stories will open your eyes to the secret sex life of the
toilet. Based on real life experiences and in-person interviews, these
passionate, funny and emotive stories reveal the complexities of gender
identity and sexuality.
Lash Entertainment presents
Theatre Outré presents
UNSEX’D
JUNE 13-14
8:00pm | The Cabaret | Tickets $20
Written by Jay Whitehead & Daniel Judes | directed by Richie Wilcox | sound
design by Aaron Collier | lighting design by Rob Stanford | set and costume
design by David Barrus | featuring Adam Beauchesne & Jay Whitehead
Alberta’s award-winning Theatre Outré turns a queer eye towards 17th
Century England, where two actors fight for the role of Lady Macbeth
and will do anything to get the part. UNSEX’d is a cheeky, historically
inaccurate, satirically biting, and gratuitously crude dramatic comedy.
David Kraft presents
DANCE FLOOR MAKE OUT
JUNE 13
10:30pm | The Cabaret | Cover $5
Pucker your lips and get ready to get down at D.M.F.O. DJ John Caffery
and DJ Phil V spin tunes and Nancy Bocock provides an extra special
performance at the sexiest night in town.
DELUSIONS STARRING
MISS CONCEPTION
The Cabaret Company presents
JUNE 15
JUNE 6 & 7
A wickedly entertaining evening of pop divas past and present with
everyone’s favourite lady, Miss Conception, singing the songs that made
them famous. Guaranteed to knock your bras off.
Straight Camp presents
STUMBLE, TOPPLE,
AND STAND
JUNE 8
2:00pm | The Cabaret | Tickets $10 & FREE 10 years old and under
Created and designed by Nick Carney | creators and performers
Owen Fawcett, Katie Sly, & Spencer Charles Smith
Straight Camp brings you messy queer fairy tales for all ages: the kind of
fairy tales we wish we’d grown up with. A sensitive prince who just wants
to play with his dolls, a daring princess who can take care of herself, and
a fire-breathing dragon who is more scared of you than you are of her.
GENDERPLAY
A READING OF JP LAROCQUE’S
FUN WITH DICK (AND JANE)
2:00pm | The Cabaret | Tickets PWYC
See Dick. See Dick cruise. See Dick cruise the toilets. A play about a man
who found love in an unlikely place.
The Cabaret Company presents
FREE JANE
JUNE 15
8:00pm | The Cabaret | Tickets FREE
Everyone’s favourite beauty queen rebel is back with the notorious Free Jane.
An open mic for the ranters, poets, actors, drag queens, and strippers to get
on stage and do their thing. Featuring a new play by Sonny Mills, directed
by Ellen-Ray Hennessy and a special appearance by Miss Shackleton.
PRIDECAB
JUNE 18
directed by Chy Ryan Spain | co-facilitators Shaista Latif and Alisha
Stranges | ensemble Dominic Brasset, Eric Chang, M.E. Lepp, H. Orvis,
Katie Pereira, Johnny Salib, Okjan Tengri, Jae M.T.
The hallmark of Buddies’ Queer Youth Arts Program, the ever-popular
PrideCab tackles what it means to be young and queer today in a series
of original stories, songs, and performances created and performed by
the Buddies Youth Ensemble.
FROM THE HORSE’S
MOUTH CELEBRATES
WORLD PRIDE
JUNE 19 & 20
8:00pm | The Chamber | Tickets $25
Created by Tina Croll and Jamie Cunningham
Watch as 25 local performers from all walks of life share their humorous
and poignant stories. This celebratory dance/theatre experience has
received standing ovations and rave reviews across the United States for its
captivating story-telling and exceptional dancing.
The House of Nuance presents
THE BIZARRE BALL AT
BUDDIES: RAINBOW
WARRIORS
JUNE 20
Toronto’s vogueing sensation, The House of Nuance, brings the bizarre
back to Buddies for a spectacular Pride ball. Get done up and strut your
stuff, or just come and experience the wildest night this city has to offer.
houseofnuance.com
LEGENDS OF
N.Y. NITELIFE
JUNE 21-29
Tues-Sat, 12:00-5:00pm | The Ante-Chamber | Tickets FREE
A retrospective of over fifty classic images from 1987-90 from celebrated
nightlife photographer John Simone. Join us for the opening reception on
June 21 at 3pm or stop by throughout the festival to view the exhibit.
Glam-Glam Productions presents
THE B-GIRLZ:
PRIDE NATION!
JUNE 21
8:00pm | The Cabaret | Tickets $25 in advance/ $28 at the door
The B-Girlz return to Buddies with a tribute to gay life. Live singing,
comedic stylings, over-the-top dancing, the B-Girlz give it all in this
outrageous glamour-disco cabaret!
10:30pm | Full Facility | Cover $15
During Queer Pride, we open up the whole building for the best party
on the block with DJs K-Tel and Triple-X and different performers
every night including Fay Slift, Diano Lopez Sotto, Cassandra
Moore and many more.
Pole Club presents
RISE
JUNE 21
hosted by Sasha Van Bon Bon | featuring Shane MacKinnon,
Charissa Wilcox, Kitty Neptune, Shanna Miller, Axel Blows,
Jenny Venom, Diana Lopez Soto,Dew Lily, Mahogany Storm,
Femmes du Feu, Blossom, Nari & Kelly Perras Smith
Enjoy a decadent cocktail of art, dance, strip tease, and aerial acrobatics.
The gravity-defying ladies and gentlemen of the brass pole transform
Buddies into a sexy, steamy playground.
WorldPride 2014 Toronto, Obsidian Theatre, IFT Theatre,
and Buddies In Bad Times Theatre present
JUST ME, YOU
AND THE SILENCE
JUNE 22
7:00pm | The Chamber | Tickets $10 in advance, PWYC at the door (all proceeds
donated to FARUG - Freedom and Roam Uganda)
written by ADONG Lucy Judith | directed by Mumbi Tindyebwa
Come experience a powerful new play by Ugandan writer ADONG Lucy
Judith about the harsh anti-homosexuality laws that divide her country.
Just Me, You and the Silence traces the rise of a
fictional politician who uses his new found power
to introduce a bill that divides a nation. A panel
discussion will follow the reading.
Buddies In Bad Times Theatre and WorldPride 2014 Toronto present
THE LADY HAMLET
Gavin Crawford and Sharron Matthews present
GAVIN CRAWFORD AND
SHARRON MATTHEWS
ARE VICIOUS BITCHES
JUNE 26
The King of the Monologue teams up with the Queen of the Songalogue
for an evening of hilarity, music and idle gossip. Sharron Matthews
and Gavin Crawford come together for the first time at World Pride to
lovingly lampoon all things gay!
BUTCH FEMME SALON WORLD PRIDE EDITION:
UNDER THE COVERS
JUNE 26
8:00pm | The Chamber | Tickets $10 in advance, PWYC at the door
Belle Jumelles and Titus Androgynous host an inclusive night of
performances and partying for butches and femmes of all stripes. Come
early to be social, get your flirt on and participate in some naughty bed
time activities. Stick around and enjoy a raucous show featuring some of
Toronto’s sexiest performers and an all night dance party with the city’s
hottest queer DJs.
BITCH SALAD PRIDE
JUNE 27
Bitch Salad unites the country’s fiercest female and queer comedians for
one unforgiving night of laughter. Back for its sixth all-star Pride edition,
this year’s super-sized show guarantees to devastate! Hosted by Andrew
Johnston and featuring local sensations Steph Tolev and Laura Di Labio,
the queen of the UK comedy scene Katherine Ryan, perennial favorites
The Cheeto Girls and very special guest Drew Droege.
Glam-Glam Productions presents
HOMO NIGHT IN
CANADA 2014
JUNE 25
JUNE 28
8:00pm | The Cabaret | Tickets PWYC (proceeds go to Wychwood Open Door)
Two artists, both born to play Hamlet, also happened to be born women. With
1920s New York City as their sparring field, they engage in a war of wits that
leaves their colleagues and lovers caught in the
crossfire. Buddies teams up with World Pride to
present a reading of this new work by renowned
writer and thinker Sarah Schulman, who will be
in attendance.
Now in its 14th year, this Pride tradition brings the very best in queer
comedy to the stage for one hilarious night. Hosted by the infamous
B-Girlz and featuring Susan Fischer, John Hastings, Shawn Hitchens,
Elvira Kurt, Catherine McCormick, Richard Ryder, David-Benjamin
Tomlinson, Dawn Whitwell and Lindy Zucker. glam-glam.com
IN LOVE AND CHAOS:
RAW, RESILIENT AND
FOREVER REDEFINING
JUNE 25
10:30pm | The Chamber | Tickets $15 seated, $10 standing
From the essence of Colour Me DRAGG spawns In Love and Chaos, a
curated, synergistic showcase of Indigenous Two-Spirit, Black, and People
of Colour Queer/Trans* communities, artists, and performers.
THE LADY OIYE’S
TEA DANCE
JUNE 29
3:00-10:00pm | The Cabaret | Tickets FREE
Buddies provides cool respite for the weary and thirsty on Pride Day
afternoon, spreading out the welcome, spreading out the welcome mat
for a friendly gathering just off the parade route.
Design: lightupthesky.ca Photo: Drasko Bogdanovic, draskobogdanovic.ca
FESTIVAL
SPONSOR
TD Bank Group presents
XTRA! MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 21
COVER STORY
WE SHOU
Toronto dancefloors are
vanishing, leaving few
places to bust a move,
says John Caffery
John Caffery, by day a coordinator
at Supporting our Youth, DJs the
Mighty Real and Pitbull parties.
22 MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 XTRA!
DANCE IS A JOYFUL EXPRESSION OF THE
body that brings community together, yet for
queer people in Toronto, it’s getting harder
to get down. Nightlife in our city is rapidly
changing, and finding somewhere to work it
out on the dancefloor is increasingly difficult.
A collision of factors is making it challenging
to open new spaces or convert existing venues to
feature a DJ booth and a dancefloor. No single
factor is responsible, but there is a perfect storm
for business owners and promoters trying to
get gays dancing. City zoning and bylaws have
created a web of red tape, and the gentrification of downtown and the recent recession
have left many too broke to afford double-digit
cover charges.
With all the growth in our city, the dearth
of welcoming venues with good sound systems and dancefloors is surprising, especially
given that Toronto once had so many, like
Stages, Boots and the Boom Boom Room. Those
treasured spaces, and others like them, have
become unrecognizable as property owners
change nightlife hotspots into gyms and condominiums. Throw in some pressure by city
council to ban electronic dance music (EDM)
on the CNE grounds and you have a political
and economic shift that leaves me looking for
Kevin Bacon, because it seems we are living in
the movie Footloose!
Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti recently put
forth a motion that EDM be banned at the
CNE, even though EDM events are huge revenue generators for Toronto. His argument is
that MDMA and ecstasy use “is not what city
property and taxpayers’ money should be used
for.” But Mammoliti doesn’t realize that many
drug users are taxpayers, too; in fact, some are
elected officials. The owner of Muzik nightclub,
also on CNE grounds and where Rob Ford notoriously partied with Justin Bieber, initially
complained that the nearby city-hosted events
were unfair competition. When that argument
went nowhere, Mammoliti suggested that the
EDM events would ruin the youth of Toronto,
similar to arguments against rock and roll or
hip hop in earlier generations.
This isn’t the first time Toronto has gone
through a fight like this. Mayoral candidate
Olivia Chow cheered when councillors overturned the EDM ban in May, saying, “I helped
organize the ‘I Dance’ campaign that helped
overturn a one-month ban for exactly the
same thing. Mel Lastman was the mayor at the
time banning electronic dance music on city
properties; we mobilized a huge campaign and
had 20,000 people at Nathan Phillips Square
and the vote was reversed. This time, it is my
stepson [Councillor] Mike Layton’s [turn].”
“While not condoning the drug use, it’s going to happen and this is a way of reducing the
risk,” Layton says. “[Mammoliti] was trying to
make an emotional argument to fit his financial
one and was using words that he knew would
strike chords with people.”
Mammoliti, who seemed concerned about the
issue, initially didn’t bother to show up to council
to vote, nor would he respond when contacted
by Xtra. Mayoral candidate David Soknacki says,
“I have a real concern that by simply writing a
bylaw that people think the problem goes away,
but it doesn’t; the problem just moves to other
spaces, probably unregulated spaces, and the
opportunity for risk and danger really increases.
The fact that we are talking about public versus
private space, and one operator and a lack of
competition, are all secondary to the main issue
that people are safe.”
There is a history of pressure from within
city government to crack down on regulated
spaces to dance. Exacerbating the challenge for
Torontonians who own clubs or want to dance
in them are broader political and economic
issues, such as the fact that zoning laws limit
new dance clubs to south of Queen Street. In
addition, property owners have been choosing to develop condominiums where clubs
once existed and, for many, life in Toronto is
increasingly less affordable.
Encroaching gentrification also continues to
affect downtown. The owners of Fly and Zipperz, for instance, say their upcoming closures
continued on page 24 E
LD BE
Photos by
Drasko Bogdanovic
DANCING
A shift in gay club
culture makes way for a
new kind of dancefloor,
claims Rolyn Chambers
1999. THIS WAS PLANET EARTH AT A TIME
when man roamed a lush and fertile gay village. A club just three floors tall changed all
that. In 2014, news of its closure hit with the
force of 10,000 crying gay men. A million tons
of glitter and powder were thrown into the
atmosphere, creating a suffocating blanket
of dust that the rainbow was powerless to
penetrate for a thousand years. It happened
before; it is happening again.
This reworked monologue from the movie
Armageddon is a bit over the top, but with the
impending closure of Fly nightclub, the city’s
last true gay dance club, some in Toronto’s
gay community have been running around
like the end is near. It is not. Instead of an ice
age like the one that accompanied the last real
end of the world, we are in the midst of a great
change. What is happening now has been years
in the making and can be better compared
to the continental shift of Pangaea. Let’s call
ours Pangaya.
Pangaea was the name given to the supercontinent that existed before the Earth’s
plates shifted and created the smaller continents that we now inhabit. Pangaya is the
Church Street gay village. In 1999, when Fly
threw open its infamous metal-gated doors,
Toronto’s gay community was at its height.
The landscape was very different. It was one
big mass of thriving gay clubs, bars, clothing
stores, sex shops, restaurants and bathhouses.
The social and economic climate of the day
supported Fly and many other gay clubs,
including The Barn, Boots and Five, not to
mention countless bars and weekly gay nights
in large straight clubs. Michael Schwarz, coowner of Fly for the last 11 years, remembers
those days.
“The market has definitely changed,” he
admits. “We aren’t making the money that we
once made. I remember when we had 1,200 to
1,500 people through our doors on a Saturday
night. And personally, my business partner
no longer lives in the city, [and] I have three
kids now. Plus, the landlord wants a much
continued on page 24 E
Rolyn Chambers is Xtra’s Deep Dish
columnist and a party animal.
XTRA! MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 23
Wecan’tdance
E continued from page 22
“THE FINEST PIECE
OF THEATRE ANY
TORONTO COMPANY
HAS MOUNTED
IN MANY,
MANY YEARS”
–Toronto Star
RAQUEL DUFF Y
DAMIEN ATKINS
Wecandance
E continued from page 23
were caused by rising rents. “I don’t think people want
higher rent. He’s more interested in [the building]
to pay the cover charges they used to, and it’s not just
becoming a condo.”
Toronto,” Fly general manager Gilles Belanger says. “My
Though part of this shift has been created by outside
colleagues in LA used to charge $20 cover and now they
forces like the booming condo market (Five Condo is
charge $5. Maybe people will see that it does cost money
currently being built on what was Five Nightclub, Zipperz
to do things. You pay $40 to go to a movie... it’s hard to
will soon be replaced with a 45-storey tower, and there
bring in an international DJ and pay the rent. A club like
has been talk of Crews and The Barn being demolished
this could work if it were open four nights a week, but
and turned into condos for years), we as gay men have also
that is not happening in Toronto. If you look at what is
helped it along. Just as Neanderthal man became extinct
happening anywhere that has great real estate, it is losing
and Homo sapiens evolved, we gay men are changing. Gay
its spaces, and a nightclub can’t make the same amount
rights “normalized” us, while technology altered us. We
of money as a 14-storey condo.”
can be out almost anywhere. We are marrying, raising
“I’ve always lived around nightlife because I’ve always
children. No longer is the gay club the primary social
been lower income,” Toronto music writer Benjamin
venue and meeting place. Why go out when you can go
Boles says. “Nightlife doesn’t go
online and order in?
where rich people live, and when
With this shift, some things
rich people start moving into a
(like large clubs) are being lost
neighbourhood, suddenly nightto the seas of time, while others
life that has been there a long time
(smaller clubs, monthly parties)
is a problem.”
are rising up to take their place. It
There was a time when the city
happened in New York. It is haptried to focus new dancefloor zonpening here. From one massive
ing in the entertainment district.
Pangaya village, like newly sepa“It made sense at the time because
rated continents, three smaller
all the garment factories had
ones are in creation. WAYLA bar
closed because of NAFTA; nothand other gay-friendly hangouts
ing was going on there, but since
have taken root in the East. The
then things have changed,” Chow
Steady, The Beaver, the Gladstone
says. Now, the number of nightHotel, Henhouse and gay nights
clubs has decreased significantly,
like Big Primpin’ at Wrong Bar
but the zoning laws prevent new
and Hotnuts at The Garrison have
nightclubs from opening outside
solidified “Queer West.” And centhat area. Bars are licensed as restrally, Church Street, Toronto’s
taurants, which means a certain
gay mecca, though smaller, is still
number of seats and only a small
afloat.
space dedicated to entertainment,
But what will the gay club landsuch as a stage or dancefloor. This
scape of the future look like withis why so many queer parties are
out Fly? Where will the big-name
pushing aside the chairs at night
global DJs be heard? Where will
for dancing.
the international up-and-coming
Belanger goes on to say, “I
divas belt out their latest tracks?
would do gay events in straight
Where will scantily clad go-go
clubs. I think the challenge is gomen gyrate on speakers for our
ing to be trying to find interestamusement? Where will Toronto
ing spaces in the downtown area.
gays dance into the wee hours of
People may have to get out of their
the morning?
comfort zones a little bit, but there
Poised to take off, as perhaps an
are some great dancefloors in the
alternative Fly monthly or even
city.” There is a queer history of
a weekly, are Gairy Brown’s Peep
using straight spaces for events
Show parties at Coda, which have
that goes back to Industry and
been drawing large numbers of
Limelight, and that history is alive
Fly regulars for months now. And
today with parties such as Yes Yes
if George Pratt is smart, with a
Y’all and Hotnuts.
bit of intelligent reworking of its
“For a period,” DJ Denise Benson says, “every sizable,
current layout, his Flash strip club and Erotica lounge
interesting straight bar venue had really vibrant queer
in the heart of the Church-Wellesley Village could easnights. We are talking 300 to 700 people a week, and they
ily become a weekend dance hotspot. Considering that
were weeklies, not the monthlies like we see now, so there
he once owned Club Colby’s (which had an upper-floor
has been a whole shift in the number of
strip club) in the late 1990s, this concept
bars, the size of bars, how much dancing
should not be foreign to him.
To add your opinion,
can or can not happen and the number
Though the world will enjoy Fly one
of mixed nights out there.”
more time during WorldPride 2014, the
It all leaves Toronto’s nightlife listings
actual last hurrah will take place the
looking a little thin, and the fact that so many queer people
following Saturday, July 5. It’s only fitting that we party
hook up online and avoid bars altogether doesn’t help. But,
with our community and reflect on days gone by. And
Benson says, “It can’t all be Grindr!”
to remember those times, everyone will leave with one
Toronto’s dancing feet might rest on unsteady ground,
of the club’s hundreds of mirror balls as a final parting
but one thing is always certain: queers will figure out where
gift — a small, glittery meteor to remind us that even
to go. “People are going to dance — it is primordial!” says
though Fly has fallen, the gay club scene has not. It’s
Chow.
simply shifting.
FOR A PERIOD, EVERY
SIZABLE, INTERESTING
STRAIGHT BAR VENUE
HAD REALLY VIBRANT
QUEER NIGHTS. WE ARE
TALKING 300 TO 700
PEOPLE A WEEK, AND
THEY WERE WEEKLIES,
NOT THE MONTHLIES LIKE
WE SEE NOW.
DJ Denise Benson
ANGELS IN AMERICA
TONY KUSHNER
PART I: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES
PART II: PERESTROIKA
2014 lead sponsors
24 MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 XTRA!
photo: cylla von tiedemann
PRESENTING
SPONSOR
Toronto LGBT Film Festival Final Weekend
PANEL FOR
LOST GIRL
Saturday, May 31
12:00 PM
Join Lost Girl at Inside Out as we
present an exclusive interactive panel
featuring clips, tales from the behind
the scenes, and discussion focused
around creating, writing and bringing
to life strong, engaging (and sexy)
bisexual and lesbian characters within
the genre of science fiction. What
helps make Lost Girl so unique – aside
from its proudly Canadian production
team - is its ‘Gay Geek’ fan base. One
search online is all it takes to prove
this series brings fans to the height of
obsession, intrigue and appreciation
for its ability to brilliantly combine scifi, drama, humour, and sexuality into
relatable stories for those coming of
age, questioning or simply in need of
well-written fiction that’s left of centre.
Anna Silk, Executive Producer
Vanessa Piazza and Showrunner
Michael Grassi in attendance.
More TBA.
THROUGH A LENS
DARKLY: BLACK
PHOTOGRAPHERS
AND THE EMERGENCE
OF A PEOPLE
PANEL FOR
THE SERIAL
MONOGAMIST
Saturday, May 31
2:15 PM
Join us for an exclusive sneak peek
into the much anticipated feature
film, Portrait of a Serial Monogamist,
a romantic lesbian comedy from
the award winning writer/directors
Christina Zeidler and John Mitchell.
Join Zeidler and Mitchell and a who’s
who panel of Canadian talent that
includes Vag Halen’s Vanessa Dunn,
Emmy-nominated writer/performer
Diane Flacks, and other key cast for an
enlightening conversation of intimate
secrets about the indie filmmaking
process—the prats and pitfalls from
behind the scenes—and exclusive
scenes from the forthcoming movie.
Thomas Allen Harris
USA 2014 90:00
Canadian Premiere
Inspired by noted curator Deborah
Willis’ groundbreaking photography
book, Reflections in Black, gay artist
and filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris
reaches back in time to 1840 to
explore how African-American identity
became shaped by this medium.
The film features largely unseen
footage of undisputed masters of
photograhy, while highlighting the
works of LGBT artists of colour.
Saturday, May 31
4:45 PM
WEB SERIES
SHOWCASE
ME, MYSELF
AND MUM
Sunday, June 1
3:00 PM
Sunday, June 1
5:00 PM
What do Spike Lee, Autostraddle, The
Advocate, indieWIRE, Funny or Die
and Variety all have in common? Their
love and praise for the titles featured
in our Web Series Showcase. Inside
Out is thrilled to present the who’s
who of the finest LGBT web series
on the Internet. Please join us for a
very special showcase of previews,
premieres and presentations. All
filmmakers will be in attendance for
a panel discussion on the meteoric
rise of the web series platform. Get
the insider’s perspective on what it
takes to develop your story, share your
vision and find your audience. It’s
Web Series 101 on the do-it-yourself
approach to accessible filmmaking
and storytelling. Find your inspiration.
See for yourself then do it yourself.
Guillaume Gallienne
France 2013 85:00
French actor, writer and director
Guillaume Gallienne (also starring
in this year’s Yves Saint Laurent)
adapts his one-man show into a
flamboyant and hilarious film, in
which an effeminate boy with a
domineering mother is raised to
be gay before he has a chance to
define his own sexuality. Me, Myself
and Mum deftly balances laughter,
pity and poignancy, and produces
a moving story of a man taking
ownership of his complicated life.
Director’s Fortnight, 2013 Cannes
Nominated for Best Film, Best Actor,
Best First Film, Best Editing and
Best Writing, 2014 Cesar Awards
ALL SCREENINGS AT TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX | FULL DETAILS: insideout.ca | #SEEFORYOURSELF
INTERCONTINENTAL TORONTO CENTRE
CHARLES STREET VIDEO
GAY AD NETWORK
STEAM WHISTLE
XTRA! MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 25
LUMINEERS
The 2014 Luminato Festival’s gay-interest
quotient reaches an all-time high
ARTS FESTIVAL
SERAFIN LARIVIERE
Even the most loyal of Torontonians can
surely admit that our city, while beautiful, exciting and full of fun stuff to do, is
not terribly cool. Maybe it’s the proximity of chic Montreal that makes us seem
a bit stuffy, or perhaps it’s city hall’s
ongoing quest to carpet the downtown
in wall-to-wall condos. Either way, it’s
fortunate we have events like Luminato
to spice things up once in a while.
This year’s festival promises some
of the usual hipster offerings that have
proved popular with audiences. Singer/
songwriter Rufus Wainwright will be
warbling show-tune duets with other
male artists, including Boy George, Josh
Groban and Steven Page; it’s sure to be a
crowd pleaser. Gentlemen Prefer Duets,
The Hidden Cameras
will perform songs
from their new
album at Luminato.
Louise Lecavalier
will perform her
deeply personal
dance piece So
Blue with Frédéric
Tavernini.
Sat, June 14 at 7:30pm in the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, 1 Front St E.
The TimesTalks Luminato roundtable
conversations are sure to be fascinating,
including luminaries like musician/
producer Daniel Lanois and Isabella
Rossellini talking about their varied
and successful careers. Lanois will be
further feted in an all-star tribute to
his catalogue of beautiful and timeless
songs that will feature artists Emmylou Harris, Martha Wainwright and
the amazing Mary Margaret O’Hara.
An international cast of senior citizens
talk dirty in All the Sex I’ve Ever Had.
Sleeping in the Devil’s Bed: The Music of
Daniel Lanois, Tues, June 10 at 7:30pm
at Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St.
Also not to be missed is a performance
by Toronto’s Hidden Cameras, fresh
back from their US tour. Frontman
Joel Gibb and his crew of gospel-tinged
cavaliers put on a high-energy show
that is as infectiously melodic as it is
thought-provoking. The Hidden Cameras, Sun, June 8 at 4pm in the Festival
Hub at Pecaut Square, 55 John St.
But it’s always with the taboo and unexpected that Luminato truly excels as an
arts festival. Certainly one of the most
unexpected offerings will be All the Sex
I’ve Ever Had, a raucous and fascinating discussion of love and sexuality by
senior citizens from around the world.
“I think that it’s one of those things
26 MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 XTRA!
contributions in La La La Human Steps
have led to worldwide acclaim as both a
dancer and teacher.
So Blue is a deeply personal piece for
Dance, always an exciting staple of the Lecavalier, who will perform the first
festival, does itself proud this year. act solo before being joined by Frédéric
Not to be missed are performances of Tavernini as they dance the relationship
famed choreographer Pina Bausch’s between a mother and her son.
legendary Kontakthof,
“It was intimidating
a piece often called the
for me,” Lacavalier says.
LUMINATO FESTIVAL
crowning achievement
“Working with Édouard
Fri, June 6–Sun, June 15
Various locations
of the modern dance
[Lock, the founder of
luminatofestival.com
pioneer. Showings of
La La La Human Steps]
Wim Wenders’s Oscarfor 18 years and loving
nominated 3D film Pina will pay tribute what he was making, I thought, why do
to Bausch’s creation of her Tanztheater something less than that if I’m working
Wuppertal dance company through ex- with someone so good and talented?
cerpts from four of her defining works. But I wanted to make something of my
Kontakthof, Wed, June 11–Sat, June 14 at own, finally.
7:30pm in the Bluma Appel Theatre, 27
“It’s important for me to make a work
Front St E; Pina, Sat, June 14 at 1pm at by myself. It lets me talk about living
the TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W.
and the fight and contrast in life. I realize that I’m so full of contradictions, and
Another modern dance icon will be movement allows me to express it. For
presenting her first choreographical me, this is food. This is nourishment.”
effort, with the Toronto premiere of So Blue, Fri, June 13 and Sat, June 14 at
Louise Lecavalier’s So Blue. Lecavalier 8pm and Sun, June 15 at 3pm in the Fleck
is a head-turning artist; her standout Dance Theatre, 207 Queens Quay W.
Ever Had, Thurs, June 12–Sun, June 15
at 7:30pm in the Isabel Bader Theatre,
93 Charles St W.
that makes sense, if you think about it
for a moment logically,” says Eva Verity, director of creative production at
the Mammalian Diving Reflex theatre
company. “We’re so youth obsessed,
and some people may not want to think
of their parents or grandparents in that
way. But you don’t just turn off the
faucet when you age. You’re still you.”
All of the show’s performers have
their own story to tell; no detail is
spared as they discuss their adventures
— and misadventures — in the world
of marriage, liaisons, role-playing and
orgies. This is the production’s first
international cast, featuring members
from Germany, Singapore, Scotland
and North America. Personally, I can’t
wait to hear from Hank, a gay man from
Philadelphia who goes by the name of
Hattie-May for the show. I initially assumed that a senior homosexual’s story
would involve plenty of repression and
angst, but it sounds like Hattie-May’s
had a gay old time in her decades of
love and sex.
“Hank’s had a lot of lovely adventures,” Verity says. “The sense of restrictiveness doesn’t really come out as
much because of his friends and social
circles. He definitely found his own
path in a beautiful way.” All the Sex I’ve
June 6–15, 2014
Tickets on sale now
The Hidden Cameras, LiV Warfield
June 8, The Hidden Cameras, 4PM, June 8, LiV Warfield, 9PM
The Festival Hub is a fully licensed environment
Presented By:
If I
Loved You:
Gentlemen Prefer
Broadway — An Evening
of Love Duets
Featuring performances by
Paradisiacal Rites
David Byrne, Boy George, Josh Saint Genet
A non-narrative merging of dance, theatre, music and
Groban, Brennan Hall, Ezra
art which explores American hysteria, nationalistic
Koenig, Steven Page, Andrew vanity and utopian fervour
This production contains nudity
Rannells and Rufus Wainwright Suitable for audiences 18+
Rufus Wainwright teams with Grammy- and
Tony-winning music director Stephen Oremus to
redefine dozens of the most beloved gems in the
Great American Songbook, all love songs from
Broadway musicals
June 10–14, Museum of Contemporary
Canadian Art (MOCCA)
Presented in partnership with:
Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art
June 14, Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
Major Media Partner:
XTRA! MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 27
DAY
TRIPPER
2
1
3
All-day style
essentials to make the
most of summer
7
4
STYLE LIFE
DIEGO ARMAND
Summer, is that you? You’ve
been making some cameos, but please stay
for the rest of the party! Summer in Toronto
means being out for the whole day, being sure
to absorb every last bit of sun before we lose
it again. You can go from poolside drinks or
an island trek to dinner on your favourite
patio with no time to go home in between. I’ve
rounded up some key tips and accessories to
make sure you’re prepared to do it all.
6
5
9
8
Come clean
1. World Tour tote bag, Stüssy and Herschel,
$75. Stüssy, 1000 Queen St W
2. Backley cap, Carhartt Work in Progress,
$45. Nomad, 819 Queen St W
SUMMER
STYLIN’ TIPS
3. S/S Great Lakes linen shirt, Roots
(draped over bag), $68. Roots locations
4. Jacket (in pouch), K-way, $55. k-way.ca
5. Beach towels, Hudson’s Bay, $40. North
Standard Trading Post, 1662 Queen St W
» Bags in prints give the
pop you need for your
street-style swagger.
6. Sunglasses, Sheriff & Cherry, $145.
kavut.com
» Hats are a must, to protect
that pretty face from the sun
(bucket and five-panel are
my personal picks).
7. Jun-Ka cardholder, $80. [email protected]
8. Arrowhead swim trunks, Bather.
$85. Nomad
10
9. Slip-on sneakers, Vans, $65. Get Outside,
3456 Yonge St
» Linen shirts are not just
for dads anymore, with
great options in solids and
prints, keeping you cool
but collared.
18
Urban jungle
10. Duffel backpack, Filson, $510. Nomad
11
11. Reversible bucket hat, Stüssy,
$55. Stüssy
» Sunglasses are getting
smaller and rounder.
Mirrored lenses give
good shade.
15
12. Destroyed denim Chuck Taylors,
Converse, $75. Groovy, 323 Queen St W
13. XL hoody sweatshirt (folded),
Roots, $138. Roots locations
14. Leopard-print piqué polo, Denim &
Supply, $65. Hudson’s Bay, 176 Yonge St
13
15. Jun-Ka card holder, $85.
[email protected]
12
14
16. Luca sunglasses, Stüssy, $145. Stüssy
» For footwear, stick with
the classics. Slip-on Vans
or Chuck Taylors are always
trending.
16
17
» You should always have
a hooded sweatshirt with
you for chilly nights and
indoor AC.
» Lastly, be sure to pack
these two things every day:
swim trunks (for unexpected
bathing) and a rain jacket
(for unexpected showers).
17. Black swim trunks (folded), Bather,
$85. Nomad
18. Key ring, The Standard of Quality,
$60. Nomad
PHOTOS BY MAY TRUONG
28 MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 XTRA!
STOREFRONT
The facilities at Iguazu Falls
allow visitors to get up close.
DAVID WALBERG
WIN A LUXURY
TRIP TO ARGENTINA
Designer Trips presents Watch to Win Sweepstakes
What would you do with 12 days in
Argentina? Tour the sun-drenched
wineries in the mountainous region of
Mendoza? Submerge yourself in the
vibrant and decadent nightlife of Buenos Aires? Knock the Eighth Wonder
of the World off your bucket list with
a trek to Iguazu Falls? Lose yourself
to the heart-racing romance of the
Argentine tango? Make a solemn pilgrimage to the tomb of Santa Evita?
Shop for gauchos?
Whatever your desire, Designer Trips
and North South Travel (a member
of the International Gay and Lesbian
Travel Association) has the perfect opportunity for you: the Argentina Watch
to Win Sweepstakes.
The grand prize? A once-in-a-lifetime,
12-day, fully escorted, luxury trip for
two to Argentina valued at more than
$12,000. The journey takes you on
a 4,600-kilometre round trip from
Buenos Aires to the UNESCO World
Heritage Site of Iguazu Falls to the
vineyard-blanketed hills of Mendoza
near the Chilean border.
Entering the contest is so
simple a niño could do it. Visit
watchtowinargentina.com to view
enticing videos highlighting the regions
you’ll be visiting and look for the
“Watch to Win” code words. Complete
the online entry form and submit for
your chance to win. Three videos: three
chances to win!
Buena suerte y buen viaje!
Or contact Darryl Grace at Designer
Trips and North South Travel to skip
to the prize and book your whirlwind
Argentine adventure today.
A view of the breathtaking
Argentine countryside.
DAVID WALBERG
Email [email protected] or
call him toll free at 1-800-665-1882.
northsouthtravel.com
AFFILIATE EVENT
PHOTO BY
CASSANDRA
SILVER
XTRA! MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 29
30 MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 XTRA!
WHAT'S ON
HEALTH & ISSUES
The 519 Legal Clinic
A free, accessible service for lowincome people. Volunteer lawyers
provide legal advice, referrals and
help with forms and letters. The
confidential and private visits
are first-come, first-served. Bring
any necessary documents. Every
Thursday; registration 6–6:30pm.
The 519 Community Centre, 519
Church St. Free. the519.org
Angels in America —
Young Centre, Thurs,
June 12–Sat, July 12
CYLLA VON TIEDEMANN
SOY Monday
Night Drop-In
Queer youth ages 14 to 29 gather
to watch movies, participate in
art projects and workshops, and
chat with Supporting Our Youth’s
community mentors. For more
info, contact jcaffery@sherbourne.
on.ca. Every Monday, 5:30–8pm.
Sherbourne Health Centre, 2nd floor,
333 Sherbourne St. Free.
soytoronto.org
Positive Routes
to Recovery
A peer-led support group for gay
men working through substance
abuse issues. Takes place the first
and third Tuesday of each month.
Tues, June 3, and Tues, June 17,
6–8pm. The 519 Community Centre,
519 Church St. Free. pr2r.org
Immigrant and Refugee
Self-Care Workshop
Rainbow Review
— The Libertine,
Sun, June 8
FOR MORE EVENT LISTINGS, GO TO DAILYXTRA.COM
A workshop focused on tools that
include body awareness, breathing
and movement exercises, and selfmassage. Registration required.
For more info, contact edu@
griffin-centre.org. Tues, June 3, and
Wed, June 18, 6–8:30pm. Centre
for Women and Trans People,
563 Spadina Ave, Rm 100. Free.
paulinehwang.ca/selfcare
FTM Support Group
ART
COMEDY & CABARET
Hit Parade:
Call for Submissions
A Very Christerical
’90s Cabaret: Fifth
Anniversary Edition
Artists are invited to submit
work that responds to violence
against queer people. All works
will be exhibited and sold during
WorldPride, with 50 percent of
proceeds going to the Will Munro
Memorial Fund for Queers Living
with Cancer. For more info, contact
[email protected].
Deadline to submit is Mon, June 2.
Standing Ground:
Estates of Robert
Flack and Will Munro
Riffing cabaret marvel Chris
Tsujiuchi, whom Sharron Matthews
once described as “hot in the bum
area,” returns with a host of special
guests. Fri, May 30, and Sat, May
31, 8pm. Buddies in Bad Times, 12
Alexander St. $20 advance, $25
door. buddiesinbadtimes.com
Coffee Talk with
Ryan G Hinds: The
Final Installment
This exhibit focuses on Flack’s
Empowerment (1990) and Munro’s
untitled photographs series (2004).
Runs until Sat, May 31. Paul Petro
Contemporary Art, 980 Queen St W.
Free. paulpetro.com
For the cabaret juggernaut’s final
pubaret show, he holds court with
Wrong Note Rusty, Das Fagott
Mannschaft and Jory Rossiter. Fri,
May 30, 9pm. The Flying Beaver,
488 Parliament St. $10 advance,
$15 door. pubaret.com
Sex Lives and
Videotape
Too Queer: A Bi
Visibility Cabaret
An array of video footage provides
a chance to contemplate the role
that home video played in the
recording of Canadian queer history
pre-YouTube. Runs until Fri, June 6.
Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives,
24 Isabella St. Free. clga.ca
This inaugural bisexuality-focused
cabaret features work by 11 artists,
including Alana Boltwood, Cheryl
Dobinson and Nina Bea. For more
info, contact tooqueerbicabaret@
gmail.com. Fri, June 6, 7–10pm.
Videofag, 187 Augusta Ave. PWYC.
videofag.com
Trans men share their experiences
in a supportive environment. Takes
place the first and third Friday of
each month. For more information,
contact [email protected]. Fri,
June 6, and Fri, June 20, 7:30pm. The
519 Community Centre, 519 Church
St. Free. the519.org
LEISURE & PLEASURE
CelebrAsian Gala Dinner
To celebrate 20 years of providing
HIV/AIDS education to Asian
communities, ACAS invites folks
to an evening of divas, cocktails
and a sumptuous dinner. For more
information, contact officeadmin@
acas.org. Fri, May 30, 6–10:30pm.
Old Mill Toronto, 21 Old Mill Rd. $75.
acas.org
Inspire Awards
In addition to cocktails,
performances and general revelry,
some remarkable people in the
queer community will be recognized.
Fri, May 30, 7pm. Hart House,
7 Hart House Circle. $40–100.
inspireawards.ca
Brunch with Bennyfits
A summer-long brunch deal where
$1 from every plate of eggs Benedict
ordered on the weekend goes to Fife
House. Oliver & Bonacini, 33 Yonge
St. oliverbonacini.com
Inside Out Film Festival
A celebration of queer film, including
the premiere of The Normal Heart.
Runs until Sun, June 1, various times.
TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W.
$10–30. insideout.ca
CraftActionTO: Dyke
March Banner Project
Crafty dykes hang out and create
banners for the Dyke March at
WorldPride. All materials are
provided. For more info, contact
[email protected]. Every
Wednesday until June 11, 6–8pm.
Yorkville Public Library, 22 Yorkville
Ave. Free. craftactionto.tumblr.com
RUNNERS & BENDERS
Get Out! Running Group
People of all experience levels
stay in shape while darting around
Toronto’s streets and trails. Every
Sunday, 10–11:30am. Fuel Plus, 471
Church St. Free. getoutcanada.com
Yogi Bare: All-Gender,
Clothing-Optional Yoga
From toga-draped to bare-assed,
folks are invited to get comfortable
at this soothing yoga session.
Every Sunday, 1:15–2:30pm. Glad
Day Bookshop, 598 Yonge St. $20,
$15 students. yogibare.ca
SEX & BURLESQUE
Bigger, Better
and Multiples
Carlyle Jansen hosts a women-only
workshop on achieving multiple,
extended and full-body orgasms.
Registration recommended. Wed,
June 4, 7–9:30pm. Good for Her, 175
Harbord St. $33. goodforher.com
The New Wave:
Flogging and Impact Play
Men and women aged 19 to 35 are
invited to an impact play party,
featuring special guest Thane
James, current Central Canada
LeatherSir. Sat, June 7, 5–8pm.
Black Eagle, 457 Church St. Free.
blackeagletoronto.com
Rainbow Revue
Brunch, followed by something
sweet. This edition of the Great
Canadian Tease Burlesque Brunch
includes performances by Dolly
Berlin, Fionna Flauntit and DD
Star. Sun, June 8, 12:30pm. The
Libertine, 1307 Dundas St W. $15.
greatcanadianburlesque.com
THEATRE
Love and Human Remains —
Unit 102 Theatre, until Sat,
June 7 CLARA ALTIMAS
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Nathaniel Bacon stars as Hedwig
in the rock musical about “a slip
of a girly boy” from East Germany
brought to the US as an army
bride. Lower Ossington Theatre,
100 Ossington Ave. Runs until Sat,
June 7, various showtimes. $49.
lowerossingtontheatre.com
Love and
Human Remains
Witchboy Theatre’s inaugural
production is Brad Fraser’s play
about a group of 30-somethings
looking for sex in a frozen Canadian
city while a serial killer stalks the
night. Runs until Sat, June 7, 8pm.
Unit 102 Theatre, 376 Dufferin St.
$20. witchboytheatre.com
Queer Bathroom Stories
Based on actual experiences, this
work looks at the complexities of
gender and sexuality and the secret
sex life of the toilet. Runs until Sun,
June 15, various showtimes. Buddies
in Bad Times, 12 Alexander St. $20–
25. buddiesinbadtimes.com
Baker’s Dozen
It’s the butcher, the baker and
candlestick maker, but now —
rub-a-dub-dub — the baker’s
dead, his husband the butcher is
accused of murder, and nobody
knows the whereabouts of the
candlestick maker. Sat, May 31,
4:15pm, and Sun, June 1, 2:45pm.
Pia Bouman School, 6 Noble St. $15.
torontofestivalofclowns.com
Angels in America
Seven people negotiate New York
City during the AIDS crisis. This twopart play begins with Millennium
Approaches and ends with
Perestroika. Part one runs Thurs, June
12–Sat, July 12, various showtimes;
part two runs Fri, June 13–Sat, July 12,
various showtimes. Young Centre for
the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House
Ln. $29–74. soulpepper.ca
Unsex’d
Set in 17th-century England, this
is the historically inaccurate and
gratuitously crude story of two
male actors fighting for the role of
Lady Macbeth. Runs Fri, June 13,
and Sat, June 14, 8pm. Buddies in
Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St.
$20. buddiesinbadtimes.com
XTRA! MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 31
CLUBSCENE
Thurs, May 29
Sat, May 31
Ladyplus DJ Todd Klinck spins
for the T-girls and their friends
and admirers, with spontaneous
T-girl go-go shows and private VIP
dances. 8pm–2am. Club120, 120
Church St. $8 before 11pm, $15 after.
goodhandys.com
Local Heroes Party DJs are
the queeroes of the year at this
official Inside Out event. Featuring
Vee Stun, John Caffery, Cozmic
Cat, Phil V, Joe Blow, Sigourney
Beaver, Linguist and Secret Agent.
Performances by Axel Blows and
Shane MacKinnon. 10pm. Gladstone
Hotel, 1214 Queen St W. $6, no cover
with Local Heroes screening ticket
stub. insideout.ca
Toastr DJs Lucie Tic and Sticky
Cuts spin hip hop, dancehall, trap,
R&B and house for the ladies. Same
location, with a new name. 9:30pm.
White Elephant Bar, 366 Queen St
E. $8. facebook.com/toastrto
Fri, May 30
XXX Men Only DJs Alain
Plamondon and Shawn Riker spin as
the naked men perform for the porn
shoot and stage show at midnight.
Live porn models and the darkroom
in full effect. Men 19 and up only.
10pm–4am. Fly, 8 Gloucester St. $10
before midnight, $15 after. tvaxxx.
com, flynightclub.com
Regretro: No Judgment Edition
DJs Case of Base, Wei Back and
Party McFly spin for the inclusive
dance party. 10pm. Henhouse,
1532 Dundas St. No cover.
henhousetoronto.com
Back to the Future DJs Daddy K
and Nik Red are on decks for the
Transplanetarium afterparty. 10pm.
The Steady, 1051 Bloor St W. No
cover. insideout.ca
Nice Up Yes Yes Y’all and Dudebox
present an all-inclusive, all-love, allnight event. DJ James “Nightingale”
Redi and the YYY DJs on decks. Half
the proceeds go to The 519. 10pm.
The 519 Community Centre, 519
Church St. $5. the519.org
Mighty Real DJs Jeremy Glen, John
Caffery and The Robotic Kid spin
house and neo-disco for the loving
Kensington crowd. 10pm. Round, 152A
Augusta Ave. $5. roundvenue.com
Pheromone Friday DJ Recklezz
spins as Sister Mister presents a
party for queer women and their
friends. 11pm. Church Street Garage,
477 Church St. $5. facebook.com/
churchstgarage
The Freedom
Party — Beer
Academy,
Wed, June 11
Sun, June 8
Big Gay Patio Part of DuWest Fest,
this is the largest patio on the street
during the street festival and will
feature a beach, drink special, day
drag and DJs. 11am–11pm. Henhouse,
1532 Dundas St W. No cover.
henhousetoronto.com
Blood Sweat & Queers: Cuntry
Ho-Down Edition DJs Katie Richie
and Kaleb Robertson spin some
good-ole country beats. 10pm.
The Steady, 1051 Bloor St W. $5.
thesteadycafe.com
The New Wave A night of flogging,
spanking and other forms of impact
play, with guest Thane James,
Central Canada LeatherSir. Leather
CrushTO’s 2nd Anniversary:
Prom DJ Jared Sweato spins to
celebrate two years of queerfriendly, sex-positive club nights.
Featuring burlesque and private
booths for consensual private time.
Bad or unwelcome behaviour will
not be tolerated. 10pm. Club120, 120
Church St. $10. id-tap-that.com
Ladies’ Night: Boylesque Beach
Party DJ Johnny B Goode spins diva
jams and beach-party beats for the
Surf Battle afterparty, starting at
2pm, with Boylesque TO performing
at 8 and 11pm. Oasis Aqualounge,
231 Mutual St. Single ladies $10,
single men $60, couples $50.
Sweat DJ Neill MacLeod spins for
the Spearhead Toronto LDSC social.
5–10pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St.
No cover. blackeagletoronto.com
Scruff Invades Toronto —
The Phoenix, Fri, June 6
Pop Machine DJs Shane Percy and
Aural spin for the pop-, retro- and
classic-dance-loving crowd. 10pm.
WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. $5 before
11pm, $10 after. facebook.com/
waylabarnounge
Sun, June 1
Woody’s Sunday Hollywoody
Broadway Show, with Miss
Conception, at 6pm; Old School,
hosted by Georgie Girl, with
D’Amanda Tension and Marsha
Monster Mellow, at 9pm; Five
Smokin Hot Divas, hosted by
Georgie Girl, with Devine Darlin,
Tynomi Banks, Carlotta Carlisle,
Sapphire Tithi Reign and DJ Blue
Peter, at 11pm. Woody’s, 467 Church
St. No cover. woodystoronto.com
pieces and other prizes. No dress
code; fetish wear encouraged.
5–8pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St.
No cover. blackeagletoronto.com
Mon, June 2
Drag Industry Night Queens
dazzle Queen West at the weekly
west-side drag night. 11pm–2am.
The Beaver, 1192 Queen St W.
No cover. beavertoronto.com
Tues, June 3
Varsity Tuesday Sofonda Cox
hosts the amateur So You Think You
Can Strip? competition, with a $100
cash prize. 11pm. Remington’s, 379
Yonge St. $5 before 11pm, $7 after;
no cover with student ID before
11pm, $2 after. remingtons.com
Mon, June 9
Crews Monday Glitz & Glam, with
Carlotta Carlisle and Katinka Kature,
9–11pm; Dirty Monday, with Devine
Darlin and Daytona Bitch, 11pm–
2am. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church
St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com
2Deep DJs Ticky Ty and Aeryn
Pfaff spin, with a fire-breathing
performance by Scarlett Bobo;
hosted by Gia Cox. 10pm–3am.
Church, 504 Church St.
No cover before midnight.
churchonchurch.com
Wed, June 4
120 Wednesday
Calling all standup comedians for
Mandy Goodhandy’s weekly openmic night! Performers must show up
between 8pm and 8:45pm. To book
in advance, contact toddklinck@
gmail.com. 8pm. Club120, 120
Church St. No cover. club120.ca
Thurs, June 5
32 MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 XTRA!
Elle DJs L Rock and D XXX spin
hip hop, R&B, world, house, reggae
and more for the women and their
friends. Presented by Strawberry
Hills Promotions and Prism.
10pm. Church, 504 Church St. $5.
churchonchurch.com
Sat, June 7
Queer as Fuck Comedy: New
Talent Night Catherine McCormick
hosts a night of LGBT comedy, open
to standup comics who have less
than one year of stage experience
or have done fewer than 12 sets.
9:30pm–1am. The Steady, 1051 Bloor
St W. PWYC. thesteadycafe.com
CrushTO — Club120,
Sat, May 31 BECCA LEMIRE
Squirt Best Men’s Ass Contest
Sofonda and guest Devine Darlin
host Squirt’s Super Sexy relaunch
event, with the boys showing their
plump butts for $300 in cash prizes.
DJ Chris Steinbach spins. Midnight.
Woody’s, 467 Church St. No cover.
woodystoronto.com
of A Chorus Queen. 10pm. Fly, 8
Gloucester St. $5 before 11pm, $10
after. flynightclub.com
Drag Roulette: Vol 2 Hosted by
Aqua V Ulva. Queens, kings and
guests spin the glitter wheel of
death to determine whether they’ll
lip-sync to their own songs or
ones that another performer has
prepared. DJ Lesbian Menace on
decks; performances by Demona
Deville, Barbie Jo Bontemps and
Spencer Munny. 8pm. The Steady,
1051 Bloor St W. $5 (dinner not
included). thesteadycafe.com
Fri, June 6
Cue Poc DJs Chantelle Eff and Sissy
Fuss spin for the queer people of
colour event. Hosted by Hiba Al-aMode. 10pm–3am. Bar Neon, 1226
Bloor St W. No cover. facebook.com/
cuepoc.0
Scruff Invades Toronto Johnny
Scruff and the Scruff crew rumble
into town for a party in partnership
with Pitbull Events, with guest DJs
and giveaways. 10pm. The Phoenix,
410 Sherbourne St. pitbullevents.com
Playlist DJs Sumation, Blackcat
and Recklezz are on decks for the
WorldPride 2014 sneak preview.
Drag performances by the cast
Tues, June 10
Vintage Jazz & Blues Linda Carone
sings the soulful sounds of a bygone
era every Tuesday. 9:30–11:30pm.
Rasputin Vodka Bar, 780 Queen St
E. No cover. rasputinvodkabar.com
Raging Cholo House party gone
wild, with DJ Supreme Cholo
spinning hip hop, ’90s, electro,
dancehall and reggae. 10pm.
The Steady, 1051 Bloor St W. $5.
thesteadycafe.com
Wed, June 11
Fly Saturday DJs Josh Karmin
and Shawn Riker spin house, EDM
and circuit faves. 10pm–5am. Fly,
8 Gloucester St. No cover for the
first 200 people before midnight.
flynightclub.com
The Freedom Party RuPaul’s Drag
Race contestant Milk, Tynomi Banks
and Scarlett Bobo perform, with DJ
Shane McKinnon on decks, at this
fundraiser in support of Rainbow
Railroad. Raffle prizes and art
auction. 7:30pm. Beer Academy,
75 Victoria St. $50 advance,
$65 door. rainbowrailroad.ca
Tramp DJ Jacqie Jaguar spins for
the girls who love girls doing girls.
Female-identified folks and friends
only. 10pm. The Steady, 1051 Bloor
St W. No cover. thesteadycafe.com
Purplelectricity Prince Party:
10th Anniversary Edition DJ
Doctor Baggie spins hi-NRG Prince
to celebrate the 30th anniversary of
Purple Rain. CD and DVD door prizes.
10pm. The Marquis of Granby, 418
Church St. $7. purplelectricity.com
Tapette: Almost Pride Edition
DJ Phil V and his latest go-go hunk
blast French house and disco
hits for les hommes of the west.
10:30pm. Henhouse, 1532 Dundas
St W. $5. henhousetoronto.com
College Night DJ Sumation spins
top 40, house and dance beats for
the studious hump-day queers.
10pm. Church, 504 Church St.
No cover. churchonchurch.com
Submit your
event listing to
[email protected].
Deadline for the June 12
issue is Wed, June 4.
523 Parliament St.
Tel 647.430.8741
Visit www.ftjco.com/custom
IN THE
NEXT
ISSUE
OF XTRA!
DS
ON STANAY,
THURSD2.
JUNE 1
XTRA! MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 33
DEEP DISH
1
3
BY ROLYN CHAMBERS
Addiction Apparel
Underwear launch
Fit Fourth
Anniversary
THURS, MAY 15 @ EROTICO
SAT, MAY 17 @ THE BEAVER
Like a swarm of rabid twinks,
they move like hungry locusts,
covering everything in their path
with lip-gloss and scented body
lotion. It isn’t quite like this at
Erotico lounge, but the launch
party for Addiction Apparel’s
new underwear line does bring
out large numbers of frisky bottom boys. Most are here modelling the new line. Others are
here admiring it, while (surprise,
surprise) a large contingency
of older gentlemen is here admiring the boys modelling the
underwear, as well as the boys
admiring the underwear. With a
stripper pole overlooking Flash
nightclub it only makes sense
that an amateur pole-dancing
contest takes place amidst
performances by Barbie Jo Bontemps, Naomi Campbellsoup
and a gaggle of newbie queens.
Seen critiquing and admiring
the underwear and underwearers are Xtra columnist Ryan
G Hinds, InToronto’s Michael
Pihach, Pink Pages’ Antoine
Elhashem, Bent Boys porn company’s Brandon Bent, along with
Jade Elektra, Devine Darlin, Jada
Hudson and the newly published
Joey Wargachuk. Founded by
cute young thing Nick Banerd,
Addiction is billed as “Toronto’s
first gay-tailored swim and underwear line.” He’s young, so I’ll
forgive him for not realizing Toronto’s already had at least one.
Body Body had a shop right on
Church Street and created not
only its own line of underwear
and swimwear, but clothing as
well, all tailored to the stereotypical gay-gym-body form. A
word to the young: marketing
yourself to less than 10 percent
of the population might be considered target marketing (Addiction’s website is foryourbottom.
com), or it might just be seen as
foolish. Think bigger. If it’s good
for the gays, everyone else will
follow. Like a swarm.
Like a herd of burly beef,
they move like migrating
cattle searching for new grazing
grounds, covering everything in
their path with the scent of Old
Spice deodorant and after-lastcall poutine. Okay, so it’s not
quite like this at The Beaver, but
Fit’s fourth anniversary party
does bring out a manly selection
of fresh-smelling, well-fed fellas.
Unfortunately, the weather isn’t
suited to the slutty anniversaryparty outfit I’d planned to wear
as a present to everyone. You’re
welcome? This was also the case
last year. The much-anticipated
gay-grotto, kiddie-pool party
on the back patio was a breezy
bust. “No one got in,” DJ Phil V
sighs. “It was too cold.” No one
wants to see his wiener shrink.
Especially in spandex. Instead,
we dance to Phil and DJ Kris
Steves’s interesting interpretation of popular songs from our
distant past. Who knew there
was a hi-energy remix of Dolly
Parton’s “Nine to Five”? “I love
that some guys wear sport stuff
to this party,” Brandon, an outof-towner tells me. He’s not
from here, so I’ll forgive him
for not knowing that there was
another sports-themed party,
called Sporty Boys, which took
place right here in this very
space several years ago. A word
to those who show up: there are
not enough men in slutty sports
gear. We want to see big baskets
on basketballers, wrestlers doubling in size in their singlets, diving boards in water-polo-player
Speedos, jockless rugby players
and baseball players pitching.
Think bigger. If it’s good, everyone will follow. Like a herd.
1ESean, Ryan & Adam 2E Cal &
Arthur 3E Pierson 4E Jade, Ryan
& John
34 MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 XTRA!
2
5
4
7
9
6
5E Brandon & Luis 6E DJs Phil V
& Kris Steeves 7E Laura, Matt &
Malcolm 8E Tyler, Eli & Bryn
9E Wade 10E Matthew & Steve
Deep Dish appears in
every other issue of Xtra.
For this week’s Xposed
column, by Anna Pournikova,
8
10
E xtralivingtoronto.com
Pet Stores &
Supplies
Renovations &
Restorations
Helmutt’s
Pet Supply
416-504-1265
Bryant
Renovations
416-260-0818
Pharmacies
Newbright
Construction
416-985-8639
Pace Pharmacy
and Compounding
Experts
416-515-7223
THE BEST OF GAY & LESBIAN TORONTO
Holiday Inn
Toronto
Downtown
holidayinn.com/
torontocentre
Ms Hema
Murdock, CA
416-696-6653
Susan Calverley
MBA, MSc, CMA
416-605-1553
Advertising
Raymond Helkio
Advertising
+ Design
raymondhelkio.com
Automotive
Sales & Leasing
Ken Shaw Lexus
416-776-0055
Bars & Clubs
Fly Nightclub
416-410-5426
Butchers
St Jamestown
Steak & Chops
416-925-7665
Cheese Shops
Leslieville
Cheese Market
416-465-7143
Chiropractors
gesund
416-913-5170
Churches
Metropolitan
Community
Church of Toronto
416-406-6228
Coffee Shops
Fuel Plus
647-352-8807
Community
Groups &
Services
City of Toronto,
Economic
Development
Division
toronto.ca/business
Computer Sales
& Service
Contemporary
Computers
ccomp.ca
Concierges
As You Wish
Concierge
647-208-2884
Construction
Newbright
Construction
416-985-8639
Counselling
CareerCycles.com
Career Counselling
416-465-9222
Change4U2
416-827-7578
David Moulton,
MEd Canadian
Certified
Counsellor
davidmoulton.ca
David W
Routledge
(MSW, RSW)
Psychotherapist
416-944-1291
Phillip Coupal
Counselling
416-557-7312
Dental Services
Adelaide Dental
416-429-0150
Broadview
Dental Clinic
416-466-6400
Dr Kevin Russelo
& Associates
416-966-0117
Bryant
Renovations
416-260-0818
G J MacRae
Foundation
Repair Service
– Since 1975
905-824-2557
Newbright
Construction
416-985-8639
Insurance
Kenton Waterman
– Investors Group
Financial Services
416-860-1668
Investment
Services
Kenton Waterman
– Investors Group
Financial Services
416-860-1668
Massage –
Certified/
Registered
gesund
416-913-5170
Bruce M
Small, MSc
Psychotherapist
416-598-4888
Japanese
Male RMT
416-804-9248
The Power
of Touch
Nick Mulé,
PhD, RSW
Psychotherapist
416-926-9135
647-330ALEX(2539)
Meats &
Delicatessens
Mortgages
Proud FM
416-213-1035
Investors
Group Financial
Services – Kenton
Waterman
416-860-1668
Dog & Cat
Grooming
Lawyers
Linda Rudolph
at The Mortgage
Centre
416-282-1677
Harvey L Hamburg
416-968-9054
Moving &
Storage
Ivan Steele
Law Office
647-342-0568
Agility Moving
& Storage Ltd
416-654-5029
Law Office of
El-Farouk Khaki
416-925-7227
Naturopathy
Paul T Willis
– Barrister
& Solicitor,
Notary Public
416-926-9806
Painting
Robert G Coates
416-925-6490
Personal Care
Fashion
Take a Walk on
the Wildside TM
416-921-6112
Florists
Astra Florists
astraflorists.com
Foundation
Repairs
Basement
Waterproofing
G J MacRae
Foundation Repair
905-824-2557
G J MacRae
Foundation
Repair Service
– Since 1975
905-824-2557
Gardening
Davenport
Garden Centre
416-929-7222
Graphic Design
Mixtape Strategy
mixtapestrategy.com
Timothy E Leahy
– Forefront
Migration Ltd
416-226-9889
Legal Services
Craig Penney,
Toronto Criminal
Defence Lawyer
416-410-2266
Lighting
Living Lighting
on King
416-364-9099
Pink Triangle
Press
416-925-6665
Xtra
416-925-6665
Juice Bars
Tailspin Dog Spa
416-920-7387
Publications
St Jamestown
Steak & Chops
416-925-7665
Galleria Dental,
Dr Iudita Costache
416-534-9991
Juice Box
416-924-4671
Psychotherapy
gesund
416-913-5170
Newbright
Painting
416-985-8639
Dermatology
on Bloor
dermonbloor.com
Personal
Trainers
Evolution Fitness
416-220-7883
Pet Care
Tailspin Dog Spa
416-920-7387
Radio Stations
Real Estate
Nicholas Bohr
– RE/MAX
Hallmark Realty
Ltd, Brokerage
416-465-7850
Philip Kocev
– Sales
Representative
416-364-2036
RE/MAX
Baywatch Ltd,
Brokerage
705-756-7629
C’est What?
Brew/Vin Pub
Restaurant
416-867-9499
Cora Breakfast
& Lunch
27 Carlton St
416-340-1350
277 Wellington St W
416-598-2672
Hair of the Dog
416-964-2708
Lola’s Kitchen
lolaskitchen.ca
The 8th
Deadly Sin
416-960-3473
The Blake House
416-975-1867
The Churchmouse
& Firkin
416-927-1735
Sex Shops
Bed Time Toys
bedtimetoys.ca
Condom Shack
416-596-7515
Spa Services
Dermatology
on Bloor
dermonbloor.com
Tax Services
CJH Tax Services
647-270-8057
Theresa
Forget, Sales
Representative
RE/MAX First
Realty, Brokerage
905-686-3800
Telecommunications
Real Estate
Agents
Buddies in Bad
Times Theatre
416-975-8555
Nicholas Banks
iPro Realty
877-306-4776
Gaelen Patrick
– Sutton
Group Realty
Systems Inc
416-801-9265
Roy Runions, Sales
Representative
RE/MAX
Hallmark Realty
Ltd, Brokerage
royrunions.com
Acanac
416-849-8530
Theatre
Veterinarians
Blue Cross
Animal Hospital
416-469-1121
Waterproofing
Waterproof
Masters
waterproofmasters.com
Websites
dailyxtra.com
416-925-6665
Squirt.org
squirt.org
Health & Fitness
Evolution Fitness
416-220-7883
Health Foods
& Nutrition
The Big Carrot
416-466-2129
Home
Improvement
& Repairs
Basement
Waterproofing
G J MacRae
Foundation Repair
905-824-2557
THE BEST OF GAY &
LESBIAN TORONTO —
ON YOUR DESKTOP
AND ON YOUR
MOBILE DEVICE!
Check out the interactive
digital edition of Xtra Living at
xtralivingtoronto.com
APRIL–SEPT 2014
Accommodations
The Village
Pharmacy
416-967-9221
Restaurants
& Cafés
THE BEST OF
GAY & LESBIAN
TORONTO
A taste
of Havana
Handcrafted
wood furniture
Riverdale
café culture
East-end art
institution
XTRA! MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 35
BOOKING DEADLINE:
WED, JUNE 4 @ 1PM
Classifieds
To place an ad, call 416-925-6665 x0
or book your line classified at
classifi[email protected]
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PROUD
LIVES
Commemorate those
who have recently
passed away.
This space is donated
by Xtra. Call
416-925-6665 x0
for more information.
Please limit text to
50 words or less.
Ideally, photos will
be digital images at
2” x 3” with a
resolution of 250dpi.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
NOTICES
CLEANERS
Married, Separated or
Divorced Gay Father?
We’re here to support you
on your journey.
Our meetings are informal,
FRQÀGHQWLDODQGKHOSIXO
Gay Fathers meet the second
and fourth Thursday of every
month at 8pm
at the 519 Church Street
Community Centre.
PSYCHIC/ASTROLOGY
Love specialist
reunites lovers,
solves all
impossible problems.
www.gayfathers-toronto.com
Call now: 1-647-477-4279
REAL ESTATE
LIKE us on Facebook!
REAL ESTATE AGENT
facebook.com/
dailyxtra
Craig Head Specializing in
Condos Bosley Real Estate
Ltd., Brokerage
www.craighead.ca
DAILY
GET ALL THE
INCHES YOU WANT!
Book your ad now!
416-935-6665 x0
36 MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 XTRA!
4SEASONS MASSAGE
THERAPY & WAXING
Charles Guo, RMT Registered
Massages, Waxing Hair Removal. Receipt for massage insurance. First Time Client 20%
off waxing.
40 Wellesley St E, Ste 201.
By appointment
416-944-3784
4seasonsmassage.ca
SQUEAKY CLEAN
Domestic Cleaning Services.
Your Neighbourhood Cleaner
(prices and estimates available
on request).
Call Mark: 416-924-1951 (Res.)
416-347-3951 (Cell)
e-mail: [email protected]
mark-copeland.com
ARRESTED?
CHARGED?
AGGRESSIVE
CRIMINAL
DEFENCE
Bold your line classified.
WWW.GANYMEDE.CA
Professional hair removal by
certified specialist. Waxing,
electrolysis and laser. Clean,
private,
downtown location. By
appointment only. Call Darcy at
416-979-8801.
MALE, FEMALE, TRANS
affordable hair removal
services by friendly, discreet,
experienced CERTIFIED Wax
Technician, in an immaculate,
upscale home Wax Clinic.
Stephen (647)973-4247 or
www.maircare.ca
416.410.2266
CraigPenney.com
El-Farouk
Khaki
Barrister & Solicitor
Refugee & Immigration Law
BE BOLD!
HAIR/SKIN & BEAUTY
5FMt'BY
FMöO!SPHFSTDPNtFMGBSPVL@MBX!ZBIPPDB
7 in 10
readers use
Xtra to locate
gay-friendly
businesses.
COUNSELLING
DAVID W. ROUTLEDGE
MSW, RSW
PSYCHOTHERAPIST
...helping you become the person
you have always wanted to be
[email protected]
www.dwroutledge.com (416) 944-1291
downtown location - affordable rates
NEW THOUGHT THERAPY
Personalized Effective
Conversations.
Depression, Anxiety, Gender,
Sexuality, Life/Executive
Coaching
Todd Kaufman, MDiv
647-230-2068
Genesissquared.com. See our
ad in this issue of Xtra
$ZDNHQ6WXGLR
Massage Buffet
Massage: traditional,
anal/prostate, & Taoist Erotic.
Breath orgasms. Sex and Life
Coach. Paul Barber
647-821-3131
canadian bodyworker.com
PLEASE
RECYCLE
THIS PAPER!
PERSONAL
EROTIC MASSAGE
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
416-557-7312 — [email protected]
www.phillipcoupal.ca
PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER!
BRENT ROUSSEAU RMT
For treatment of muscle injuries, pain and stress management, and enhancement of
physical health and well being.
Day, evening, and weekend
appts. available. Insurance
coverage, Visa accepted, free
parking, 416-708-3996.
Broadview/Danforth.
brentrousseau.com
HOME, CONDO & OFFICE
CLEANERS
call Tomas - 416.878.9527
FULLY BONDED AND INSURED
visit: www.ecoscleaning.com
HAIR/SKIN & BEAUTY
Communication — Relationship — Life Skills
Gay Men — Male Couples
RELAXATION
NEW YOU MASSAGE & HEALTH
CTR. Offering Swedish Massage,
Physiotherapy, Shiatsu and
Acupuncture. Joseph Alves RMT,
Michael O`Brien RMT,
Vince Warcop PT, Angela Lin PT.
Located at 40 Wellesley Street East.
Book online at
www.newyoumassage.ca
LEGAL SERVICES
Counselling + Coaching + Bodywork
HEALTH & FITNESS
REGISTERED MASSAGE
EMPLOYMENT
XTRA
OFFERS
FREQUENCY
DISCOUNTS.
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to learn more!
EXPERIENTIAL
EMBODIED
EROTIC EXPLORATIONS
for Men
Weekend Touch Explorations
Full-Day Erotic Experiments
Afternoon Touch Exchanges
Explore & Experience
Erotic Sensual Touch
Group or Individual
Sessions
[email protected]
www.phillipcoupal.ca
MODELS & ESCORTS
PAINTING
Newbright Painting
NO MESS, NO FUSS, JUST SUPERIOR WORKMANSHIP
Commercial/Residential, Interior/Exterior Painting l Design & colour consultation
Light Reno’s and Repairs l Window Cleaning l Better Business Bureau
Celebrating 13 years in Xtra l References provided on request l Fully insured
Sean 416.985.8639 [email protected]
#news #arts
#travel #events
Everything gay,
every day.
XTRA HOT
DRASKO
BOGDANOVIC
NAME: JON PITCHER
AGE: 31 SIGN: ARIES
Jon grew up near Calgary and loves sunsets, camping and hiking mountains.
He describes his ideal vacation as “someplace where I can relax on the
beach and snorkel during the day, then have an amazing party at night. I
am hoping that’s my experience for Tel Aviv Pride later this year.” Jon likes
wearing jockstraps under suits, and his favourite film is Big Massive Gay Orgy 5.
“It would be 4, but I found the story line weak.”
Instagram: pitch_24
To comment on or become an Xtra Hot guy or gal, email Drasko at [email protected].
Video: Matt Bomer
on the red carpet for
The Normal Heart
dailyxtra.com
XTRA! MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 37
Hot ’n horny hookups.
Join
for FREE
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38 MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 XTRA!
XTRA! MAY 29–JUNE 11, 2014 39

Toronto`s diminishing gay club scene E22

Transcription

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