+inside! - Daily Xtra
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FREE FREE 36,000 AUDITED CIRCULATION #747 JUNE 13–26, 2013 T TORONTO’S GAY & LES LESBIAN SBIAN N NEWS E WS ENVISIONING WORLDPRIDE E + INSIDE! 16 GAYSTONE AT THE GLADSTONE E 31 BUDDIES’ QUEER PRIDE E 32 HOME SHOPPING ON KING STREET E 36 Jinkx More at xtra.ca facebook.com/xtra.ca @xtra_canada Mons Drag Race winner touches 6 down at Pride E26 oon GINSENG NATURAL MINT TEA TREE ® * With moisture, refers to stratum corneum. Ginseng, tea tree & natural mint are non-medicinal. Trade-mark owned or used under license by Unilever Canada, Toronto, Ontario M4W 3R2 2 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS j’adore SUNDAY JUNE 23RD WOODY’S PRIDE WEEK KICK-OFF A BENEFIT FOR CANFAR 6PM MISS CONCEPTION HOLLYWOODY BROADWAY SHOW PRIDE EDITION 9PM GEORGIE GIRL OLD SCHOOL PRIDE SHOW WITH STEPHANIE STEVENS AND KATINKA KATURE 11PM SIX SMOKING HOT PRIDE DIVAS GEORGIE, BROOK-LYNN, CASSANDRA, DEVINE, SCARLETT AND LEXI TELLINGS LIVE MONDAY JUNE 24TH 11PM MEN’S CHEST CONTEST & SHOW HOSTED BY MISS CONCEPTION WITH JADA HUDSON AND BUNNI LAPIN TUESDAY JUNE 25TH 11PM MEN’S ASS CONTEST & SHOW HOSTED BY BIRTHDAY GIRL GEORGIE GIRL WITH TYNOMI BANKS AND MICHELLE ROSS AND TICKET GIVEAWAYS FOR PITBULL PRIDE Photo: David Hawe WEDNESDAY JUNE 26TH 8PM MISS CONCEPTION BIRTHDAY SHOW BLOW-OUT 11PM MEN’S ASS CONTEST & SHOW BROOK-LYNN HYTES WITH DEVINE DARLIN’ AND MAHOGANY BROWN $300 PRIZES AND TICKET GIVEAWAYS FOR MORE AT XTRA.CA 465-467 Church Street, Toronto 416-972-0887 woodystoronto.com XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 3 XTRA SHERBOURNE HEALTH CENTRE Published by Pink Triangle Press PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Brandon Matheson 333 SHERBOURNE STREET TORONTO, ON M5A 2S5 EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR Danny Glenwright s7773(%2"/52.%/.#! ARTS EDITOR Phil Villeneuve COPY EDITOR Lesley Fraser NEWS REPORTER Andrea Houston ,'"4(%!,4( EVENT LISTINGS: [email protected] CONTRIBUTE OR INQUIRE about Xtra’s editorial content: [email protected], [email protected] GENDER JOURNEYS STARTS JUNE 19! Gender Journeys is an 11-week group for people considering a gender transition. The group provides information and community for people with gender changes across the gender spectrum.4HEGROUPWILL RUN7EDNESDAYEVENINGS*UNE!UGUSTPM2EGISTRATIONISREQUIRED#ONTACT9EGIATYDADUI SHERBOURNEONCAORAT EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE Drasko Bogdanovic, Kyle Burton, Rolyn Chambers, Elah Feder, Brad Fraser, Nick Green, Matthew Hays, Serafin LaRiviere, Michael Lyons, Darryl Mabey, Marcus McCann, Anna Pournikova, Drew Rowsome, Eduardo Sabate, Rob Salerno, Julian Ward, Jeremy Willard FAMILY PRIDE WEEKEND - JUNE 29-30 During Pride Weekend come find a child-centred oasis of music, activities, food, play respite and resources at Church Street Public School. We’ll have the 2013 issue of Pride & Joy, our annual newsletter on site, please stop by to say hi! HTTPWWWPRIDETORONTOCOMFESTIVALFAMILYPRIDE 3UPPORTING/UR9OUTH3/9SEEKSTOIMPROVETHEQUALITYOFLIFEFOR,'"4YOUTHUPTO THROUGHTHEACTIVEINVOLVEMENTOFADULTSWORKINGTOGETHERWITHYOUTH7ORKINGWITHIN ANANTIOPPRESSIONFRAMEWORK3/9DEVELOPSINITIATIVESTHATBUILDSKILLSANDCAPACITIES PROVIDEMENTORINGANDSUPPORTANDNURTUREASENSEOFIDENTITYANDBELONGING s 7773/94/2/.4//2' ART & PRODUCTION CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lucinda Wallace ADVERTISING ADVERTISING & SALES DIRECTOR Ken Hickling NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Jeffrey Hoffman NATIONAL ACCOUNTS MANAGER Derrick Branco RETAIL ACCOUNTS MANAGERS Brian Garrison, Phil Clowater CLIENT SERVICES & ADVERTISING ADMINISTRATOR Eugene Coon ADVERTISING AND DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Gary Major DISPLAY ADVERTISING: [email protected] 416-925-6665 or 800-268-XTRA LINE CLASSIFIEDS: classifi[email protected] SPONSORSHIP AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Erica Bestwick, [email protected] The publication of an ad in Xtra does not mean that Xtra endorses the advertiser. Printed and published in Canada. ©2013 Pink Triangle Press. Xtra is published every two weeks by Pink Triangle Press. ISSN 0829-3384 GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Darryl Mabey, Bryce Stuart Address: 2 Carlton St, Ste 1600, Toronto, ON, M5B 1J3 Office hours: 9am–5pm, Mon–Fri Phone: 416-925-6665 Fax: 416-925-6674 Website: xtra.ca General email: [email protected] SUBSCRIPTIONS $77.81 for one year (26 issues); $69 (US) in the United States; $125 (US) overseas. [email protected] | 800-268-XTRA PINK TRIANGLE PRESS Founded 1971 DIRECTORS Jim Bartley, Gerald Hannon, (%915%%242!.39/54( Glenn Kauth, Didier Pomerleau, Ken Popert, Gillian Rodgerson HONORARY DIRECTOR Colin Brownlee PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Ken Popert FRUIT LOOPZ YOUTH STAGE AT PRIDE: CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS! &RUIT,OOPZISAFESTIVALOFARTSWORDSANDIDEASFORSPECTRUMYOUTHBYSPECTRUMYOUTHON3ATURDAY *UNEPM* A great way to meet folks, make connections and build community * Community service volunteer hours * Become a Pride Toronto volunteer after 8 hours with Fruit Loopz * Excellent special event coordination experience! 4OSIGNUPORFORMOREINFOPLEASECONTACT3ONNYFRUITLOOPZ GMAILCOM Thanks to our 2013 community partners! CEO, DIGITAL MEDIA David Walberg CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Andrew Chang VERY RARE CONVERTED HISTORICAL MEDICAL COLLEGE (1890) LOFT CAN BE YOURS! $4 95 ,0 00 PINK INK ZINE LAUNCH ON THURSDAY, JUNE 13 Celebrate trans and queer youth creativity and the launch of Pink Ink’s brand new zine: These Words Are Burning. Pink Ink is an informal creative writing drop-in for lesbian, gay, bi, queer, trans and 2-spirit youth aged 14-29. The zine launch is a FREE event for all community members, friends, family and allies. $OORS OPENATPMAT"UDDIESIN"AD4IMES4HEATRE!LEXANDER3TREET&ORINFOCONTACT ORVPINKINK GMAILCOM SOY DOES PRIDE BBQ – ALL SOY YOUTH WELCOME! MONDAY, JUNE 17 3TARTYOUR0RIDECELEBRATIONSWITH3/9-USICFOODANDFRIENDS&EATURINGA$*SETBY#OZMIC#AT*OIN USINTHE3HERBOURNE(EALTH#ENTREPARKINGLOTFROMPMON-ONDAY*UNE ALPHABET SOUP: KARAOKE PARTY ON TUESDAY, JUNE 18! Alphabet Soup is a weekly group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, 2 Spirited, or questioning; under 20 years old; in school or planning to return to school. For the last Alphabet Soup of the year, we’ll be having a karaoke party – join us! #ONTACT*OHNEMAILJCAFFERY SHERBOURNEONCAORCALLX SUPPORT SOY: SCOTIABANK TORONTO WATERFRONT MARATHON REGISTRATION Join SOY in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on /CTOBERTH! Look for “3HERBOURNE (EALTH#ENTRE3/9” amongst participating charities, oRCONTACT#LAIREATORCJARROLD SHERBOURNEONCA to learn about free or discounted entry. WANT TO KEEP UP WITH SOY? 3UPPORTING/UR9OUTH SOY?TORONTO 289 Sumach St. #7 - 1054 SqFt of wooden beamed, beautifully lofty, light infused interior space + additional totally private, tree house style, roof top terrace! Huge open spaces, soaring ceilings (up to 25’ high in some places), skylights. real wood burning (and working!) fireplace, kitchen with breakfast bar, hardwood floors, spacious master with ensuite bathroom and walk in closet, storage at every opportunity. Close to every amenity, one minute from the DVP and the Gardiner, Riverdale Farms (baby piglets!) and comes with Parking, locker, and bragging rights to live in THIS building in Cabbagetown. Welcome Home! Maintenance is $375.00 (covers annual window cleaning, skylight calking, snow removal, gardening, annual AETNA termite Treatment, annual chimney sweep and fire inspections) communityone F O U N D AT I O N 4 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! Alex Brott, Sales Rep. Keller Williams Referred Urban Realty. Direct: 416-669-8166 Office: 416-572-1016 TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS Roundup TORONTO’S GAY& LESBIAN NEWS #747 JUNE 13–26, 2013 ABRAMIAN BARRISTERS ASSOCIATES SOLICITORS Successfully practicing law for over 15 years family law r marriage contracts r co-habitation agreements r separation agreements r divorce r property division r custody r access r spousal/child support r wills/estates t civil litigation Stacaro’s Mark Sutherland shows off the shop’s blend of styles at 225 King St E. ")(żɠƘŹŰŵƙɠŹűŸƐűűŸŰɠƀɠ2żɠƘŹŰŵƙɠŹűŸƐűűŸŴɠ &2(,ƞ,'#(&1ź)'ɠƀɠűųűɠ,#!".ɠ.,.Żɠ#"')(ɠ#&&ŻɠŴɠŴų ADAM COISH NEIGHBOURHOOD King-sized shopping + INSIDE! Toronto’s furniture strip offers something for every type of home E36 Editorial Elephants in the locker room By Natasha Barsotti E6 Feedback E6 Xcetera E9 Upfront Piecing together the story of three missing men Police investigate gay village disappearances E11 National news Coalition calls on Ontario government to update sex ed E12 Local news Panel dismisses QuAIA complaints, but city hall still a wildcard E14 Hundreds gather to help envision WorldPride E16 Read my hands Building a deaf-hearing alliance in Toronto E18 Out in the City Arts roundup The faces of Furry Creek E25 Jinkx Monsoon Fierce of nature E26 Pride at the Gladstone A roundup of this season’s mustsee “Gaystone” events E31 Sex and the silly Buddies ups the drama for Pride season E32 What’s On E39 Club Scene E40 Deep Dish By Rolyn Chambers E42 Xposed By Anna Pournikova E43 Guidemag travel Vancouver The gay heart of Canada’s West Coast E44 Fraser’s Edge Are gays more obsessed with beauty? By Brad Fraser E20 Halifax Have the Maritime of your life E46 History Boys Dr James Barry: 19th-century androgynous enigma By Michael Lyons E22 Xtra Living E52 MORE AT XTRA.CA Classifieds E51 Xtra Hot By Drasko Bogdanovic E53 COVER PHOTO JOSE A GUZMAN COLON ONLINE at xtra.ca Second man charged in murder of Allan Lanteigne Interpol hunt found Mladen Ivezic hiding in Greece Prince Harry to the rescue Royal thwarts potential bashing of openly gay soldier at Alberta base XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 5 Comment Natasha Barsotti is the staff reporter at Xtra Vancouver. 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 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! SEBASTIAN OTTAWA, ON While I do believe that Catholic schools should merge with public schools and become secularized, I believe that everyone should educate themselves about other cultures and religions and be sensitive to them. You should not be angry with the Catholic school board as a whole, but rather with ignorant extremists, who by no means represent the Catholic population as a whole. Only fanatics and fundamentalists take the Bible word for word; modern-day and open-minded Catholics take it with a grain of salt. ARIA CHAN TORONTO, ON Village study Church Street needs a major facelift [“Keep the Village Queer: Study Participants,” Xtra #746, May 30]. But with these owners of the building charging so much rent, they should beautify the facades of their buildings to fully represent the gay village. BROCK STACKHOUSE TORONTO, ON Trans March Pride means different things to different people [“City of Toronto Flip-Flops on Trans March Decision,” xtra.ca, May 23]. The gays and lesbians want to celebrate all their victories, while the trans folks are just starting to fight their battles. A celebration doesn’t work for trans. Trans people are here to raise education and awareness that their needs still aren’t being met: inadequate hu- RE: TCDSB AND GSA BAN 10 TORONTO’S TO ORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS #746 MAY 30–JUNE 12, 2013 If the Catholic school board wants to actively discriminate against LGBT students or staff, then cut their public funding immediately [“Toronto Catholic School Board Rejects GSA Ban,” Xtra #746, May 30]. Public funds should not be made available for organizations that support discrimination of any kind. It’s utterly disgusting that these attitudes still exist in Canada in 2013. How shameful. Leave religion to the churches and education to the government. There is no reason for Catholic schools to exist. @xtra_canada TCDSB and GSA ban facebook.com/xtra.ca Gay goalie Scott Heggart says his pre-game hockey ritual is so intense that his high school coach gave him an end-of-season award for it — followed by a bang-on impression of the routine for good measure. Heggart’s point? “Before a game, sex is the last thing on your mind,” he says. This, despite all the panicked hullaballoo in some quarters about what the presence of openly gay players could mean for getting changed in the locker room, not to mention picking up the proverbial dropped bar of soap. (As if it would be so different from the manly butt slaps already administered for a game well played.) Newly signed Oakland Raiders punter Chris Kluwe dismisses what he feels is the false elephant in the locker room. “What makes you think that because all of a sudden a player is allowed to openly be himself that he’s immediately going to start mounting every guy in sight... despite every single norm we are raised with?” Basketball’s Jason Collins says he’s glad he came out in 2013, not 2003 — that he “baked” for 33 years. Does it seem plausible that gay athletes like Collins, having agonized about the consequences for their careers, team relationships and fan reaction, are now going to start making passes left, right and centre at their teammates? Any number of people in any number of workplaces go about their business on a daily basis “without riotous orgies,” Kluwe points outs. “Those of you worried about a gay teammate checking out your ass in the shower or hitting on you in the steam room or bringing too much attention to the team — I have four simple words for you: grow the fuck up. This is our job; we are adults, so would you kindly act like one?” Much of the discussion about openly gay athletes still hasn’t cracked the level of adolescence, a dismal reminder of our crippling discomfort with sexuality and gender. It’s not unlike the sky-is-falling reaction that accompanied female sports reporters’ first attempts to gain access to locker rooms. Back in the late 1970s, Major League Baseball (MLB) blocked Sports Illustrated reporter Melissa Ludtke’s access to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ locker room during the World Series — access that her male competitors took for granted. The word, delivered to Ludtke by the assistant to the baseball commissioner, was that if they allowed her into the clubhouse, the players’ children were going to be ridiculed in school the next day. Not to mention, he added, that the players’ wives had not been consulted. Ludtke’s crackshot rejoinder? “On what decision has baseball ever consulted the wives?” She consulted her lawyers, took the MLB to court, and won. “There were probably a dozen to 20 women reporters at that time covering sports; I would say, conservatively, there are now several thousand,” Ludtke says of the implication of the court’s ruling. Hopefully, the recent decision by Collins and soccer’s Robbie Rogers to step out while still on the field of play will have a similar influence on other closeted male athletes — and eventually drown out the fear-mongering about what it means to have openly gay teammates. And really... so what if a teammate finds your butt, package and pecs to be all that? Be flattered. And if you’re not on, or partial to, that particular team, then a clear “Thank you for noticing my vitals, but I’m not interested” is all the defensive equipment you usually need to stop a pass in its tracks. As Kluwe points out, human resources personnel are there to intervene in the (unlikely) event things get out of hand... or to hold your hand through the trauma of being found attractive. Leave religion to the churches and education to the government. xtra.ca EDITORIAL NATASHA BARSOTTI FEEDBACK More at Elephants in the locker room email [email protected] comment xtra.ca & facebook/xtra.ca tweet @xtra_canada recently sold for over a million bucks! CONDOMANIA E 26 LUMINATO E 32 PLAYLISP E 35 STYLE LIFE E 36 YEARS OF GAY A MARRIAGE Equal rights or mainstream assimilation? E16 E 16 SAM SOUKAS, TORONTO REAL ESTATE BOARD (FACEBOOK) TORONTO, ON FREE 36,000 AUDITED CIRCULATION man rights legislations, inadequate healthcare, underemployment, discrimination with access to housing, et cetera. We need our own events, not necessarily because we don’t like sexual-orientation celebrations, but because we need our issues brought to light. JENNIFER MCCREATH ST JOHN’S, NL First, Pride Toronto (PT) submits an application for a route that they know is not acceptable to the trans community and has been objected to for many years. Then PT agrees not to organize a march, rather than stand up for the trans community they were funded to represent. Now, knowing full well, PT publishes a false route and suggests it might be safer for those that fear participating in an “illegal” march. The Trans March is not illegal and will be well marshalled. Further, for PT to use the fears of an already marginalized community to justify an alternative route is irresponsible. Way to go in supporting the trans community you are apparently funded to support! RACHEL LEWIS TORONTO, ON Leslieville The burgeoning of Leslieville started in 1995 [“Leslieville Charms,” Xtra #745, May 16]. In 2006, Starbucks arrived, changing the face of real estate here. First-time buyers have been forced to look further east to just before the Beach, as far as the eastern reaches of East York. One of my listings on Hastings Avenue International gaybourhoods I loved the article; it really is quite a piece of research [“Around the World,” Xtra #746, May 30]. I love that you make the reader feel as if they are in those places. Some of those cities sound amazing. I knew Canada was very broad-minded, but seriously, after reading this, I not only want to come back (without family; I love them, but real party holidays have to be with friends!), I almost want to find a way to live there for a while! GABRIEL ZEPEDA MEXICO CITY, MEXICO Bathhouses I want to thank you for the article “A Day and Night at the Baths,” [Xtra #744, May 2]. As a long-time resident of Toronto, I have visited most of the establishments you describe — Excess, Steamworks and Oak Leaf (many years ago). The two I was not familiar with were the Metro Theatre and Video X. Thanks to your article, I have now visited them, and both provided very satisfactory experiences — although I wish I had taken my pocket flashlight to the latter. You might also have mentioned Central Spa, the Cellar and the Loft movie complex. JOHN WILLIAMS ETOBICOKE, ON Gay blood ban The blood donation ban for men who have had sex with men (MSM) makes complete sense from Health Canada’s perspective [“Health Canada Replaces Gay Blood Ban with Five-Year Deferral,” Xtra #746, May 30]. Nobody is discriminating on the basis of identity; MSM is a behaviour-based classification that is applied to men regardless of how they identify or what community they belong to. PAUL VICTORIA, BC TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS ,=,9@ 7,9:650: <508<, ;HSR[V`V\YKVJ[VY MORE AT XTRA.CA XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 7 8 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS XCETERA Sushi A BIWEEKLY HELPING OF POP CULTURE, SERVED À LA CARTE 6 Number of Tonys Kinky Boots won at the 2013 awards gala. OUT ON THE STREET BY KYLE BURTON Cyndi Lauper What’s your favourite thing about Pride? First woman to win the award for Best Original Score, for Kinky Boots. Urinetown The musical that took home the same award in 2002. New! Search MLS listings directly from my Facebook page! Gaelen Patrick Real Estate Sales Representative Buying? Selling? Renting? Thinking Pre-construction? Proudly Serving Our Community! Achievement in Exceptional Sales Performance and Service Proud Financial Supporter of the Church St. 519 Community Centre with a donation from every sale going to the centre! Contact me 416.801.9265 | [email protected] www.gaelenpatrick.com Sutton Group Realty Systems Inc. Brokerage Independently Owned and Operated | 416.762.4200 Toronto Not intended to solicit those already under contract with another Realtor. Maria Leif Waj Pushpa PILATES INSTRUCTOR REAL ESTATE AGENT CHIROPRACTOR SECURITY OFFICER There’s usually really great parties and events, and I love to see people having a good time. I like that you can be yourself without being judged. I like just hanging out with friends and watching the parade. I love meeting people from all over the world. It’s just incredible how many people come out for Pride Week. He had a complete look of bewilderment on his face. I couldn’t stop the tears from welling up in my eyes. He said, ‘Right, I’m going to sort this shit out once and for all.’ — gay British soldier James Wharton describes how Prince Harry came to his defence when six other soldiers threatened to beat him, in his book Out in the Army: My Life As a Gay Soldier MORE AT XTRA.CA My Crazy Beautiful Life Title of pop star Kesha’s reality show, in which she recently drank her own urine. 26 Kesha’s age. David Karp The 26-year-old founder of Tumblr, who recently sold the company to Yahoo for $1.1 billion. ‘Playboy of Tech’ Details magazine story that features Karp. Charles Forman Also featured in the Details profile, often pictured topless and falsely rumoured to be Karp’s boyfriend. FROM THE PTP ARCHIVES 35 YEARS AGO BODY POLITIC #44 JUNE/JULY 1978 Principal William Shaver fired John Argue from his position as a lifeguard at Glenview Senior Public School — although in an almost unprecedented move the Toronto District School Board reversed the decision. Though it couldn’t be proved, they believed he was fired because he was open with students about his sexuality. Missile Command A game featured on Forman’s multiplayer gaming website, OMGPOP. Air Force Major General Patricia Rose Highestranking openly gay officer in the military. XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 9 Presented by U of T’s Sexual & Gender Diversity Office & Hart House THURSDAY JUNE 20, 2013 HART HOUSE QUAD U of T’s PRIDE PUB Your PRIDE starts here! 4 PM – 8 PM: BBQ & Community Fair 8 PM – 1 AM: Dancing under the stars Free before 9 PM $5 cover & 17+ after 9 PM Everyone is invited to get Pride started early in the beautiful Hart House Quad. This annual highlight is the Pride kick-off event you don’t want to miss! Funds raised will support LGBTQ student leadership programming at U of T. #UofTPridePub DJ COSMIC CAT CHERRY BOMB DANCE PERFORMANCE SC SWAGG DJ SAMMY RAWAL YES YES Y’ALL / BUSINESS WOMEN’S SPECIAL Hart House, University of Toronto / 7 Hart House Circle / Toronto, ON / M5S 3H3 / 416.978.2452 / www.harthouse.ca Sexual & Gender Diversity Office 10 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! Sponsors: TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS Upfront We’ve been at Crews & Tangos when the lights go on and all the hearing people are running out, but the deaf folks stay behind and chat away. Michelle Bourgeois E18 MISSING Police investigate disappearance of men from Village LOCAL NEWS ANDREA HOUSTON More details are emerging about three missing men who vanished from the Church-Wellesley Village. Toronto Police Service investigators say the three missing-persons cases are connected through “similar ethnicities.” Detective Deb Harris, who is leading the investigation, says the three men were not all openly gay. “They frequented the Church and Wellesley area and lived similar lifestyles.” Skandaraj “Skanda” Navaratnam, 40, went missing on Sept 16, 2010, after leaving Zipperz with an unknown man. What makes his disappearance particularly troubling for police is that he left behind an unattended puppy, which is unusual, says Constable Tony Vella. Abdulbasir “Basir” Faizi, 44, went missing on Dec 29, 2010. His vehicle was found abandoned in the Village, which is also where he was last seen. According to police, his bank records show he last used his debit card at the Hero Burger restaurant on Church Street. Majeed “Hamid” Kayhan was last seen on Oct 14, 2012, and was reported missing to police on Oct 25 by his son, police say. Harris says the three missing men have probably never met, but she can’t say for sure. “There is nothing that links the three men to each other.” El-Farouk Khaki is a refugee and immigration lawyer who often represents queer people fleeing violence. He is also the founder of Salaam, a Toronto-based queer mosque, and a leader in the local queer Muslim community. Khaki cautions police against ethnically profiling the men because of the colour of their skin or their “lifestyle.” The three men are actually not “ethnically similar,” he says. Rather, they share a similar skin colour. “By looking at their names, and seeing MORE AT XTRA.CA Clockwise from top right: Skandaraj “Skanda” Navaratnam, Majeed “Hamid” Kayhan and Abdulbasir “Basir” Faizi. All three men have gone missing within the last three years and were last seen in the gay village. the pictures, I surmised that [Faizi and Kayhan] are either Afghani or Pakistani,” he says. “They are probably Muslim.” Faizi’s Facebook page lists his hometown as Herat, Afghanistan. Navaratnam, on the other hand, is from Sri Lanka. When asked about this discrepancy, Harris clarifies, “Yes, the men are of similar complexions, not ethnicity.” Meanwhile, at the Black Eagle on Church Street, where Kayhan was a regular, owner Carlos Filetti remembers seeing him often, and barfly Gary Livingstone knew him well. Livingstone describes Kayhan as “out-ish.” “He was out to the gay community in the Village, but not out to his family, who is Afghani,” he says. “His gay life was very compartmentalized. He came to the Village and was able to be who he really was, which was separate from his responsibilities with his family.” Livingstone says Kayhan once told him that his family lives in Mississauga, but he didn’t talk about them much. “He just disappeared off the face of the Earth,” he says, remembering that through their chats, he came to understand that Kayhan was dealing with systemic cultural homophobia, along with racism, that prevented him from living a fully out life. Those pressures forced Kayhan to live part of his life in the closet, and that was very difficult for him. Livingstone also knew one of the other missing men, Navaratnam, who lived downtown as an openly gay man, he says. “I’m not sure I understand the connection between the two men that I knew,” he says. “They were very different. They are about 10 years apart in age. Different ethnicity. Different religion. Different life experiences altogether. “[Navaratnam] had a life in gay society. He knew people and was involved. Whereas for [Kayhan], this was his alternate identity. This is where he came to be gay. They were the guys I see when I go for a drink. So you know a certain amount about them, but not a huge amount.” Faizi’s family situation is similar to Kayhan’s. His sister-in-law Nijiba tells Xtra that his family is very worried and that she knew nothing about the connection to the Village. She says Faizi has a wife and two daughters who live in Mississauga. On the day he went missing, she says, he had been at work. He worked in a Mississauga factory, but she didn’t know the company name or his job at the factory. “He usually came straight home after because they make him work 12-hour shifts,” she says. “He worked night and day... That night, he called my sister, his wife, and said, ‘I’m coming home late tonight.’ She asked him why, and he said he is going out with a friend from work.” Nijiba says that Faizi’s wife called him around midnight, but couldn’t reach him. He never called home again. “I hope one day we will hear good news,” she says. Peel Regional Police Constable Thomas Ruttan says officers in Peel are assisting Toronto police and have conducted an extensive investigation into Faizi’s background, which is ongoing. Unlike the other two men, Navaratnam has a network of friends and lovers in the gay community who started searching for him shortly after he disappeared. Signs were posted around the Village and in Cabbagetown, where Navaratnam lived. Friends also started a Facebook page dedicated to finding him, which has since been shut down. At the time that he went missing, his friend Jody Becker told Xtra that Navaratnam was a regular at Zipperz, Pegasus and the Black Eagle. Steamworks manager John Brodhagen, who was a friend of Navaratnam’s, says it’s possible he has gone into hiding. “When he disappeared, it was a shock to all of us,” he says. “I think something probably scared him. Skanda was a political refugee in Canada from Sri Lanka. He was brought here because he got into some trouble with the Sri Lankan government. It was political. I think he was [an activist].” Brodhagen does not know when Navaratnam came to Canada or what legal issues surrounding his departure led him to flee. “I know he couldn’t stay in Sri Lanka because he would have been killed.” Livingstone says it was not unusual for Navaratnam to disappear for short periods of time, but, he says, three years is exceptionally long. Harris says police have done an extensive background search on Navaratnam but have discovered no leads. “The key connection for us is that all three disappeared from the Church and Wellesley area,” she says. If these three men are indeed connected, Khaki says, it’s important for investigators to understand the cultural sensitivities and discrimination that explain why men like Kayhan and Faizi live double lives. With that in mind, it’s possible other missing-persons cases could be connected as well. “I don’t think it’s problematic that police are looking at all possibilities, but I think they need to cast their net a little bit wider,” he says. A dedicated tip line has been set up at 416-808-5110, or tips can be made anonymously by phone at 416-222TIPS (8477). XTRA! JUNE 13–JUNE 26, 2013 11 Check out our FREE Real Estate App Harvey Malinsky, Broker Shana Malinsky, Sales Representative RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Ltd., Brokerage 723 Mount Pleasant Rd., [email protected] www.HomesWithUs.com 416-486-5588 I’M ON YOUR TEAM Jari Keskitalo Sales Representative )SVVY:[YLL[>LZ[ 6MÄJL! *LSS! QRLZRP[HSV'YV`HSSLWHNLJH ^^^QHYPOVTLZJH ONTARIO NEWS Coalition demands updates to sex education A coalition of more than 50 Ontario education and health advocates is demanding that the government finalize and implement a revised sex-education curriculum to replace lessons that are now 15 years old. The government shelved the Health and Physical Education curriculum, which includes sexual health, three years ago following complaints from religious parents and groups. It is now collecting dust at the Ministry of Education, said Annie Kidder, executive director of People for Education, at a news conference at Queen’s Park on June 3. Kidder said the initial protests came from a very small, vocal group with a conservative political agenda. “I think everyone was very surprised when [the curriculum] was removed in the first place,” she says. “It’s definitely time for this to happen.” A new Environics Research Group poll indicates that 93 percent of parents want the updated curriculum back on the table. It is one of three new reports from the Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (Ophea). Another report, which compares sexual health education in schools across Canada, shows that the 2010 curriculum revisions in Ontario are comparable to similar updates in other provinces. Chris Markham, executive director of Ophea, says Ontario’s curriculum is the oldest in the country and makes no mention of gay and lesbian sexuality. He hopes the reports give the government a much-needed push to action. NATIONAL NEWS Quebec teens encouraged to ‘sext’ Quebec teenagers with burning sexualhealth questions have a new resource at their disposal — one that is centred on a staple of modern life: the cellphone. Organizers of the service, titled SextEd, are encouraging teens in the Montreal area to text in any questions they might have. Those who do will receive a response from trained volunteers within 24 hours. “There’s been a push to find more creative and effective ways to reach youth,” says Melissa Fuller, the SextEd project assistant. “Cellphones seemed 12 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! Coalition members, from left: Chris Markham, executive director of Ophea; Annie Kidder, executive director of People for Education; Lori Lukinuk, trustee with Lakehead District School Board; and Kourosh Houshmand, student trustee. ANDREA HOUSTON “Putting this into context, this curriculum predates the iPod, it predates the PlayStation, and it predates the camera phone,” says Kourosh Houshmand, vice-president of the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association. “Students have a fundamental right to up-to-date information about sexual health.” The list of advocates for an updated curriculum includes two Catholic boards. Darryll Hancock, curriculum chair at St Mary’s Catholic Secondary School in Cobourg, which is part of the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, says educators in publicly funded Catholic schools support the curriculum and were involved in the original review process. “The pushback came from some very conservative Christian groups outside of publicly funded Catholic educators,” he says. (After speaking to Xtra, Hancock called back to ask that his name be removed from the story. He said he had spoken “too frankly” and feared how the story would “be spun.” Xtra denied this request because Hancock’s name appears on a public list of supporters who agreed to speak to media in support of the curriculum.) Hancock expressed support for the curriculum update. “Who would have heard of the term ‘sexting’ 15 years ago? Things have changed,” he says. “The curriculum needs to address the evolving technologies, sexual health and mental health.” —Andrea Houston like a really obvious way.” Texts arrive anonymously to the SextEd database — an important feature for those who blush when talking about sex. And if a question warrants a lengthy answer, the volunteer will link the response to the SextEd website, where the question is answered in detail. “[On the SextEd site] they can find access to a reliable resource on their topic, rather than having to Google it and get who knows what,” Fuller says. The SextEd initiative is part of AIDS Community Care Montreal’s (ACCM) Education for Prevention mandate, which was given greater significance in 2005 when the province scrapped mandatory sex ed in high schools. Recent statistics from Quebec also highlight the importance of such edu- cation initiatives: between 2007 and 2011, the rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia rose 40 percent and 45 percent, respectively, among 15- to 24-yearolds, while syphilis rose a staggering 576 percent. “Once you take [sex ed] out of any sort of mandatory education system, if you’re not learning it at a certain age, you’re probably not going to learn that much about it afterwards,” says Kimberly Wong, an HIV educator at ACCM. “There’s very little motivation for someone to learn about sexual health on their own, unless they have their own natural curiosity or they’re worried about something.” —Julian Ward For more on these stories, go to xtra.ca. TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS COME IN AND SEE FOR YOURSELF GET A 100* $ VISA GIFT CARD! n St Carlto ge St Colle E rd St Gerra ersary Univ ve A t Bay S h St Churc W e St Yong rd St Gerra With exciting, interactive technology in a relaxed, welcoming environment, the new RBC ® near you was designed to fit your life. Come in and explore the space, on your own or with the help of an advisor. Plus, let us show you how banking can fit you better+ and how you could get a $100 RBC Visa‡ Gift Card*! E as St Dund Yonge & Gerrard store 382 Yonge Street 416-542-1509 Open Saturdays and late Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. TM TM + Financial planning services and investment advice are provided by Royal Mutual Funds Inc. (RMFI). RMFI, RBC Global Asset Management Inc., Royal Bank of Canada, Royal Trust Corporation of Canada and The Royal Trust Company are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. 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The arbitrators’ decision is binding on Pride. “There’s always a bit of relief,” says Tim McCaskell, a member of QuAIA. “It reconfirms that we are members of the community, that we fall within Pride’s mandate and that we’re welcome to march.” Family lawyer Martha McCarthy chaired the panel, convened under the Pride Toronto (PT) dispute resolution process (DRP). In June 2012, a DRP panel chaired by Robert Coates dis- 14 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! missed a complaint filed by League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada and Leon Kushner. In July 2012, the panel found that QuAIA’s participation in the parade does not violate PT policies or the City of Toronto’s antidiscrimination policy. The McCarthy panel heard arguments May 15 but only on a preliminary issue: could the McCarthy panel reopen the issues decided by Coates? It found that it could not. “The exact same issues are engaged as in the prior QuAIA decision,” the McCarthy panel wrote in its unanimous three-member decision. “As a decision on this matter has already been made, the Panel is bound by it and dismisses this complaint.” For PT executive director Kevin Beaulieu, the decision shows that the DRP will follow judicial conventions on rehearing matters that they have already decided. “It’s important for us that all sides are heard,” Beaulieu says. “It’s also important, in the end, that we have a decision and there was due process.” The arbitrators’ decision does not necessarily put an end to the QuAIA controversy, which has dogged PT since 2010. Future complaints about QuAIA’s participation could still be heard, Beaulieu says. Paul Berner, whose complaint sparked the decision, says he has “lost a lot of respect” for Pride and the complaint It’s important for us that all sides are heard. PT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KEVIN BEAULIEU process. He filed his complaint shortly after the Coates decision was released. “Why did it take them 10 months to convene a panel? Why did they bring me in to make representations if they were bound by the previous decision and didn’t have jurisdiction?” he asks. Although QuAIA’s participation was at the centre of both, Berner’s and the B’nai Brith complaint were not identical. For instance, B’nai Brith named QuAIA as the offending party, whereas Berner complained against PT for allowing the group to march. The crux of Berner’s argument is that QuAIA does not fall within the mission statement of PT, which is to “celebrate the history, courage, diversity and future of Toronto’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer/Questioning, 2 Spirited and Allies communities.” Berner still believes that PT should address how QuAIA fits within its mission statement. He says PT should not “avoid dealing with the matter.” A second complaint launched by Joe Clark was also dismissed after Clark failed to appear at the hearing. Attention will undoubtedly now shift to city hall, where council is set to vote on funding for PT and changes to the anti-discrimination policy. Those amendments are so “convoluted and redundant,” McCaskell says, that it’s hard to see what the point of them is. He is, nonetheless, still worried. “The downside is that they are so vague and so broad that who knows what kind of a truck they’ll want to drive through it.” As for Pride funding, the executive committee passed a motion May 28 that would forbid PT from using City of Toronto cultural funding for the parade. But this does not change anything for PT, since city money has always been used for stages, performers and other elements of the festival, not the parade. That motion will be debated at city hall June 11 or 12. Councillors may try to give the motion teeth by amending it from the floor. And for Beaulieu and McCaskell, that means queer and trans people should be contacting their city councillors to tell them to support Pride. For more on this story, go to xtra.ca. TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS BIG SCREEN Dr. Elon Griffith 416-923-3386 24/7 25 Charles St. W. Toronto ON M4Y 2R4 BAY ST. 78 Wellesley St. E. the BLACK door B.SC, LL.B, TEP BARRISTER, SOLICITOR & NOTARY CERTIFIED SPECIALIST (ESTATES & TRUST LAW) [email protected] BLOOR ST. W. CHARLES ST. W. Our Office ROBERT G.COATES, VALERIE A. CHANG, B.A., J.D. BARRISTER & SOLICITOR R.G. COATES ESTATE LAW P.C. 120 Carlton Street, Suite 307 Toronto, Ontario M5A 4K2 Tel. (416) 925-6490 Fax (416) 925-4492 web: www.rgcoates.com email: [email protected] email: [email protected] E 1981 C Cosmetic & General Dentistry SI N 37 GLORY HOLES DENTAL CARE YONGE ST. PORN TRENDY RUNNYMEDE / BLOOR $649,000. Luxurious Open Concept Bungalow. 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Nearly 300 community members gathered to trade ideas at the WorldPride planning summit at Toronto City Hall June 8, but with the event only a year away, Pride Toronto (PT) remains vague on details about what is being billed as a major international human rights conference and tourism draw. What is clear is that PT seems to have reduced its ambitions for WorldPride since winning the right to host the event from the InterPride association in 2009. Back then, supported by the province, Tourism Toronto and a performance by Deborah Cox, PT won over InterPride delegates with talk of a major two-week event that would cost more than $10 million. Now PT talks about a 10-day festival costing $3 million, with many of the events planned and carried out by community organizations at arm’s length from Pride. “We’ve grown and changed a little bit the very philosophy behind what this event is,” says PT executive director Kevin Beaulieu. “There was this idea that Pride Toronto was going to take care of it all. But I think what the community wants from us is if it’s not so centralized. We do want the entire city involved in producing the event.” There’s no real template for WorldPride. Only three cities have hosted it before: Rome in 2000, Jerusalem in 2006, and London in 2012. London’s WorldPride almost didn’t happen after staff and funding cuts forced planners to drastically cut the scale of the project. PT is hoping that a successful WorldPride in Toronto will set the template for future WorldPride events and also make Toronto one of the top five destinations for global queer travel. What we do know about next year’s events is that PT plans to include a new opening and closing ceremony, an international human rights conference and a gala awards ceremony. The awards ceremony was inaugurated at London Pride last year. PT co-chair Francisco Alvarez says he’d like to see Pride events decentralized across the city or GTA, so that during the 10-day festival there might be an Etobicoke Pride or Scarborough Pride or that other cultural communities may Hundreds came out to hear Pride Toronto’s plan for next year’s WorldPride event. ROB SALERNO be involved to host their own Greektown Pride or Chinatown Pride. He suggested events could be themed around different communities of interest, such as religious groups or sporting clubs, but reiterated that these would have to come from the community, rather than be organized and funded by Pride. Despite not having a fully articulated program, Alvarez says WorldPride ads are already appearing in Pride guides around the world this season, inviting revellers to plan trips to Toronto next year. WorldPride’s marketing campaign amounts to a rainbow-coloured roadmap of Toronto with the tagline “Our pride is everywhere.” There was this idea that Pride Toronto was going to take care of it all. PT DIRECTOR KEVIN BEAULIEU Beyond that, Pride is in discussions with the city’s major cultural institutions to provide queer-themed programming during WorldPride and with consul-generals in Toronto to get them to sponsor international artists coming to perform at the event. Speakers and artists have been invited for the international human rights conference, but no one has yet been publicly confirmed. Beaulieu says he plans to make announcements about WorldPride events after this year’s Pride festivities are over. The assembled participants threw a few suggestions at the Pride staff when the floor was opened to questions, but it seemed many were hoping Pride itself would come forward with funds or volunteers. Instead, Pride representatives said community members are essentially on their own, as Pride will need to do its own recruiting for additional volunteers and donors for the enhanced event. Refugee activist Todd Ross suggested that Pride create a fund to sponsor vulnerable or poor individuals from around the world to come take part in WorldPride. He noted that once they’re here, they might be able to claim refugee status, which would be “a wonderful legacy of WorldPride.” Some participants questioned whether the city would invest in beautifying the Church-Wellesley neighbourhood to make it more attractive to the throngs of tourists expected. Ward 27 Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam noted that work is set to begin on a large mural project in the Village and a $1.5-million renovation of Cawthra Park. Another participant asked if the city has a plan for transporting the additional thousands of guests through the city. A suggestion was made for discounted or extended TTC passes for WorldPride, similar to the “Pope Passes” offered to World Youth Day guests in 2000. Wong-Tam later said she’d pass on the suggestion to the TTC. Wong-Tam has previously expressed frustration that the city is investing huge resources into the 2015 Pan Am Games but not into WorldPride. She says she’d like to see the city get more involved, if only because of the opportunity it presents to be a dry run for other major events. TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS Absolutely One Of The Premier Loft/Condos In The Beach/Leslieville Area. Step Out Into The Fab Boutiques, Cafes, Restaurants & Chic Queen East Shops. 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JUNE 13–26, 2013 17 Read my hands COMMUNITY NEWS ELAH FEDER When Michelle Bourgeois came out to her parents, they suggested she get therapy. After some discussion, they agreed to go as a family, but it didn’t have the intended effect. “I didn’t understand anything that was happening in counselling because there was no interpreter,” Bourgeois says, “so I just sat there and said to myself, Let my family get the counselling, because they were the ones that needed it, not me.” Still, being left out of a family conversation about one’s own sexuality might strike many as tragic, comic or both, but to Bourgeois and other deaf folks, this kind of exclusion is not a wholly unfamiliar experience. Though she now communicates most freely in American Sign Language (ASL), Bourgeois had little exposure to signing of any kind growing up in Montreal and Mississauga. Instead, she was raised to speak English, reading lips and relying on her residual hearing. “It’s a hearing world,” her parents liked to remind her, and she had to try to fit in. Ellen Hibbard’s childhood in the US paralleled Bourgeois’s in many ways. Her schools emphasized oral communication and signed English, a type of “English on the hands” that is distinct from and less intuitive than ASL. It was only when adults weren’t looking that the kids could use more natural forms of signed communication. At the same time, kids would pick on her, calling her “deaf and dumb.” “I had already understood that there was something wrong with what I was 18 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! doing,” Hibbard recalls feeling. Early on, she internalized the message that being deaf was less-than. Today, as active members of the deaf queer community and board members for the Ontario Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf (ORAD), Bourgeois and Hibbard reject the idea that they are in some way lacking. They also don’t consider being deaf a disability — though Bourgeois identifies as disabled in other respects. Like many deaf people, they belong to a cultural group (they capitalize “Deaf” to signify this, as in “Jewish” or “Italian”) and attribute the daily frustrations they experience to the preferential accommodation of the hearing majority. All public phones are guaranteed to carry sound, for example, not text or video. Widespread lack of accessibility is deeply isolating, especially for queer and trans youth who are sometimes the only deaf students at their schools. Of course, the internet and smartphones are helping kids get information and find each other, but even now many are fairly disconnected. Bourgeois, who teaches deaf and hard-of-hearing students, says the younger kids are often awed to discover there’s a community of deaf adults who socialize together and use visual language to communicate. It took years before Bourgeois and Hibbard themselves found the deaf queer community. Bourgeois joined ORAD shortly after its inception in 2001. At first ORAD was primarily a social group, with monthly meetings held in a Church Street café. Today the organization has a slew of initiatives underway, including video blogging nights and a collaboration with Springtide Resources to prevent violence against deaf queer women. Building a deaf-hearing alliance in Toronto Hearing people don’t need lights to communicate, and they find that a bit of a mood-kill. ELLEN HIBBARD Michelle Bourgeois and Ellen Hibbard are both members of the Ontario Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf. ELAH FEDER Part of ORAD’s mission is to strengthen the alliance between the hearing and deaf queer communities, and since 2011 it’s offered queer ASL classes at the 519 Church Street Community Centre. “Hearing queer folks need a safe space and a curriculum that reflects everyday life in the queer and trans community, something they can’t access in mainstream ASL classes, where terminology used is generally not inclusive,” Bourgeois explains. ORAD has also encouraged bars to be more accessible, even if that just means having pens and paper available. Brighter lighting would help, too, but that’s less likely to happen. “Hearing people don’t need lights to communicate, and they find that a bit of a moodkill,” Hibbard acknowledges, but for her, it has just the opposite effect. “We’ve been at Crews & Tangos when the lights go on and all the hearing people are running out,” Bourgeois says, “but the deaf folks stay behind and chat away. We end up being the last to leave. 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Everyone who completes the survey by June 30, 2013 may enter INTOADRAWINGTOWINONEOFlVE US $100 cash prizes, or designate a non-profit charity to receive the prize. CMI Community Marketing & Insights Community Marketing, Inc. Community Marketing, Inc. is an NGLCC Certified LGBT-Owned Business Enterprise. Founded in 1992. LGBT Community Survey is a trademark of Community Marketing, Inc. 584 Castro St. #834 San Francisco CA 94114 USA In the early 1990s I had an agent in LA whose name, when mentioned, always elicited the same reaction: every person who knew him would say, “Isn’t he handsome?” Despite the fact he was also a smart, cultured man and a very ambitious agent, people commented on his perfect all-American face and hair — as well as his Olympian proportions. An actress friend who performed in one of my plays in England is one of the most stunning beings I’ve ever set eyes on; she has honey-blonde hair, slightly vulpine features, a sparkling smile, dark-green eyes and a killer body. Over drinks one night I asked her about the best and worst things about being so beautiful. She said, “Everyone wants to fuck you,” making it clear that her statement covered both questions. I have another friend who is a particularly cantankerous type when dealing with inept sales and service staff. During a particularly drawn-out saga concerning the construction of a custom cabinet for his home — the kind of experience that is filled with mistakes, misunderstandings and endless waiting periods — I overheard one of his phone calls with the cabinetmaker. When he ended the call I expressed my shock at his uncharacteristically reasonable tone. He looked slightly abashed and said, “You wouldn’t believe how fucking hot this guy is.” Some suggest gay society is more obsessed with physical beauty than straight society, but I suspect, proportionately, it’s not much different. True beauty — the kind that blinds people to your other attributes, the kind that makes anyone you meet want to partake of sexual congress, the kind that cuts you a lot of slack and even compels people to give you things — is widely varied in appearance and relatively rare. Of course, there are highly attractive people made so as much by their personality and spirit as what they look like, but I’m talking about pure physical beauty here. The kind that creates movie stars and fashion models, the physical form that demands nothing more of itself than itself in order to be adored. Not all people of great beauty become famous, because we each know a In the end, beauty is just one advantage that, on its own, might not be enough to achieve everything one desires in life. THINKSTOCK few of them carrying on with their everyday lives. But we also know, because we see evidence of it at every turn, that their beauty gives them an automatic advantage in most situations. Almost everyone, in some way or another, demurs to greater beauty even as we sometimes resent it. The advantage of beauty is that our eyes and brains like to linger on things they find pleasant to behold. With beautiful people there is no need to examine details in relation to one another; no need to discover the unique, to reconcile the odd, to redefine the unexpected and then evaluate them all in order to discover an interesting person. These are very different processes: the first akin to viewing a painting, the second akin to creating one. Both engage us but in different ways and for different reasons. Anyone who works in a business that celebrates/exploits beautiful people learns very quickly that, for the most part, they’re just like anyone else. Very few of them play into the reductive stereotypes the media feeds us so we can feel better about ourselves. They have triumphs, make mistakes, fall down, get dumped and wallow in despair just like the rest of us. In the end beauty, like being really smart, having an affinity for numbers or being particularly gifted in recognizing and dealing with the needs of others, is just one advantage that, on its own, might not be enough to achieve everything one desires in life. Beauty exacts a price. Assumptions about intelligence and self-obsession may be made. There are some who will jealously hate beautiful people for the way they look. As many beautiful members of both sexes will attest, constant sexual advances can become tedious or dangerous. Many beautiful women have been defiled by men who wanted to possess them. Many of the hottest men of the 1970s and ’80s were the first victims of the AIDS crisis. Not everyone wants to admire beauty. There are many who wish to destroy it, most especially time. Time is beauty’s greatest enemy and is always victorious. So if you’re one of those young men or women out there feeling inadequate because you’re not as beautiful as the people everyone seems most interested in, take heart in the fact that, 20 years from now, when you’re comfortable in your body and with who you are, no one walking by you on the street will mutter sadly to their friend as they pass “He/she used to be so beautiful.” Brad Fraser is a Canadian playwright. Fraser’s Edge appears in every second issue of Xtra. TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS ¥ Piecing together the story of three missing men from Toronto’s gay village Make One Small Monthly Payment For All Your ¸ ST. JAMESTOWN STEAK & CHOPS MORE AT XTRA.CA WE CAN Stop Collection Calls Reduce your Debts Stop Wage Garnishment Stop Interest Right Away Re-Establish your Credit 518 PARLIAMENT STREET 416.925.7665 Visit: GtaCredit.Com ¸ Toronto news on xtra.ca. Debts! credit Filling Men with Meat Since 1971 North York Scarborough Ajax / Oshawa (416) 650-1100 (416) 754-0011 (905) 426-8400 Mississauga Brampton Downtown (905) 275-4200 (905) 796-3100 (416) 489-2000 Contact us for a FREE & CONFIDENTIAL meeting with one of our Govt. Registered Counsellor XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 21 The curious case of Dr Barry An enigmatic, androgynous 19th-century medical visionary HISTORY BOYS MICHAEL LYONS There are many wonderful things about 19th-century English doctor James Barry. He had a number of pet dogs throughout his life, each named Psyche. He was a vegetarian long before the diet became popular. He always took a goat on long voyages for fresh milk. He had a life-long enmity with Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. He was an internationally acclaimed military doctor. But his achievements are often overshadowed by the fact that he was born, in about 1789, Margaret Ann Bulkley. The Bulkleys were a formerly prosperous Irish family who had lost their wealth; Margaret Ann’s father ended up in prison, leaving his wife and child destitute. Her mother pleaded for help from her brother, painter James Barry, who did little more than refer them to influential friends, including Edward Fryer, a physician; David Steuart Erskine, the 11th Earl of Buchan; and General Francisco de Miranda, a Venezuelan revolutionary. Sometime around the end of November 1809, 19-year-old Margaret Ann became James Stuart Miranda Barry, a name that referenced his uncle and two patrons. Barry was admitted to the University of Edinburgh’s prestigious medical school and completed his thesis on “hernia in the groin” before apprenticing in London in 1813. Shortly thereafter, he enlisted in the British Army’s medical service branch, somehow evading a routine physical examination, and was stationed in England before being posted as assistantsurgeon to the garrison in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1816. A practitioner of preventative medicine before it was widely adopted and a fierce advocate for patient-care reform, Barry’s progressive care extended to soldiers and their families, mental asylum patients, lepers and prisoners. While in charge of prison inspection in South Africa he infuriated white wardens by asking black prisoners directly about their conditions and treatment. Barry also had a great interest in 22 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! ILLUSTRATION BY ERIC WILLIAMS Dr James Barry’s achievements are often overshadowed by the fact that he was born Margaret Ann Bulkley. obstetrics (the field of medicine concerned with childbirth) and gynecology. In 1826 he performed the first Caesarean section in Africa, possibly the first in the English-speaking world, where both the mother and child survived. The grateful parents named their child after him. Despite being something of a lady’s man, tongues wagged about Barry’s bachelorhood. It’s possible that he had a physical relationship with Governor Lord Charles Somerset. In 1824 someone hung a sign on a Cape Town bridge stating, “Lord Charles [had been caught] buggering Dr Barry.” Barry was also often in the presence of a black man who was recorded officially as his “servant,” although the true nature of their relationship is hidden from history. Barry was posted to various positions in Africa, Europe and the Caribbean throughout his career before his health began to fail sometime around 1850. He was stationed in Montreal as inspector general of hospitals in 1857, though he returned to England and was forcibly retired in 1859 because of his health. He settled into his home in London and died of “dysentery” (probably typhoid) on July 25, 1865, in his mid-70s. After Barry’s death, Major DR McKinnon, the military clinician who issued his death certificate, was contacted by the general registrar’s office to substantiate claims that Barry had been female. McKinnon relayed a story of how housekeeper Sophia Bishop had attended to Barry’s body, then come to McKinnon claiming Barry was “a perfect female.” McKinnon probably hadn’t examined Barry, since an infectious epidemic was almost certainly the cause of death. McKinnon “informed her that it was none of my business whether Dr Barry was a male or female, and that I thought that he might be neither.” McKinnon was of the opinion his late colleague was a hermaphrodite. “Hermaphroditism” is an obsolete term we’ve come to understand as “intersex,” someone whose genitals, gonads or hormones are ambiguous and outside the male/female dichotomy. Some historians claim Barry was a woman who took the guise of a man for a career in medicine, although the fact that he was raised female doesn’t mean he was, as sexual characteristics may not have manifested until puberty. Another possibility remains: he may have been a transgender person long before the term existed. Fortunately, no one felt the need to exhume his body, preserving his status in history as an enigmatic, eccentric, androgynous medical visionary. TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS MORE AT XTRA.CA XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 23 Design: Jonathan Kitchen, jakcreative.com Photo by: Drasko Bogdanovic, draskobogdanovic.ca 24 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS Out in the City People were screaming out the lines in the film. There was definitely a Rocky Horror thing going on. Adamo Ruggiero E32 PENETRATING PUPPETS Faces of Furry Creek This summer, OUTtv is premiering The Face of Furry Creek, created by Canadian comedy writer/actor Mark Kenneth Woods. Desperate for some tourism, the mountain town of Furry Creek holds a competition to find “the face” of its ad campaign. Five outrageous candidates emerge, and comedy ensues. With a small cast of only four actors — Woods, Michael Venus, Amy Goodmurphy and Ryan Steele — the characters are served up with a twist of Kids in the Hall–style genderbending. “As the saying goes, ‘Write what you know.’ So I make up characters that are homely, vodka-coffee drinking, illiterate, $15 prostitutes — naturally,” Woods says. And what better way to explore these shining examples of humanity than a reality-TV send-up? “The series spoofs elements of everything from Real Housewives to Dance Moms. I’m fascinated by how eccentric or even ordinary people become celebrities for a split second. Usually for being awful.” The Face of Furry Creek, though totally scripted, takes reality television one step further by involving the viewer through various social media platforms. Dreaming of dancers Shaping Sound made its debut last year on Oxygen’s hit docu-series All the Right Moves, which followed the contemporary dance company’s formation by founding members (and Emmy nominees) Travis Wall, Nick Lazzarini, Teddy Forance and Kyle Robinson. Now they’re taking the dance show on the road in their first North American tour. Having grown as dancers and choreographers while working on Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance and in Cirque du Soleil, Shaping Sound’s founders understood the important role that workshops play in developing a performance. “We wanted young dancers to experience what we experience and to be part of the show in some way,” Wall says. The result is a musically driven, MORE AT XTRA.CA Furry Creek’s Michael Venus and Mark Kenneth Woods. “In the TV show, the contestants are tasked to make digital media each week. So you see them work on a video or blog or photo series, but you have to go to the website to actually see what they made.” The dancers of Shaping Sound in action. If you’re looking for a new show this summer, check out The Face of Furry Creek and its online content. It’s kind of like Game of Thrones, except totally, completely different. —Nick Green 90-minute narrative about a love story between two people told through their dreams. Classical pieces are played alongside modern works of electronic, hip hop and rock, including Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and Our Lady J’s haunting electronic rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” Fusing contemporary, jazz and classical dance forms with hip-hop moves and even a bit of air guitar, the large cast is not only fiercely talented, but extremely sexy. “Our dance company is very attractive,” Wall says. “But it’s not just about being beautiful. Your eyes are drawn to them, not only because they’re beautiful, but because they command attention, attracting you to what they do.” —Eduardo Sabate Shaping Sound performs Sat, June 15, 7pm, at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, 260 King St W. $39–89. shapingsoundco.com The signs were always there, for those of us who bothered to look: two young men sharing a bedroom (and sometimes a bath!); a blue, bear-type binge eater (cookies!); and of course that tall dude walking around in a full-body yellow feather boa. Yes, Sesame Street was a veritable hotbed for homosexuality, even if they never actually got around to showing any puppet-to-puppet penetration. Sadly, we may never see an episode brought to us by the letter “A, for anal,” but the folks at the Lower Ossington Theatre are mounting a new production of Avenue Q, the Muppet-esque Broadway musical devoted to puppets, sex and pornography. “It’s such a hilarious show, and it’s always a hit with audiences,” says Graham Scott Fleming, who will be commandeering the puppets of Rod and Princeton. The Elmvale, Ontario, native says that snagging the role of Rod was particularly timely at this point in both his life and his career. “I really identify with him Graham Scott Fleming because I’m recently out in the gay community, so it’s a really expressive moment for me when Rod comes out. I could relate in that I was also trying to hide from everything.” Relocating to Toronto helped the actor come to terms with his identity, as did finding support from his colleagues and peers. “I’ve been able to find myself here in Toronto, which is very exhilarating for me. It’s nice to be able to just be who I am, and to have these friends in the theatre community who were there for me. I’m incredibly lucky.” — Serafin LaRiviere Avenue Q runs Thurs, June 20–Sat, Aug 3, and then Tues, Aug 20–Sun, Sept 29 at the Lower Ossington Theatre, 100 Ossington Ave. $49– 60. lowerossingtontheatre.com XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 25 PHOTO BY JOSE A GUZMAN COLON 26 JUNE 13–26 XTRA! TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS OF NATURE Jinkx Monsoon is one storm front you’ll want to face full-on COVER STORY DARRYL MABEY Drag Race queens are taking over Toronto Pride this year. With appearances by Jiggly Caliente, Willam, Alyssa Edwards and Shangela, drag fans have a lot of shows to choose from. But one queen reigns supreme, and that’s Season 5 winner Jinkx Monsoon. She sings live, she’s a whole other kind of fierce, and she’s performing two numbers at The 519’s Starry Night. Xtra spoke with the newly crowned diva about her win, her personal struggles and interpretive dancing with newborn children. XTRA: Congratulations on your win on RuPaul’s Drag Race! How did you celebrate? JINKX MONSOON: It’s surreal. Last night was exactly one week since we found out who won, and we had a celebration party at my hometown bar here in Seattle. And it was packed wall-towall with people. And that was the first moment I truly felt like I was celebrating my win. I took until I was able to come home and celebrate with my friends and my family and my loved ones to really let it sink in. Now I’m just ready to take on the world, you know? Going into the competition, what were your goals? What did you want to achieve (other than the crown)? I went on to the show trying to be very calm and focused. If I spent every day thinking about the crown and the end result, I would’ve driven myself crazy. So I set attainable goals along the way. If I could just focus on one little thing at a time I could climb the ladder rather than try to jump it. My first goal was to make it to Snatch Game. And I wanted to portray Little Edie [from the film Grey Gardens] on Snatch Game. That was my whole mission for even getting on the show. I also knew I wanted to make it a singing challenge, because when I perform I only sing live. That’s how I do my shows. So I really wanted to share that with America, my love of music. Once I made it past those two challenges, then I was just like, “Well shit, I gotta set new goals.” With every challenge I made it my personal goal to do my very, very best and we saw — not to toot my own horn or anything — that I was in the top three for eight weeks in a row, which is a record on Drag Race. That is a huge accomplishment. Which challenge was the most difficult for you? The Sugar Ball. I knew that was going to be my most difficult challenge, because with drag, everyMORE AT XTRA.CA thing is a skill you can acquire and everyone’s good at different things. So though I’m very confident in my skills as a performer — like a singer, a dancer, an actor, a comedian — I became more confident with my makeup skills and styling. But styling — creating looks has never been my main focus in drag. So the Sugar Bowl challenge really tested that, and it was quite the struggle for me because I have such a unique, to myself, kind of style, and to try to make that accessible for everyone was very difficult. And then to create my own look was probably... I got away with it in the dumpster couture challenge. I just got all my favourite colours and braided them together and that seemed to work, but I couldn’t use that trick twice. Back to the Snatch Game. Were you surprised that none of your competitors knew who Little Edie was? Um... well... they didn’t really show this, but it was only half the room that didn’t know who she was. Oh, okay, so a little bit of editing there ... get any of the girls from Season 5 together, it’s instantly a party. Oh, I can imagine! But the two girls I have remained the closest with are Ivy and Alaska. And I just have so much fun with them; I can really relate to them. We text each other all the time. Alaska and I do duets together now, and we have so much fun whenever we perform together. And also, Honey Mahogany I get to see. I’ve been going to San Francisco a lot lately, so we actually were each other’s lesbian dates to this year’s GLAAD Awards in San Francisco. YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO GO FOR YOUR DREAMS AT LEAST ONCE. You’re coming to Toronto on June 27 for the annual Starry Night event, which is a beautiful party. Are you excited to come here? Have you ever been to Toronto? I’ve never been to Toronto, and I’ve never left America before. I had to get a passport just for this trip. And I’m so excited because it’s going to be my first time ever leaving the States, and I hear such wonderful things about Canada. It’s an outdoor event and it’s going to be an extravaganza. Yeah. Alaska, Ivy and Detox — they were all familLove it, I’m so excited. Outdoors though? I’m iar with Little Edie. And actually, Alaska said the going to have to dip myself in SPF 110. funniest thing to me. I said to her, “Alaska, how You’re prepared for us, so how can Toronto come you and me are the only people who know prepare for Monsoon season? who Edie is?” and she goes, “Cause we’re draaaaag I am entering the country doing what I love the queeeeeens.” Which was a total read for the rest most, which is live cabaret-style performances. of the girls in the room, but I was surprised and I range from doing standards to doing very, not surprised at the same time, because it’s all very obscure pieces. I have an act relative. There’s plenty of people in which I perform a séance and I’m not familiar with. I didn’t know STARRY NIGHT conjure famous women, and that’s who Tamar Braxton was. And now Thurs, June 27, 7pm my impersonation act. I have an Green Space on Church I do, and I think Roxxxy did a phe519 Church St act where I give birth to a baby and nomenal job being Tamar Braxton. 519.org then I juggle it and do interpretative Now that the show is done and dances with that baby. the dust has settled, who has Go into my show with an open mind and know become your best squirrel friend? that it is a unique experience to Jinkx Monsoon. First of all, I have a wonderful relationship with I treat every show with the utmost care and imporeveryone from the show, even the people I bicktance. I refuse to get tipsy before a performance. ered with while filming. We never ended a day I’ll have a glass of champagne before I perform with a fight still going. We always made sure to and that’s about it, because what I am there to do settle our differences and put it aside and chock is put on a show, and I take it very seriously. If you it up to the competition. Even Roxxxy and I are ask my assistant, the whole day is spent planning really close now, you know — we got each other’s out numbers and making sure they are all going back; we love performing together. Any time you to be perfect. So just be ready to be entertained. I spoke to Sharon Needles in January, and we were talking about bucket lists and the things that she had tackled from her list during her year as the reigning queen. So I have to ask, one year from now, what do you want to have achieved from your bucket list? I want to do an album. I am trying to put together an album that’s more musical standards, show tunes and torch songs. A much more lyrical album than what we’re used to from drag queens, because normally drag queens do a lot of dance and disco tracks. I do have a rap song that I’m creating, but my album overall is going to be mostly lyrical stuff. I also have some theatre roles that involve me doing drag on big theatre stages coming up, like Hairspray, The Vaudevillians — which is the show I created with my music partner — so I want to do as much of that as possible. But this year I would love, love, love to get the chance to play Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd up on a big stage. That’s my absolute alltime dream role. And then my lifelong goal is... I used to say that I just wanted to be the first flamboyant homosexual man to host SNL, but I realize now, more specifically, I want to be the first drag queen to host SNL. Yes! Let’s get the campaign started! There is one on Facebook, apparently, but I’m trying to go through the proper channels. Any support from the community to show SNL that they would watch a drag queen host the show would be great, because I think that as a comedian and as an actor that’s when you know you’ve made it. I would love to just rocket to that point. Do you have any words of wisdom or encouragement for our readers? I said it a bit on the show, but I was representing the weird, awkward kid. And I think plenty of drag queens grew up the social outcast. I don’t think it’s too overly unique to my experience being kind of a goofy outcast, as a kid. But I think it’s a testament to the fact that if you have a dream, don’t let anyone tell you not to go for it. And even if you try at it and you fail... fail fabulously. Give it your all. Go big or go home, because you owe it to yourself to go for your dreams at least once. And if you try it and it doesn’t work out, or you find out it wasn’t what you thought, at least you gave it a shot. Life’s too short to spend time wondering what life would’ve been like if you had gone for your dream. XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 27 Body Party 4 3 1 Affordable face, hair and skin care just in time for Pride STORY BY DIEGO ARMAND PHOTOS BY MAY TRUONG It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Pride! By this time, you’re confirming your social calendar, shopping for scandalous outfits, and possibly adding an extra day at the gym. But there’s no point looking buff and stylish when you haven’t taken care of the body basics. But rest easy: brands like Dove (along with Axe and Clear) are creating lines specifically for men. Here are some of our favourite man-friendly products: they’re low-maintenance, easy to use and will leave you smelling sexy and fresh. the shower, and rinse. It’s available in a Scalp Comfort version, which relieves itchiness, and Clean & Refresh, which cleanses gently and leaves you feeling tingly fresh. If you have no time to waste in the shower, check out Axe 3-in-1 6 A shampoo, conditioner and shower gel, it will leave you more time to perfect your coif, accessorize your outfit and maybe even fit in a quick cocktail before heading out the door. The days of using a green bar of soap are over! These Dove Men+Care shower gels 1 do double-duty as body and face washes. They’re quick and easy to rinse off and, because they’re gels, won’t dry you out — because the summer sun can be a mean girl. The scents — Aqua Impact (with ocean minerals), Fresh Awake, for a pick-me-up after a late night, and Odour Guard, for boys who like to play dirty — are long-lasting, manly and fresh. Let’s take it from the top (of your head). Hairstyles can change like your moods, so prep yourself accordingly. Gel isn’t dead! Perfect for both a messy or slicked-back look, this product is alcohol-free (so it won’t dry out your hair) and has a jolt of caffeine for added protection and a smooth finish. Dove Men+Care Fortifying Spray Gel 8 If you’re worried about being heavy-handed, this is a good way to ensure ideal distribution. Works best for the “wet” look. Axe Clean-Cut Look Wet Shine Gel 9 The Axe alternative will also give you a wet and wild coif without looking overdone. Axe Apollo 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner 2 is all about having clean Dove Men+Care Fortifying Styling Paste 10 For the “I don’t do my and touchably soft hair, and its scent will bring the boys (or girls) to the yard. hair” guy. Great for adding texture and a matte finish. It smells sexy, and the price is very right. Axe Messy Look Paste 11 Another product that will give your ’do a matte and messy finish. Axe Pomade , in Clean Cut and Smooth & Sophisticated 12 These pomades provide a firmer hold than gel. Use the Clean Cut for a wet look and the Smooth & Sophisticated for something more polished. The pomade shows some sparkle in the jar (cute!), but don’t worry — it applies clear on your head. Dove Men+Care 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner 3 comes in menthol- scented Fresh Clean, which will give you a deep-cleaned, refreshed head for those intense days in the beer gardens. Delicate boys will want to try Sensitive Scalp, 4 for a gentle cleanse — its caffeine and tea-tree-extract formula leaves hair calm and collected. Dandruff is never a good look, and those who suffer can kiss wearing dark colours goodbye. But Clear Men Scalp Therapy 5 will control dandruff symptoms at the source. Formulated with ginseng, tea tree and natural mint, Clear Men will feed your scalp the moisture it needs to give you a healthylooking head. Just massage it into your wet hair, leave it in for a quick song in 28 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! FACE! FACE! FACE! Lots of gay boys learn about skin care by mirroring their mothers’ regimes, but Dove Men+Care has its own threestep process for men. Cleanse with Dove Men+ Care Face Wash 14 , available in Hy- STEP 1 » ’DO IT RIGHT Dove Men+Care Styling Gel 7 SHOWER POWER for easy storage in your man cabinet. The key to using hair products is less-is-more. When used sparingly, they won’t weigh down your hair or make you look like you came from The Shore. Axe Spiked-Up Look Putty & Extreme Hold Spray 13 Keep out the crunch and make your spikes soft and touchable. For a firm hold, use the spray on drier hair. Also, the Axe paste and putty containers are stackable, which makes drate or Sensitive versions. And for those of you who are still using a bar of soap to wash your face, stop now! Use a proper face wash that won’t leave you looking dried out. 2 STEP 2 » Shave with Dove Men+Care Shave Gel 15 . This shaving gel — also available in Hydrate and Sensitive — foams quickly and protects your skin from the discomfort of razor burn. Don’t feel that you have to limit it to your face — especially during Pride! Dove Men+Care Post Shave Balm 16 provides instant relief after shaving. It’s alcohol-free and non-greasy and will leave your skin smooth and soft. 14 STEP 3 » Moisturize. Seal the deal with Dove Men+Care Face Lotion 17 . This non-greasy moisturizer has added sun protection (SPF 15), a must-have for our moody weather. DON'T SWEAT IT Dove Men+Care anti-perspirants 18 give you powerful 24-hour protection against odour and wetness — and during Pride, you’ll need it! And Dove moisture technology makes them easy on your skin. Available in Clean Comfort, Extra Fresh, Aqua Impact and Cool Silver — music to our ears when looking for an anti-perspirant or deodorant. All products available at Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaws stores across Canada. Dove Men+Care, Clear Men and Axe are registered trademarks owned by Unilever Canada. TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS 12 5 7 8 13 10 11 9 6 15 18 16 MORE AT XTRA.CA 17 XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 29 Unilever celebrates the diversity of people, believes in inclusion and respects people for who they are and what they bring. Our PRIDE diversity network seeks to create an open workplace environment for the LGBT community and helps develop its members by providing both business and social interaction to further personal growth. Unilever Canada supports the Canadian LGBT community through PRIDE @ Work, Out on Bay Street, PRIDE week and Toronto AIDS Walk. DOVE MEN+CARE is a registered mark owned by Unilever Canada. 30 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS Gaystone roundup Highlights from the Gladstone Hotel’s Pride festivities HAPPENINGS JEREMY WILLARD That’s So Gay 2013: Say It to My Face Elisha Lim, curator of the fourth annual That’s So Gay art exhibit, chose the theme Say It to My Face because it reflects some of the difficult issues this year’s contributors address in their work. Most of the art is about struggles with such issues as racism, genocide and transphobia. Of the 15 artists featured this year, Mohawk artists Kiley May Longboat and Ange Loft are perhaps the most striking, because their use of the macabre helps hammer home their messages. Longboat, who is trans and genderqueer and prefers the pronoun they, has long wanted to be a supermodel but worried it was an impossible goal because of prejudice. To live out this dream — and also make a point about discrimination — Longboat will appear periodically at the Gladstone in a performance art piece as a supermodel. Over the course of the exhibit, their supermodel persona will appear more ragged and dishevelled to show “the effects of prejudice and being in the public eye,” Lim says, noting that Longboat will eventually stage a fake death. Meanwhile, Loft reflects on her Catholic upbringing on a reserve through her art piece, which is a figure of an armoured, beadwork-covered nun. “In order to make money, a lot of the women around the reserve made souvenirs for the Catholic pilgrims, and a lot of those women lost their eyesight from working with tiny beads,” Lim says. That’s So Gay 2013: Say It to My Face opening reception is Thurs, June 27, 7–10pm. The exhibit runs Wed, June 12–Sun, July 28 in the third- and fourthfloor galleries. MORE AT XTRA.CA Unapologetic Burlesque Unapologetic Burlesque organizers Shaunga Tagore and Kumari Giles have worked hard to create a burlesque performance opportunity for queer people and people of colour who feel invisible or uncomfortable performing in mainstream burlesque. Their two-night showcase will include more than 20 acts, including performances by Chase Lo, Kryptonite Kunt, Prince Deep, Scorpio Rising (Tagore) and Vena Kava (Giles). Tagore and Giles say that one way they put performers at ease is by creating mechanisms that allow people to perform on their own terms. For instance, performers can let the audience know what sort of response they’d like: clapping, whistling or even hugs, which “fosters communication, respect and enjoyment between audience and performers.” This is particularly important at Pride, they say, where for some the celebration is overshadowed by struggles with transphobia, ableism, misogyny and other issues. “Many performers speak about how there are few performance spaces they can access like this one.” Unapologetic Burlesque: Lost and Found: Uncovering the Spirit of Pride is Tues, June 18 and Wed, June 19, 7–11pm. Shady Tea Drag queens melt in the sun, which is why Kaleb Robertson decided to hold his Pride tea dance indoors. He wanted Fay Slift and Miss Fluffy Soufflé to perform — and they need air conditioning and shade. While they’re there, they might as well host, Robertson says, and if they’re going to host you’ve got to call the event Shady Tea since, as he puts it, “drag queens instantly make any event shadier.” Robertson says he’s wanted to host a tea dance for years. “I’ve been to several in Provincetown and had a blast, and every year Buddies hosts Lady Oiye’s Tea Dance. I’m eager to bring one out to the west end.” DJs Phil V and Vee Stun will provide the early-evening party’s music. “It’ll allow people to gather together in celebration, have some drinks and a great time but [since it ends at 8pm] still be able to work Monday morning. And it’s all-ages, and families are welcome,” Robertson says. Shady Tea is Sun, June 23, 4–8pm. Steers & Queers When Pride rolls around, the wildly popular Steers & Queers event takes on an additional theme: Dolly Parton. For six years, DJ Sigourney Beaver has combined queers and country and western; her Dolly-themed event has become so popular that last year at least 400 attendees arrived in Dolly drag. Revellers don’t just Dolly it up: Night of a Thousand Dollys is also kind of like a church service, a revival that conjures the spirit of Dolly. Comedian Lex Vaughn becomes Reverend Hightower. “She does this character of a reformed Southern homosexual preacher who has come to save the gays, and she leads the church in its worship of Dolly,” Beaver says, noting that those who dress up are intoxicated by Dolly’s PRIDE AT THE GAYSTONE divine presence. Gladstone Hotel “If you dress up you’re 1214 Queen St W gladstonehotel.com more likely to drink and have fun. There’s a certain level of commitment that comes with dressing up,” says Beaver, who will DJ alongside Joe Blow. The event will also feature performances by ManChyna and The Pining, as well as an epic look-alike contest. From top: Steers & Queers DJs Sigourney Beaver and Joe Blow; Shady Tea's Fay Slift, Fluffy Soufflé and DJ Phil V; and the Unapologetic Burlesque crew. Steers & Queers: Night of a Thousand Dollys is Thurs, June 27, 10pm–2am. XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 31 Brandon The Hypnotist presents A slightly naughty comedy hypnosis show! Seating is limited; buy your tickets today! Sunday, June 16 facebook.com/BrandonHypnosis twitter.com/BrandonHypnosis BrandonTheHypnotist.com 32 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! 7pm show 18+ only Flying Beaver Pubaret 488 Parliament St @ Carlton $10 advance, $15 door Tickets & info: www.pubaret.com Dinner reservations get priority seating; [email protected] or 647-347-6567 Sex and the silly Buddies ups the drama for Queer Pride ONSTAGE MATTHEW HAYS Seeing as queer people have a reputation for generating lots of drama, it’s fitting that Buddies in Bad Times is rolling out a range of stage shows for Queer Pride 2013. From standup to cabaret to hip hop, the shows will run the gamut, aiming to titillate, entertain and provoke. Among the highlights is Dirty Plötz, a saucy feminist cabaret hosted by sex columnist and performance artist extraordinaire Alex Tigchelaar, a regular Xtra contributor. Tigchelaar says a big part of the inspiration for this particular cabaret was to celebrate female creativity and confront what she says is a double standard. “When men are crazy, like Hunter S Thompson, people love that. But when a woman’s crazy, it’s somehow debilitating. It’s easy to discredit women when they step out of line. We wanted to celebrate women who step out of line.” Tigchelaar reprises the role of Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven, “a character I’ve been obsessed with, a Dadaist.” Dirty Plötz is a wacky parody of women’s roles in culture, a meditation on the way in which women are often invited in for the sake of making institutions look diverse but then promptly sidelined. “There’s this idea that the city is a place of diversity, but oftentimes gentrification means women and people of colour are pushed out. There’s too much diversity that’s simply window dressing. It looks okay, but it’s not running very deep.” Tigchelaar says Dirty Plötz is about shattering those assumptions and those roles for women. “This is a totally fun show about challenging that and about what it means to be an outsider. Women are often expected to be mute collaborators. Why should we remain in that role? They want us to shut our holes. I can’t shut my hole, I’m afraid. That pussy’s been out of the bag for some time now.” Another show in the Buddies lineup will have special appeal to fans of the Madgester. Salvatore Antonio, Gavin Above: Salvatore Antonio in Truth/Dare: A Satire (With Dance) Left: Alex Tigchelaar in Dirty Plötz jected in the background. All this peppered with dance breaks as they appear in the original movie. Ruggiero says it’s precisely because Madonna’s Truth or Dare is such an unblinking portrait that it is so much fun to riff on. “There are moments when she looks like a terrible human, really self-absorbed and not very concerned about the people around her. Crawford, Keith Cole, Sharron Mat- When she’s told that her makeup artist thews and Degrassi alumnus Adamo has been raped, she laughs. But in this Ruggiero will all appear in Truth/Dare: era, when stars want to give out such A Satire (With Dance), a show inspired polished images of themselves, I think by the 1991 feature-length documen- it’s really interesting that she allowed tary that followed Madonna while on these images to get out there. I mean, tour, now a cult gay fave. she was an executive producer on the Ruggiero says he’s loved the film since film — she could have cut out those he lived in “a closeted bubble. I used to images if she’d really wanted to.” watch it with a friend who had it on tape. Ruggiero adds that he was “really I must have seen it about 10 or even 15 shocked” at how much the audience got times by the time we started developing into it when they premiered Truth/Dare this show.” And now he’s in December at Videofag. seen it more times than “People were screaming QUEER PRIDE 2013 he can count. “I had to out the lines in the film. Buddies in Bad Times transcribe every word of There was definitely 12 Alexander St Runs until Sun, June 30 dialogue,” he says. “Now a Rocky Horror thing gobuddiesinbadtimes.com I can’t count the number ing on. People were wearof times I’ve seen it, any ing their stonewashed more than the glasses of whisky con- jeans, putting on their best ’90s gear. sumed while watching it.” It was like an episode of 90210. Truth/Dare features certain key “The audience enthusiasm is really scenes inspired by the original film, a crucial part of the fun. They become with stills from the documentary pro- like another character in the show.” TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS QUEERPRIDEJUNE7-302013 COMEDY CABARET CLUB Chris Tsujiuchi presents A VERY CHRIS-TERICAL 90’S CABARET 2013 JUNE 7 – JUNE 9 8pm | The Cabaret | Tickets $15 advance, $20 at the door Cabaret sensation Chris Tsujiuchi takes to the stage in his 4th annual all-90’s Cabaret. Featuring Colin Asuncion, Da-Rell Clifton, Hilary Wilson, Matt Marcoccia, Stacey Maroske, Vaughn Harris and many other special guests. Lash Entertainment presents MISS CONCEPTION: STAGE TO SCREEN JUNE 11 & JUNE 12 8pm | The Cabaret | Tickets $25 A wickedly entertaining evening of classic Broadway and film divas, with your favourite lady, Miss Conception, singing all the songs that made them famous. missconception.ca ILL NANA/DiverseCityDance Company presents MAKING A STAGE FOR OUR STORIES JUNE 13 & JUNE 14 7pm | The Chamber | Tickets PWYC A showcase of dance and movement performances that celebrate the resilience, empowerment, sexuality, and strength of the queer community, including a special performance of ILL NANA’s Rhubarb Festival hit, FIRE. Part of the first annual Making a Stage for Our Stories conference for queer artists at The 519 Church Street Community Centre. illnana-dcdc.com Wog Productions presents PAUL HUTCHESON’S PRIDE PACKAGE III JUNE 14 & JUNE 15 8pm | The Cabaret | Tickets $10-$15 The hilarious Paul Hutcheson brings you a deliciously eclectic playlist of queer performers including Trixie & Beever, Sharron Nowlan, 79-yearold ukulele sensation D’yan Forest, and more. It’s like the internet, but better. The Queer Hip-Hop Movement presents Idlemind Productions presents WORK IT JUNE 14 GAVIN CRAWFORD: SH**TING RAINBOWS JUNE 21 & JUNE 22 10:30pm | The Cabaret | Tickets $10 The village’s best queer hip-hop event celebrates a year of amazing music and amazing people with a spectacular pride showcase hosted by MC Jazz and featuring Her Royal Flyness- Catherine Legs Hernandez, Saye Sky, Faduma aka Red Alert with DJ Nix and Cosmic Cat. BUDDIES AFTER HOURS JUNE 15 10:30pm | Full Facility | Cover $10 Featuring Donnarama and special guests. DJs K-Tel and Triple-X 8pm | The Cabaret | Tickets $25 Written by Gavin Crawford and Kyle Tingley Canada’s top character comedian returns to Buddies with a collection of oddball characters and impersonations that offer a hilariously skewed look at queer culture. gavincrawford.com The House of Nuance presents THE BIZARRE BALL JUNE 21 9pm | The Chamber | Tickets $5-$10 The Cabaret Company presents GENDERPLAY: A READING OF ROB SALERNO’S RAW JUNE 16 2pm | The Cabaret | Tickets PWYC This new play by up and coming queer playwright Rob Salerno takes a frank look at the impact of HIV/AIDS on our romantic and sexual relationships. The Cabaret Company presents FREE JANE JUNE 16 8pm | The Cabaret | Tickets FREE Everyone’s favourite beauty queen rebel is back with the notorious Free Jane – featuring a new play by Jonathan Seinen and Jane’s infamous open mic. Toronto’s newest vogueing sensation, The House of Nuance, brings the bizarre to Buddies for Pride. Get done up and strut your stuff, or just come and experience the wildest night this city has to offer and party late into the night with DJ John Caffrey. houseofnuance.com AM I RIGHT, LADIES? JUNE 22 8PM | The Chamber | Tickets $10 The ladies bring it for a spectacularly funny pride show, featuring Heather Gold, Mariko Tamaki, Zoe Whittall, Teresa Pavlinek & Shoshana Sperling, Kathleen Phillips, with special guest David-Benjamin Tomlinson and headliner Sandra Shamas. BUDDIES AFTER HOURS JUNE 22 10:30pm | Full Facility | Cover $10 Buddies in Bad Times Theatre presents PRIDECAB JUNE 19 8pm | The Chamber | Tickets FREE for youth 25 and under, $10 for adults 26+ | All advance tickets $10 Directed by Chy Ryan Spain | Co-facilitators Jonathan Seinen and Alisha Stranges | Featuring Eloise Adams, Michiko Bown-Kai, Brian Chang, Panthea Davoodian, Rory Jade Grey, Alejandra Huerta, Benjie Kibblewhite, Middleton, Thompson Nguyen, Justyn Jolie Racco and Sina The hallmark of Buddies’ Queer Youth Arts Program, the ever-popular PrideCan tackles what it means to be young and queer today in a series of original stories, songs, and performances created and performed by queer youth under the age of 25. This project is made possible, in part, by the Youth Theatre Training Program of Theatre Ontario, funded by the Ontario Arts Council, and by The Mukti Fund. Education Sponsor Featuring Donnarama and special guests. DJs K-Tel and Triple-X TRUTH/DARE: A SATIRE (WITH DANCE) JUNE 26 & JUNE 27 MORE AT XTRA.CA Belle Jumelles and Titus Androgynous host an inclusive night of performances and partying for butches and femmes of all stripes, with tunes by DJ Nik Red. Partial proceeds go to support Toronto People with AIDS Foundation. BITCH SALAD GIVES BACK JUNE 28 8PM | The Chamber | Tickets $25 Back for it’s 5th Pride edition, Bitch Salads unites the country’s fiercest female comedians for one unforgiving night of laughter. This year promises to deliver unprecedented shelarity with perennial favorites Sara Hennessey, Emma Hunter, The Cheeto Girls and extra-special guest headliner Julie Klausner. BUDDIES AFTER HOURS JUNE 28 10:30pm | Full Facility | Cover $15 Featuring Fay Slift and special guests DJs K-Tel and Triple-X Glam-Glam Productions presents HOMO NIGHT IN CANADA 2013 JUNE 29 8pm | The Chamber | Tickets $25 Now in its 13th 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 Kristen Becker, Paul Hutcheson, Ian Lynch, Mae Martin, Ted Morris, Richard Ryder, Vong Sundara, Alison Taylor, Dawn Whitwell and Lindy Zucker. glam-glam.com BUDDIES AFTER HOURS JUNE 29 10:30pm | Full Facility | Cover $15 Created by Salvatore Antonio and Adamo Ruggiero. Starring Salvatore Antonio, Damien Atkins, Terrence Bryant, Keith Cole, Gavin Crawford, Sebastien Heins, Sharron Matthews and Adamo Ruggiero. A satirical, sing-and-dance-along recreation of the cult classic backstage documentary from Madonna’s Blond Ambition World Tour, followed by a late-night Madonna dance party. Featuring Donnarama and special guests. DJs K-Tel and Triple-X THE LADY OIYE’S TEA DANCE JUNE 30 3-10pm | The Cabaret | Tickets FREE Operation Snatch presents DIRTY PLÖTZ JUNE 26 An ensemble of female performers take on the historical erasure of women in a sexy and scandalous celebration of female creativity. Hosted by Alex Tigchelaar and featuring Jess Dobkin, Hoa Nguyen, The Ghost Taco, and others. BUDDIES AFTER HOURS SPONSOR 8pm | The Chamber | Tickets $10 or PWYC 8pm | The Cabaret | Tickets $15 in advance, $20 at the door 8:30pm | The Chamber | Tickets $20 QUEER MEDIA PARTNER BUTCH FEMME SALON PRIDE EDITION: LEAVE IT TO BEAVER 1950’S JUNE 27 LEAD CORPORATE SPONSOR 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 BUDDIES AFTER HOURS JUNE 30 10pm | Full Facility | Cover $10 Featuring Cassandra Moore and special guests DJs K-Tel and Triple-X MAINSTAGE MEDIA SPONSOR Design: Jonathan Kitchen, jakcreative.com THEATRE XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 33 34 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS MORE AT XTRA.CA XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 35 BIG SCREEN PORN 37 GLORY HOLES 24/7 78 Wellesley St. E. the BLACK door King-sized shopping Toronto’s furniture strip offers something for every type of home NEIGHBOURHOOD SERAFIN LARIVIERE PHOTOS BY ADAM COISH One’s sense of personal décor starts at such an early age. For me it was airplane wallpaper on my bedroom ceiling and a Wonder Woman motif that made my clueless father thrill at his son’s early interest in half-naked females. My sister favoured purple wallpaper emblazoned with images of Jimi Hendrix–style rock gods. Of course, over time our styles progressed — I went eclectic/minimalist, while my sister has never found a Sears living room set she didn’t adore. Then, of course, there’s the inevitable Ikea phase of early adulthood, where the amazement of finding super- American style Philadelphia cheese steak sandwiches All sandwiches made with AA Ribeye WE HAVE 3 4 5 KING E FREDERICK 7 GEORGE 36 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! JARVIS 462 YONGE STREET, NORTH OF COLLEGE Open ‘til 3am Fri & Sat 416.927.9090 Carol Gray and Georgia Nogas sell Italian furnishings at Calligaris. into one (yes, I’m a klutz). The huge sofas range upward from $7,000, with the look and feel of pieces that will last the owner’s lifetime, and then some. Where Montauk’s style is a sort of cool, Icelandic modern, the fashionforward style of Calligaris’s 3 (170 King St E) Italian furnishings is warm and contemporary. The colour palette is especially interesting, with vibrant reds, gorgeous charcoals and even a shade of jaundiced brown that reminds me of something my toddler produces after eating too much pineapple (the adorable saleswoman, Carol, likes to call it “grellow”). Yet somehow the shade works beautifully, particularly when paired with one of the firm’s sleek red chairs ($195). Carol also shows me a condo-lover’s dream: a coffee table that quickly and soundlessly whisks upward into a dining surface for up to six people ($1,350). I also covet a selection of glass-blown sculptural lamps that are both gorgeous and functional. There’s quite a lot of condo-scale furniture on the King Street stretch, a natural reflection of nearby urban development. Quite a few shops feature space-saving and multi-use pieces, but Positive Space Interiors 4 (167 King St E) takes things to a whole new level. 2 1 6 SHERBOURNE I WENT TO PHILLY cheap furniture is quickly consumed by the realization that it’s engineered to fall apart about two weeks after the warranty expires. But when the real search for lasting furnishings begins, there are few places better than Toronto’s King Street. Stretching eastward several blocks from the St Lawrence Market, this stretch boasts some of the chicest, largest (and frequently costliest) purveyors of furniture, ranging from quaintly traditional to cutting-edge modern. Stacaro 1 has a nice blend of both styles in its 225 King St E location. There are classic dining-room tables and kitchen dressers built in solid hardwood, but also a collection of eclectic soft furnishings and accessories to spice up even the most staid décor. My favourite is an armchair upholstered in a gorgeous fabric adorned with the Union Jack ($690). Stacaro’s lamps are equally unique; I’m quite taken with a line of Elementaire lamps with bases of bundled, reclaimed wooden branches and sticks. They’re not cheap ($599 for the floor lamp, $299 for the table version), but they’re definitely eye-catching. Just across the road is Montauk Sofa 2 (220 King St E), an industrialstyle showroom devoted to a futuristic aesthetic. Some of these pieces are definitely not for condo living (they do have smaller scale, as well), but they are both visually stunning and sumptuously comfortable. Many of the materials are reclaimed, like a massive set of concrete coffee tables ($9,000 each) that are deadly chic — as well as deadly painful to the shins if you run TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS Above, Stacaro sells a collection of eclectic soft furnishings and accessories. Right, Montauk Sofa's industrial-style showroom has a futuristic aesthetic. The custom beds feature a massive amount of storage built into their bases, with pull-out drawers that are reminiscent of those old-style captain’s beds so many kids grew up with in the 1970s and ’80s. But these sleek, attractive beds are anything but kids’ furniture, and the storage is cunningly concealed with recessed hardware and contemporary lines. Many of the King Street furniture stores are themselves decorated within an inch of their lives, each article carefully and artfully placed to create a studied ambiance. Then there’s the jumbly fabulousness of Office & Shop Furniture 5 (181 King St E). Full disclosure here: I purchased a custom-made leather club chair from the affable owner eight years ago, and I have to tell you it is still like new. But this place specializes in odd little finds as well as classic desks, chairs and cabinets from bygone eras. I pick up a sweet little ladybug table light ($45) and am sorely tempted by some of the other leaded-glass Tiffany-esque lamps. You will always find something cool here, and you can’t beat the affordability. Perhaps the most outrageous lighting on King Street can be found at Trianon Design 6 (247 King St E). Swags, chandeliers and table lamps are crowned with shades made entirely of ostrich, turkey and other exotic bird feathers MORE AT XTRA.CA dyed in vivid pinks, greens, blues and yellows. They’re over-the-top, slightly impractical and utterly fantastic. After all this modernity, it’s a little refreshing to walk into the AGA shop 7 (150 King St E). As the owner of a vintage 1950s AGA stove, I can tell you that these little buggers heat a home like nothing else, while providing the best baking oven you’ll ever use (ambient heat rather than localized elements prevents scorching of any kind). Most of the models here are of the classic variety, though with some updated modern hardware and features. Prices vary and the sizes range from tiny to grandiose, but even just wandering through this lovely shop is a balm for the soul. Given the proclivity for assemble-ityourself budget stores in and around the GTA, it’s heartening to see that beautifully crafted furniture, made for a lifetime of use, still sells in Toronto. And that’s the thing about higher-end furniture, really. It may seem outrageously overpriced compared to its Swedish cousin, but that Ikea couch is probably going to collapse into bits of cotton and powdered wood fibre long before these babies’ springs just begin to ease. XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 37 38 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS WHAT'S ON FOR MORE EVENT LISTINGS, GO TO XTRA.CA ARTS & PHOTOGRAPHY Luminato Festival The city comes alive with theatre, film, dance, music and more. Joni Mitchell participates in an onstage TimesTalk on Sun, June 16, 6pm. Isabel Bader Theatre, 93 Charles St W. $35. Luminato runs Fri, June 14–Sun, June 23, various locations. luminatofestival.com Gay Men’s Art Project Guys of all skill levels create and mingle in an informal environment. Every month on the afternoon of the first Saturday and the evening of the third Monday. Mon, June 17, 6–8pm. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. Free. gmaptoronto.org Some Boys I’d Like to Know Allen Shugar’s retrospective explores the mystique of the male figure, challenging the idea that only the female figure should be represented erotically. Opening reception Thurs, June 27, 6–9pm. Exhibit runs Tues, June 18–Sat, June 29, various times. Urban Gallery, 400 Queen St E. Free. urbangallery.ca 10x10 Photography Project This annual celebration of local queer heroes features work by Paul Dymond, Lynne Fox, Stev’nn Hall, Jeanette Martin, Anthony Manieri, Walter Segers and more. Opening reception Thurs, June 27, 7pm. Exhibit runs Tues, June 18–Sun, July 14, various times. The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St W. 10x10photographyproject.com 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 Positive Routes to Recovery A peer-led support group for gay men working on substance abuse issues. Takes place the first and third Tuesday of each month. Tues, June 18, 6–8pm. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. Free. pr2r.org AIDS Candlelight Vigil People gather to remember and celebrate those who have been lost to, or are living with, HIV/AIDS. Thurs, June 20, 9–10pm. AIDS Memorial, Cawthra Square Park, 519 Church St. Free. the519.org Bisexual Men of Toronto A peer-support and discussion group focused on community and solidarity. Tues, June 25, 8–9:30pm. Sherbourne Health Centre, 333 Sherbourne St. Free. torontobinet.org LEISURE & PLEASURE Come Out and Play Gala The Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives and OutSport Toronto present a fundraising night of entertainment. Features a history walk, runway show, musical guest Shawnee She King and a silent auction. 6:30pm. Artscape Wychwood Barns, 76 Wychwood Ave. $75–125. clga.ca HypnotiXXX: A Slightly Naughty Comedy Hypnosis Show Brandon the Hypnotist debuts his new show, taking audience volunteers on a risqué and slightly rude journey into the subconscious. Sun, June 16, 7pm. The Flying Beaver, 488 Parliament St. $10 advance, $15 door. pubaret.com Libido: Dyke March Fundraiser A night of queer art, performance and music by MC Jazz, DJs Slimthick Monroe, Rouge, Linguist, Alyssa and more. Thurs, June 20, 10pm. The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St W. $10–20 advance, $15–20 door or PWYC. gladstonehotel.com Queernament: For the Love of Community This three-on-three basketball tournament features music by DJs Blackcat and Cozmic Cat and a nearby “community village,” where various local organizations are represented. Competitors must register. Sat, June 22, 4–10pm. Harbourfront Community Centre, 627 Queens Quay W. $10. iaminthelife.com 34th Annual Dora Awards Hosts Matt Baram and Naomi Snieckus recognize exemplary achievement in Toronto theatre, dance and opera. Features 13 new award categories. Mon, June 24, 7pm. St Lawrence Centre, 27 Front St E. $65. tapa.ca Sapphic Aquatica Pride Party In addition to the usual amenities and icebreaker games, this month there is a workshop on “female pleasure seeking,” guided exercises with lube and toys, a kissing booth and the music of DJ Quinces. Tues, June 25, 8pm. Oasis Aqualounge, 231 Mutual St. $20 singles, $30 couples. oasisaqualounge.com Harbourfront to Hanlan’s Point Sailing Adventure City-weary folk cruise out to the islands and back, taking part in informal sailing lessons or just enjoying the open water, sparkling wine and snacks. Runs Wed, June 26–Tues, June 30, various times. Spadina WaveDeck, 401 Queens Quay W. $100. getoutcanada.com Lesbian Potluck The Bizarre Ball — Buddies, Fri, June 21 DRASKO BOGDANOVIC Who doesn’t love lesbians and food? Jiggly Caliente is the special guest, and DJs Secret Agent, Casey Mecija, Jen Markowitz and Andi Larocca spin in celebration of Miss Fluffy Soufflé’s birthday. Wed, June 26, 8pm–midnight. The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St W. Free. gladstonehotel.com Submit your event listing to [email protected]. Deadline for the June 27–July 10 issue is Wed, June 19. MORE AT XTRA.CA Queernament — Harbourfront Community Centre, Sat, June 22 COMEDY & CABARET Pride Package III For the third year running, Paul Hutcheson brings together his favourite international comedians for a riotous evening. Features D’yan Forest, Sharon Nowlan, Zabrina Chevannes, Trixie & Beever and more. Fri, June 14 and Sat, June 15, 8pm. Buddies in Bad Times, 12 Alexander St. $15, $10 artists. buddiesinbadtimes.com Gavin Crawford: Sh**ting Rainbows The prodigy of character comedy presents a collection of peculiar characters and singular impersonations in a skewed look at queer culture. Thurs, June 20 and Fri, June 21, 8pm. Buddies in Bad Times, 12 Alexander St. $25. buddiesinbadtimes.com The Bizarre Ball Toronto's newest voguing collective, The House of Nuance, brings bizarre to Buddies with off-the-wall runway and dancing. DJ John Caffery spins. Fri, June 21, 9pm. Buddies in Bad Times, 12 Alexander St. $5–10. buddiesinbadtimes.com Queer Class at Second City Glad Day Cabaret Troy Jackson hosts a night of performances, featuring Dainty Box, Bambibot, Shadrack Jackman, Jill Andrew, Mark Thomas and Dominic Brasset. Sat, June 22, 9pm. Glad Day Bookshop, 598 Yonge St. PWYC, $10 suggested. gladdaybookshop.com STAGE Wizard of Oz Andrew Lloyd Webber’s adaptation of the classic film features all the favourite characters, songs and moments, along with a few surprises and some fresh songs by Tim Rice and Webber. Dorothy is played by Danielle Wade, star of CBC’s Over the Rainbow. Runs until Sun, Aug 18; various showtimes. Ed Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria St. $34–130. mirvish.com Confessions of a Fairy’s Daughter Alison Wearing’s one-woman show is the hilarious and touching story of how she learned at age 12 that her father was gay. The next eight years were filled with puff pastry, opera and bathhouse raids. Sat, June 15, 8pm. Arts & Letters Club, 14 Elm St. $20. alisonwearing.com PrideCab Paul Bellini hosts Second City’s first ever queer-focused comedy class. In this two-day course, participants create characters and sketches that transcend queer stereotypes. Sat, June 22 and Sun, June 23, 10am– 4pm. Second City, 70 Peter St. $160. secondcitytrainingcentre.com Part of the Queer Youth Arts Program, the ever-popular PrideCab is a showcase of original stories, songs and performances from youth aged 25 and under. Wed, June 19, 8pm. Buddies in Bad Times, 12 Alexander St. $10, free for those 25 and under. buddiesinbadtimes.com A Pride Comedy Show: Am I Right, Ladies? Avenue Q A titillating night of lady-comedy, with comedians Sandra Shamas, Heather Gold, Mariko Tamaki, Zoe Whittall, Teresa Pavlinek and more. Sat, June 22, 8pm. Buddies in Bad Times, 12 Alexander St. $10 advance, $13 door. buddiesinbadtimes.com The musical coming-of-age story stars some puppets who inhabit a fictional street in New York City. Features such memorable hits as “If You Were Gay” and “The Internet Is for Porn.” Runs Thurs, June 20–Sun, Oct 6, various showtimes. Lower Ossington Theatre, 100A Ossington Ave. $49–60. avenueq.ca XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 39 CLUB SCENE Men’s Best Ass Contest Boys show their assets for $300 in cash prizes, with drag performances and DJs. Midnight. Woody’s, 465 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com Work It The first anniversary party of the queer hip-hop bash features performances from Her Royal Flyness Catherine Legs Hernandez, Saye Sky and Faduma, aka Red Alert. DJ Nix spins. 10:30pm. Buddies, 12 Alexander St. $10. buddiesinbadtimes.com Sat, June 15 Diamond Divas DJs Sara Simms, Foxxtrot and ViVi Diamond on decks. 9pm. Slack’s, 562 Church St. No cover. slacks.ca Go West Lakeshore’s first Pride kickoff dance party, with a performance by Heaven Lee Hytes. 10pm. Jay Jay’s Inn, 2847 Lake Shore Blvd W. $10. jayjaysinn.com The Lost Boys DJs Josh Karmin and Shawn Riker on decks, with Pride preview performance by Sofonda Cox. 10pm. Fly, 8 Gloucester St. Cover TBA. flynightclub.com Remington's 20th anniversary party — Remington's, Thurs, June 13 Fit: Pre-Pride Rainbow Party DJs Kris Steeves and Phil V spin house in a room covered in rainbow everything. Major colour couture is encouraged. Hosted by Jacob. 10:30pm. The Beaver, 1192 Queen St W. $5. beavertoronto.com Go Deep DJs The Robotic Kid and John Caffery launch a new eastend party celebrating the sounds of deep house. Bassy, moody, sexy. 10pm. WAYLA, Queen St E. $5. waylabar.com Thurs, June 13 Fri, June 14 Making a Stage for Our Stories Ill Nana/DiverseCity Dance Company presents two nights of queer performance. Runs until Fri, June 14. 8–10pm. Buddies, 12 Alexander St. PWYC. illnana-dcdc.com Fly Pop Friday DJ Sumation on the main floor and VJ Gary White in the Pop Lounge. 10pm. Fly, 8 Gloucester St. $10. flynightclub.com Remington’s 20th Anniversary Party DJs Woodwork and Ben on decks, with Sofonda, the Dirty Sexy boys and a Roman XX theme. Appearances by pornstars of Men of Montreal. 8pm. Remington’s, 379 Yonge St. $7. remingtons.com Random Play DJs play their favourite tracks, from rock and ’80s, to disco and house. 10pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. No cover. waylabar.com Her: The Him Edition DJs Denise Benson, Kevin Ritchie and DKTO spin disco, house and dance, hosted by Cassandra Moore. The second Friday of every month. 10:30pm. La Perla, 783 Queen St W. $5. herherher.com Rockstars DJ Geoff Kelleway rocks the decks with jacking house music. Hosted by Karl and Rommel. 11pm– 3am. Byzantium, 499 Church St. No cover. byz.ca TORN The Toronto Rubbermen Network joins forces with Toronto Leather Pride to host this night for rubber fetishists and friends. 10pm. The Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover. blackeagletoronto.com Sun, June 16 Daddy’s Day Mr Spearhead Ambassador 2012 Dwayne Bryk presents a party for daddies and those who love them. Hosted by Randy, Mr Spearhead 2013, with lots of prizes to be won. 3–9pm. The Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover. blackeagletoronto.com Second Annual First Lady’s Ball: Who Runs This Motha DJ Blackcat spins house and strike-a-pose music for voguing, ballroom and runway divas. 8pm–1am. Club120, 120 Church St. $10. club120.ca Zipperz/Cellblock, 72 Carlton St. No cover. facebook.com/zipperz Best Ass Contest Miss Carlotta Carlisle judges hot butts and gives away $200 in cash and prizes and a chance to come back for $500. 10pm. Flash, 463 Church St. $5. flashonchurch.com Yes Yes Y’all The June edition of this hip-hop and dancehall bash features Montreal’s Poirier and a night market. 10pm. Annex WreckRoom, 794 Bathurst St. $6. theannexwreckroom.com Mon, June 17 Sat, June 22 Singular Sensation Jennifer Walls hosts this music-theatre open mic every Monday. 10pm–1am. Statlers, 487 Church St. No cover. statlers.ca Night of All Colours Naked Dance The TNTmen celebrate Pride au naturel. 4–9pm. Club120, 120 Church St. $8, $5 members, $4 students. tntmen.org Tues, June 18 Varsity Tuesday Sofonda Cox hosts the amateur So You Think You Can Strip? competition, with $100 in cash at stake. 11pm. Remington’s, 379 Yonge St. $5, no cover with student ID before 11pm, $2 after. remingtons.com Hart House Pride Pub Outdoor barbecue, followed by an al fresco dance party featuring DJs Cozmic Cat and Sammy Rawal, spinning from 8pm, plus a performance by SC Swagg. 4pm. Hart House Quad, 7 Hart House Circle. No cover before 9pm, $5 after (age 17+ after 9pm). harthouse.ca Village Stage Live music and open mic after 11pm every Thursday, hosted by Melissa Bel, Courtney Lynn, Kim Koren, Azalea and Anna Sudac. 9pm. Slack’s, 562 Church St. No cover. slacks.ca Crews & Tangos Thursday Ultimate Thursday, with DJ Craig Dominic, and Vocal Rehab karaoke. 10pm. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com Fri, June 21 NO COVER! $14 DAY $17 NIGHT BIG JUGS 465-467 CHURCH ST. 416-972-0887 40 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! The Bizarre Ball Toronto’s new voguing house, The House of Nuance, is all twisted looks and sickening runway. DJ John Caffery spins. 9:30pm. Buddies, 12 Alexander St. $10, $5 if you’re walking. See buddiesinbadtimes. com for a list of dress categories. Bearcode DJs Cory Activate and Alain Plamondon spin for muscle bears, otters, jocks, daddies and boys every Friday. 10pm–3am. Mon, June 24 Zipperz/Cellblock Monday Toronto Wranglers country and western dancing at 7pm; Mama Roxxie’s Cabaret, with Roxxie Terrain, at 10pm. Zipperz/Cellblock, 72 Carlton St. No cover. facebook. com/zipperz Tues, June 25 Punkrock Bingo Daddy-O hosts a fundraiser for the Friends for Life Bike Rally, with performances by Jenna Syde and Connie Lingua. Free Nicorette for everyone. 7–11pm. Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St W. No cover. henhousetoronto.com Thurs, June 20 Sh!t Show Sunday Industry night, with a live band on the main stage at 9pm and the DJ spinning in the Loft at 11pm. Statlers, 487 Church St. No cover. statlers.ca Dirty Monday Devine Darlin and Nikki Chin perform on the drag stage. 11pm. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com Wed, June 19 Come Out and Play Steve Roberts hosts a night of live auction, photography and dance to support queer athletes. 7pm. Artspace Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie St. $75. chariotevents.eventbrite.ca Toronto Drag Kings Tyler Uptight, Cameron, Kenny and Chase Manning perform in the weekly drag-king show. Every Wednesday. 11pm–2am. Zipperz/ Cellblock, 72 Carlton St. No cover. facebook.com/zipperz underground ballroom culture aboveground, in The 519 ballroom. The theme is Show Us Your Pride. 6:30–10pm. 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. $5. the519.org Alphabet Soup An afternoon drop-in for queer youth under 20. Every Tuesday, 4–6pm. Sherbourne Health Centre, 333 Sherbourne St. No cover. soytoronto.org Punkrock Bingo — Henhouse, Wed, June 19 JAMES HUCTWITH Fooftastic Karaoke with Foofer; thousands of songs to choose from. 10pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. No cover. waylabar.com Wed, June 26 Beef Ball Pre-Pride Pride Prana 2: The White Edition Dress in white for this celebration of Pride 2013 and the Human Rights Campaign: anything from traditional sportswear to tighty whities. Includes a yoga workshop by Tyler Gledhill (no experience necessary), followed by cocktails, music and an erotic art exhibit. 7pm. The Extension Room, 30 Eastern Ave. $20 advance, $25 door. extensionroom.com Never-Nudes: An Arrested Development Burlesque Performances by 8-Bit Pinup, Ab Horrence, Boy Joystick, Charlie Quinn: The Quintessential Player, Rubie LaFramboise and more, hosted by Dick Dastardly. 9:30pm. Club120, 120 Church St. $10 advance, $15 door. nevernudes. eventbrite.com Bears, muscle Marys and their admirers start the Pride party in the bathhouse, with giveaways, prizes and draws. 7–10pm. Spa Excess, 105 Carlton St. Regular rates. spaexcess.com Mr Leather Pride Contest The Eagle’s annual contest is hosted by Dwayne Bryk and sees leathermen vying for this year’s title with their knowledge of BDSM, their outfits and their ability to dominate the crowd. 7pm. The Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover. blackeagletoronto. com Evening Shade DJs Regina and Miss Margot spin unexpected tunes; hosted by Pegzilla. 10pm. Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St W. No cover. henhousetoronto.com Sultry Saturday DJ Cajjmere Wray spins hot house beats. 11pm. Byzantium, 499 Church St. No cover. byz.ca Sun, June 23 Pride Prana 2 — The Extension Room, Sat, June 22 Sunday at Woody’s Hollywoody Broadway Show, with Miss Conception. 6pm. Woody’s, 465 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com 2013 Pride Ball Toronto Kiki Ballroom Alliance presents its third Pride Ball: a night celebrating TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS TORONTO’S LOCAL Honor. Remember. Celebrate. The AIDS Memorial Cawthra Square Park, Toronto BIG SCREEN PORN Thursday, June 20, 2013 - 9:00 PM Hosted by Claudia Medina and Dr. Alan Li F ET O 37 GLORY HOLES F 24/7 E E O Ontario AIDS Network June 21-23 | Gananoque, Ontario 78 Wellesley St. E. the BLACK door For more informaton | 416.392.6878 Ext 4012 | www.the519.org Summer Solstice LGBT Event 1000islandstourism.com/events WIN a Private Island in the 1000 Islands for a Week win an island.ca Gananoque Boat Line MORE AT XTRA.CA XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 41 DEEP DISH 1 2 ROLYN CHAMBERS Bud Light Sensation Power Ball SAT, JUNE 1 AT ROGERS CENTRE THURS, JUNE 6 AT THE POWER PLANT Trending right now on Deep Dish online: “The kitchen floor; your new weekend bed. Make it more comfortable the next time you pass out.” This would have been perfect after attending the massive Bud Light Sensation party at the Rogers Centre. Although it ends at 3am, which is usually when I’m really getting going, everything that happens between the official countdown at 8pm until that moment is exhaustingly, brilliantly executed. From the media box perched high above the field, we watch as currents of men and women, all dressed in white, converge on the oval stadium floor like wriggling sperm eagerly seeking an egg in a giant pulsating ovary. With huge, squidlike pendant lights floating up and down above the 30,000 attendees, the Ocean of White theme comes alive. The dancefloor field, divided in two by a three-metrehigh, 35-metre-long stage, plays host to not only the five DJs, including crowd favourite Fedde Le Grand, but 200 major pyrotechnics effects, powerful green lasers, 18 huge fountains synched to the music, pyro wheels, pyro waves, flame jets and a runway for scantily clad choreographed ladies who seductively blow bubbles into the crowd. Small schools of shirtless gays are spied swimming with the streams of straight, fist-pumping hammerhead sharks. Perhaps next year more queer fish will take the bait. Imagine the ripples that would create. Or am I just dreaming... on my kitchen floor? Trending right now on Deep Dish online: “Celebrity Twitter beefs; it’s only 140 cocky characters, why that blonde bitch be trippin?! #angryface.” The infamous Andy Warhol famously said that in the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes. It is the future, and with the advent of Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter, it seems everyone thinks they are. Fame, the theme of this year’s Power Ball: 15 Minutes, at the Power Plant art gallery, comes alive with a Kobo photo wall, a Toronto Life photo booth, a Now magazine speakers’ corner, a shimmery metallic photo hall, private headphones whispering the words of some mysterious woman, and an MMVAish stage, complete with hot girl straddling a futuristic motorbike. From room to room we roam. From vodka bar to wine bar to beer bar to bathroom we skip, trip and fall. Along the way we bump shoulders, swap stories and fawn over the likes of model Stacey McKenzie, TVs Glen Baxter, celebrity hairstylist Jie Matar, blogger turned DJ Jay Strut, designers Stephen Wong and Kirk Pickersgill, artist Luis Jacob, designer Jeremy Laing, singer Cedric, performance artist Keith Cole and others. Some are famous; some sip famous drinks. The hot new drink? Johnnie Walker and coconut water, dubbed The New Black. Apparently, I’m the old black. Fame is fleeting. #sadface. 1E Marky & Mark 2E Short shorts 3E White boys 4E Danny & Derek 5E Keith Cole 6E Kirk, Michael & Stephen 7E Jie, Gaetane & Jay Strut 8E Cedric & Sheldon 3 4 5 6 7 42 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! 8 TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS XPOSED 2 1E Peaches is looking off the chain these days. I really hope that she and Riff Raff get together and make the most insane disco baby this world has ever seen. If Santa could bring me that on Christmas morning, I’d be one happy little beaver. In this picture, she’s sweaty, she’s grilled up, she’s posing like an Adidas leather-shoulder-pad wet dream with the always platinum and always beautiful Regina (or Gentleman Reg, as she’s known by day). Wrongbar did right for this Inside Out afterparty. 1 3 4 2E William, Morgan and Rachel have so much going on in this picture. William has the most amazing T-shirt on, from one of my favourite neighbourhoods in Toronto; Morgan is wearing quite the cheeky tank; and Rachel’s west-end uniform is on point. The Inside Out afterparty is one of the few parties that really brings together people from all over the community. Queer west meets Church meets corporate meets casual. Perfect warm-up for Pride. 5 8 3E Karen is one of the best Toronto personalities. I’ve felt that way since she showed up dressed as Robert Smith for a Cure-themed night she DJed. And it’s not like she changed there: she took the TTC with her hair like a giant bird’s nest and red lipstick smeared across her face like it was any old day of the week. I love this pic from the Inside Out afterparty of Karen looking at her main squeeze Samara. Warms my little black heart. 4E I get no pants. I really do. But I don’t 6 7 get the array of bad fashion choices that come with it. At the No Pants No Problem party at The Garrison, it’s like people took their pants off (and a lot more in some cases) and then decided to be crazy, over-the-hill raver meth addicts or something. Like really, it was an assault on my senses. But then ANNA POURNIKOVA PHOTOS BY BECCA LEMIRE I got into it. And I realized that part of the fun is dressing like a crazed methhead 20 years after the lights went on at the party. Having said that, we’re only showing the better ensembles here, so don’t worry — your face is safe. To start it off, Jessica and David are looking cute as pantless wonders. 5E Tristan’s gold necklace is totally on trend for the season, and I love how he paired it with yellow tighty-whities. The necklace stays butch because it’s balanced with well-kept beard scruff and zero sparkles. 6E Julie went all out in a hot seethrough number, which must have been the obstacle course from hell to try to remove in order to use the loo. But that aside, I’m actually floored with how she has managed to pull off sexy and cute in this one-piece. Seriously, people, that is no easy feat. This is one of my all-time faves of this column. Ever. 7E Roy and Andrea have two very different approaches to the No Pants No Problem dress code. Roy’s outfit is mind-blowing. The orange socks and boxer briefs are already a standout, but the kitten-print shirt under a motorcross cut jacket? Becca almost had a heart attack. She could barely take the pic, she was shaking with joy so bad. Andrea, on the other hand, has dodged the pants problem with a skirt. Smarty-pants is what that is. 8E Brittany, Travis and Meaghan are a lovely pantless trio. I’m really loving the whole punk resurgence in hair, piercings and colour that’s been happening lately. Travis in the middle really embodies it, but Brittany is repping with her septum piercing, and Meaghan is wearing a DIY top with rips and all. I’m into all of this big time. EXPRESS YOURSELF TATTOOS, PIERCINGS & STREETWEAR | 239 QUEEN ST W TORONTO ON | ADRENALINETORONTO.COM MORE AT XTRA.CA XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 43 A World of Gay Adventure Vancouver The gay heart of Canada’s West Coast DREW ROWSOME The southeast end of Vancouver’s gay village’s main drag, Davie Street, is anchored by a community garden overflowing with flowers and vegetables. Several blocks past the bars, stores and restaurants, with their obligatory rainbow flags, at the other end of the Davie Village, a hill slopes down to the ocean, a beach and the edge of Stanley Park. The mountains rise to the north and Sunset Beach is always just a block or two away; Vancouver is a stunningly beautiful city and natural wonders are always close at hand. The sea-kissed climate accelerates the growth of vegetation — greenery is everywhere and mostly gigantic — and seems to add a certain sparkle to the men. Natural wonders, indeed — with surfer dudes in board shorts, and little else, strolling the streets and long-haired post-hippie hunks in abundance. The new-age influence on the city cannot be underestimated and, fortunately, seems to extend to sexual freedom as well. A flight attendant friend confides that he loves stopovers in Vancouver because of the large numbers of horny men. The weather in Vancouver encourages people to experience the outdoors. 44 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! When the sun shines — and despite the city’s damp reputation, I experienced five warm and wonderful days in a row — the beaches are packed; when the rain arrives, Davie Street remains full and the bars even more so. There are not 50 shades of grey; there are thousands, a Vancouver native explains. “One has to learn to embrace the grey and enjoy all the colours within it.” The surrounding mountains are ideal for hiking, and Out and About Vancouver organizes many outings that involve lots of walking and socializing. The Grouse Grind — a 2.9 kilometre, hour-and-a-half trek up Grouse Mountain on a trail dubbed The Grind — is a popular, if strenuous, adventure. I can’t vouch for the hike, but the cable car and chairlift to the top of the mountain are spectacular rides, with the city of Vancouver gleaming like a retreating jewel as one sails into the sky. At the top are various tourist attractions: Grinder and Coco, the grizzly bears; the Eye of the Wind turbine, with a viewing tour; paragliding; restaurants; yoga classes to stretch out the kinks for those who actually hiked; and a five-line zipline. Adjacent to the Davie Village is the large and sprawling Stanley Park. I naively decided to stroll its perimeter before dinner and, having woefully underestimated the distance involved, became completely lost while trying to take a shortcut. Within minutes a helpful park ranger noticed my puzzled expression and pulled up with concise instructions and a much more detailed map. Perhaps that is the most astonishing thing about Vancouver: everyone, from bus drivers to restaurant servers, is incredibly friendly. There is no need to worry about getting lost — the next person along will be glad to help out. After pointing me in the right direction, the ranger spotted two teenaged boys rolling joints on a public bench. No arrests or even admonitions, just a “Please do that out of sight.” Out of sight is easy in Stanley Park, which is undoubtedly why it is a famous, albeit dangerous, cruising area. Trails wind everywhere, but during the day it is packed with tourists and nosy children. Aside from the greenery and meandering men, the park boasts a collection of totem poles and the Vancouver Aquarium. After the tranquility and spaciousness of the park, the aquarium feels a bit cramped, but the dapper penguins are amusing and the ghostly albino beluga whales are haunting, especially when seen from the below-the-waterline viewing decks. Vancouver’s most famous beach is GUIDEMAG TRAVEL SECTION COURTESY OF VANCOUVER BOARD OF TOURISM Wreck Beach, notorious for its nudity but actually more memorable for its relaxed vibe and tranquility. The stairs are steep (especially when climbing back up) but well worth the lengthy descent. Ostensibly divided into family, straight and gay — travelling right to left when facing the ocean — the space is small enough that all spill together, and with the great social leveller of nakedness it works just fine. Not all of Vancouver is as tranquil. Commercial Drive seems to have a female singer/songwriter strumming a guitar and spilling angst on every block, which nicely complements the secondhand and vintage stores, head shops, organic everything stores and cafés. Once an Italian immigrant enclave, the area has been colonized by lesbians, and the two groups mingle easily, with espresso tables divided equally between elderly men soaking in the scenery and dykes displaying their tats. Grandview Park sits midcentre, and Havana, directly across Commercial Drive, is a popular brunch patio. Nuevo Latino cuisine and mojitos nourish the noshers while a rotating gallery displaying predominantly gay artists fills the spacious indoors. Perusing the art I notice what becomes a Vancouver motif. More often than statistically predictable, the men I encounter express a desire to find the right man, settle down and have children. While there is a hedonistic quality to the city — there are three busy bathhouses — it seems to vanish at the sight of an attractive gay male couple with a newborn. The sight of a gurgling pudgeball cradled in a bulging, inked bicep brings a bustling room to a standstill and seems to inspire envy and admiration. The buskers on lower Granville Street — upper Granville is part of the upscale shopping district, where designers and purveyors of luxury goods can be found — play electric, and the Led Zeppelin licks complement the mix of theatres, hostels, tattoo parlours, head shops (found on almost every street — Vancouverites do enjoy their pot), and rock- and goth-wear stores. F212 bathhouse, which aims at the collegiate and business types (the midday Dip & Dash is a deal, a social occasion and a stress-releaser), is in the heart of the Village but accessible only from the back alley below Davie Street. Steamworks is farther away, on the edge of Chinatown and close enough to the sketchy Downtown Eastside to provide an illicit thrill. The bars lining Davie are eclectic and have something for every taste. Celebrities is a vast dance club that plays the hits and packs in a mixed crowd, including a fair proportion of “allies” (the Vancouver word for heteros) in the dressed-to-impress lineup that forms early. Numbers is also huge, with multiple levels and rooms belying the understated entrance. Dancefloors, cruising cubbyholes, multiple bars and a mercifully glassed-in karaoke room are all features of this one-stop entertainment destination. Across the street, the Fountainhead Pub has a great patio for watching the street, a great selection of beers, occasional drag shows and hearty food. Here again the patience of Vancouverites astonishes me, as the gently wisecracking waitress takes a lunch TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS ALL-MALE GAY CAMPING 90 MINS FROM PEACE BRIDGE #! # # # #" ! For event details, reservations, maps & more, visit: JonesPond.com order for many — each with specific dietary requirements — and delivers separate bills without being asked or losing her composure. The Junction Pub is a large space with a constant stream of theme nights, drag shows and DJs. PumpJack Pub is a meat-and-potatoes bar, with a backroom and a distinctly masculine aura. In the absence of a dedicated leather bar, the chaps park here. Oasis Ultra Lounge is up a flight of stairs and has rotating theme nights, dinner shows, talent contests and dancing. The 1181 lounge is dimly lit and perfect for cruising for that well-dressed man of your dreams. Also on Davie Street are the wellstocked underwear and sex-toy shop Priape and Little Sister’s, which has morphed from the brave bookstore that fought back against Canada Customs into a gay literary hub, ticket outlet and community gathering place packed with shelves containing every dildo, brand of lube and sexual enjoyment enhancer known to man or woman. As is their wont, the Vancouver avantgarde are busy colonizing less gay and well-travelled parts of the city. The Cobalt — a self-consciously grotty hotel bar that wears its stains and patina of broken dreams with pride — is at the base of Main Street. The door guardian at the Cobalt party of the year blithely exhales attitude and denies entry to all but those adhering stringently to the hipster dress code. Apparently, she is unaware of the fresh bloodstains on the sidewalk and doesn’t realize that the trans men in harnesses and their genderfuck drag companions across the street at the Electric Owl have trumped her party’s place-to-be-seen factor. Live theatre is one of the draws on Granville Island, with a cluster of warehouses converted into showplaces for musicals, experiments and many gaythemed entertainments. The island is also home to multiple artisans, galleries, funky boutiques, a huge farmers’ marMORE AT XTRA.CA ket and numerous restaurants. Edible at the Market is devoted to locally sourced foods, so the menu changes constantly, but every dish that our table of jaded journalists tests is a taste bonanza. The maple syrup and bacon caesar is a constant and a must-try. And if eating locally sourced isn’t outdoorsy enough, there is a boat rental, where for $10 — after passing a written test — you can be licensed to set sail and harvest your own crabs fresh from the ocean. The 2010 Winter Olympics have left Vancouver with a legacy of great public transit. The SkyTrain whisks one from the airport to downtown in fewer than 20 minutes and for well under $10. The Aquabus is a fun way to travel to Granville Island or around the edges of downtown. Service is friendly but adheres to no discernible schedule, so speed is not guaranteed, which fits nicely with Vancouver’s laissez-faire approach to time; meetings are usually scheduled at “insert time here”-ish, which allows for fluctuations and frustrations. Buses criss-cross the city, and TransLink’s website gives detailed and clear instructions on travelling from any destination to another. Or you can stroll the serpentine streets that seem to have something exciting over every hill — gourmet food trucks in the financial district, giant sparrow statues in the Olympic Village, the Dr Seuss-esque Erickson condo building tilting amusingly amidst the glass towers that scar the waterfront. Or, like many a Vancouverite, relax with a coffee in the beautiful surroundings — Vancouver has more Starbucks per square inch than seems plausible — because whatever is next will happen at insert time here-ish. 585-567-8100 Above left, lining up for Celebrities. Top, the seawall at English Bay. Above, the Aquabus is a fun way to get to Granville Island. DREW ROWSOME Trip Planner Accommodations Barclay House B&B Quality Hotel Vancouver Bars & Clubs Celebrities PumpJack Saunas Fahrenheit 212 Steamworks Restaurants & Cafés Pizzalita Services So Many Reasons to Stay: Close to English Bay & Stanley Park | City, ocean & mountain views | In-suite washer/dryer units | Complimentary high-speed Internet | Outdoor pool (seasonal) | Meeting & banquet facilities | Business centre | Fitness facilities | pHresh Spa & Wellness Club | Gated, underground parking | Moxie’s Grill & Bar with room service Vancouver Trolley Company Shopping Little Sister’s Priape On the Web Tourism Vancouver QUOTE ‘XTRA’ WHEN MAKING YOUR RESERVATION AND RECEIVE 10% OFF OUR BEST AVAILABLE RATE* tourismvancouver.com Vancouver Pride July 29–Aug 4 vancouverpride.ca Transit info translink.ca Grouse Mountain grousemountain.com Wreck Beach wreckbeach.org Find information on more than 100 places of interest in Vancouver at guidemag.com. GUIDEMAG TRAVEL SECTION Panel dismisses QuAIA complaints, but city hall still a wildcard On xtra.ca. XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 45 Halifax JEAN GAGNON Have the Maritime of your life ROB SALERNO Canada’s charming colonial city by the sea holds a secret: despite its small size, it’s home to a thriving gay community fuelled by a large and diverse student population, the city’s status as Maritime Canada’s regional hub and, ahem, the city’s largest employer, the Canadian Navy. There’s plenty here for the gay traveller to enjoy, and the welcoming Maritime attitude will make you feel at home right away. HEY, SAILOR On a summer day, Halifax’s bustling port is where the action is. The pleasant boardwalk features the usual touristy shopping and buskers, but it is a great starting point for a trip into Halifax’s seafaring history. Historic ships line the harbour, and guided tours can be arranged at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Down the harbour, you’ll find the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, the port through which more than a million immigrants entered Canada in the 20th century. Hali-fact: Along the stroll, you’re sure to spot some of Canada’s finest uniformed men. GET WET Some of the best views of the city are from the water. The cheapest option is to take 46 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! On the web a ride on the ferry to Dartmouth, a part of the public transit network. Several boat tour operators offer minicruises around the harbour and into the ocean, with routes focused on historical vistas, whale watching, deep-sea fishing, dinner cruises and even tall-ship sailing. If you’re more adventurous, you can rent canoes from St Mary’s Boat Club and paddle around the harbour by yourself. Gay tourism info rainbowhalifax.com Wayves wayves.ca Tourism info novascotiatourism.com Event planner Hali-fact: Before buying your whale- watching ticket, ask the attendants if you’re likely to see whales on that day — certain morning weather conditions cause the whales to hide, which can make for a disappointing cruise OUTeast Film Festival June 20–June 23 outeastfilmfest.com Queer Acts Theatre Festival PARTY HARD For a city of its size, Halifax boasts an enviable gay scene. The annual Pride celebration has evolved into a week-long cultural festival (July 18–28), welcoming up to 50,000 visitors from all over Maritime Canada. The queer-friendly sex shop Venus Envy (venusenvy.ca) is a local institution, as is the nautical-themed bathhouse SeaDog’s; there’s no sign on the street — look for the anchors painted on the entrance (seadogs.ca). There’s even a respected queer theatre company, Plutonium Playhouse. Queer nightlife is found at Reflections, for a younger dance crowd; Menz Bar (menzbar. ca), for a more casual atmosphere; and The Company House, for ladies. MONEYWAGON Top, one of the best views of the city is from Dartmouth, just across the harbour. Above, the Citadel Hill fortress has been a popular gay cruising area for more than 70 years. Hali-fact: The monthly queer mag Wayves recently ceased publication but maintains a website (wayves.ca) with up-to-date local listings. FOOD AND DRINK Don’t pass up a chance for fresh-fromthe-ocean lobster. Seafood is ubiquitous in Halifax, and the halibut, cod and clams are among the best you’ll taste. Splurge on a nice restaurant like The Press Gang or The Five Fishermen. The pub scene is centred on the pedestrian mall on Granville Street, and many pubs feature live local musicians, including traditional fiddlers and bagpipers. Beer fans will enjoy a tour of the Alexander Keith’s brewery, which is capped off with a couple of free pints. The traditional late-night snack in Halifax is the donair — you’ll see shops everywhere — and they are delicious. July 18–21 Halifax Pride July 18–28 halifaxpride.com Hali-fact: In the summer, McDonald’s of- fers up a monstrosity called the McLobster. Avoid. TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS is Red. It’s the rosy cheeks of sun-kissed children playing in the surf at Crane Beach. It’s a fresh-steamed lobster served with melted butter. It’s the well-trod bricks of Boston’s Freedom Trail, each one steeped in history. It’s vivid sunsets over Cape Cod, the leaves falling on the back roads of the Berkshires or on shoppers along famed Newbury Street, and a pair of Red Sox that captivate a nation. For help planning the perfect colourful holiday in one of the most welcoming states in America, visit massvacation.ca or tweet your questions to @VisitMA with #AskVisitMA MORE AT XTRA.CA XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 47 A World of Gay Adventure The Beach Party is the main event at Sand Blast. BARNETT Artist's rendering of the new Pavilion. FIRE ISLAND’S FAMOUS PAVILION Destroyed in 2011 by a devastating fire, the Pavilion nightclub on New York’s Fire Island is reopening this summer, once again giving the Pines a central hub for culture and nightlife. Originally opened in 1980, the Pavilion instantly became the social heart of the community. Its reopening coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Pines resort, which each year welcomes more than 800,000 visitors. “Although the new building has the same envelope and mix of uses as its predecessor, the similarities end there,” says Matthew Blesso, of FIP Ventures, the development company that owns the property. “The new structure is modern and casual, bold and iconic. It is the first thing visitors see when getting off the ferry, and we envision it to once again be the heart of the Pines community.” The Pavilion’s first level offers a “welcome bar” that will serve as a meeting place for residents and visitors. The dance club will encompass the building’s second level, with a 2,000-square- foot dancefloor and a 2,760-square-foot outdoor terrace where high tea will be served. “Aside from designing a building with personality, our primary focus was to recreate the social engine that was so unique to the famed Pavilion of the ’90s,” says Matthias Hollwich, of Hollwich Kushner, which designed the building. Waterford Crystal has donated a chandelier to be installed over the welcome bar — an homage to the trademark chandeliers that were installed in 1989. New England’s gay playground Once a sleepy Portuguese fishing village and Yankee whaling centre, Provincetown, Massachusetts, is famous as New England’s queer playground. It’s a favourite destination for gays from all across North America and around the world and is included on top-10 travel lists by Smithsonian magazine and renowned travel guide Fodor’s. Situated at the tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown is only five kilometres long and just a few streets wide. Beckoning nearby are 4,000 acres of rolling sand dunes, pine forest, freshwater ponds and 50 kilometres of beach, including Herring Cove, one of the most famous gay beaches in the world. The Huffington Post outlines a 100-kilometre “Cape Cod Scenic Drive,” describing it as one of the “most relaxing 48 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! Cape Cod sand dunes. M SENSELESS coastal drives in the US and Canada.” It ends just outside Ptown near the Province Lands Visitor Center — well worth a visit, with its observation decks that offer spectacular views of Race Point and the sand dunes. Provincetown shifts into gear at the end of May, when the crowds arrive for Memorial Day weekend, then picks up the pace at the beginning of July. The height of the season is Carnival, an anything-goes festival in mid-August. The pace slackens after Labour Day, but the lineup of special weekends and bargain shopping draw visitors into the fall season. And for those who seek peace and quiet, winter in Ptown, with its stark landscapes and dramatic weather (not to mention the relaxed locals, who relish having the town mostly to themselves), holds a charm all its own. For more on Provincetown, visit guidemag.com. Jersey Shore’s big gay weekend Thousands will converge on the Jersey Shore in mid-July for Sand Blast, an annual queer party held in the seaside town of Asbury Park. More than two dozen activities are packed into the July 19 to 21 weekend, from surfing to guided bike rides, beach dodge ball, a burlesque show, a downtown art gallery walk, two pool parties and various nighttime dance extravaganzas. The Beach Party, the weekend’s main event, will feature DJs Tony Moran and Hector Fonseca. “Bringing the legendary Tony Moran to headline Saturday afternoon’s Beach Party has been a goal of ours for years,” says Brad Hurtado, Sand Blast’s founder and executive producer. “Securing the super-hot Hector Fonseca to spin the first three hours is a double whammy.” The gay community began making pilgrimages to Asbury Park in significant numbers in 1999 and 2000, when the city was in terrible condition. Undeterred by the vacant downtown storefronts and abandoned mile-long boardwalk, New York gays were drawn to the town’s turn-of-the-century Victorian houses, many in fallingdown condition and selling for less than $100,000, and started buying up properties for summer homes. Someone came up with the idea of starting a summer party to lure their friends from the city, and Sand Blast was born. It’s been a runaway success: more than 4,000 people attended in 2012, drawn by its unique mix of high- energy dance parties and relaxing seaside activities. “Sand Blast is about discovering Asbury Park as a gay-friendly resort community and making it your own,” Hurtado says. “We want our guests to go off and explore the entire town and boardwalk and enjoy all that this jewel on the Jersey Shore has to offer. It’s not just a place to come once a year; it’s a destination we hope guests return to again and again.” Dancing boys abound at Sand Blast. BARNETT TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS MORE AT XTRA.CA XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 49 Checking in with Chris: Week 11 The all new BODY WERQ WITH It’s pre-Pride season, and thanks to his Evolution Fitness training, Chris feels more ready for the big week than ever. “This year I’m heading into Pride with confidence,” he says. “Boylesque TO has been a big part of me learning to love myself,” he says. “When I got off the stage at one of our first gigs in 2008, some cute, scruffy guys came up to me and said, ‘I never thought I’d see someone like me being sexy onstage.’ This was one of the first times I realized that I could be sexy on my own terms. It also reminds me how body image is often developed from what we see.” The Evolution Fitness team is helping Chris, body and mind. “I’m really happy with the changes I’ve made,” he says. “In fact, I think this Pride might be more laid-back for me.” See his assets before you hookup. Look for Chris’s official Pride check-up in the next issue of Xtra. For more information on Evolution Fitness and its team of experts, visit personaltrainerstoronto.com. Scan this QR code for full uncensored image. By scanning this code you confirm you are 18+ squirt.org Hot ’n uncensored. 50 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! The definitive online source for gay & lesbian media, including: q#SFBLJOHOFXTq%BJMZCMPHT 7JEFPJOUFSWJFXT q&OHBHJOHDPNNFOUT q&WFOUMJTUJOHT q'BDFCPPLUXJUUFS BOETPNVDINPSF TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS Classifieds NEXT BOOKING DEADLINE: WED, JUNE 19 @ 1PM To place an ad, call 416-925-6665 xt 0 or book your line classified at xtra.ca ANNOUNCEMENTS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES NOTICES PAINTING Married, Separated or Divorced Gay Father? Newbright Painting IN MEMORIAM TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL PROUD LIFE Ed Riel March 6, 1966— Nov. 24, 2011 You will always be in my heart. I will miss you forever. Love always. PUERTO VALLARTA MEXICO BOANA-TORRE MALIBU Condo Hotel. Largest pool in gay Vallarta. Located by gay beach. [email protected] Call 011-52-(322)222-099-9 Direct line Montreal: 514-8007690 BOANA.NET Sean 416.985.8639 [email protected] COUNSELLING 25 years in the business PSYCHOTHERAPIST www.scottrivers.biz 416-993-7970 ...helping you become the person you have always wanted to be [email protected] www.dwroutledge.com (416) 944-1291 ARRESTED? CHARGED? AGGRESSIVE CRIMINAL DEFENCE Communication — Relationship — Life Skills Gay Men — Male Couples $ZDNHQ6WXGLR 416-557-7312 — [email protected] www.phillipcoupal.ca CLEANERS DONNA REIST, Ph.D., C.Psych. Registered Psychologist. Counselling & Psychotherapy, Psychoeducational & Diagnostic Assessments, Crisis Intervention. Yonge & St.Clair ~ drdonnareist.com 416-750-9400 look outside to dream look inside to awaken TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS 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 ROB PEACH, MSW, RSW* ||Psychotherapy|| Treatment for difficulties with the management of problem sexual thoughts, urges and behaviours. Downtown location. Saturday appointments. Individuals and couples. | www.robpeach.ca | [email protected]| 416- 795-7299 | El-Farouk Khaki Barrister & Solicitor Refugee & Immigration Law 5FMt'BY FMöO!SPHFSTDPNtFMGBSPVL@MBX!ZBIPPDB BY APPOINTMENT ONLY HAIR/SKIN & BEAUTY WWW.GANYMEDE.CA Professional hair removal by certified specialist. Waxing, electrolysis and laser. Clean, private, downtown location. By appointment only. Call Darcy at 416-979-8801. MOVERS BE BOLD! Best WayToMove.Com Professional movers, good rates. Accurate and reliable since 1991. Visa/MC accepted. Please call 416-875-MOVE(6683) Bold your line classified. MOVERS MORE AT XTRA.CA Manhattan Moving Services Toronto's Award Winning Gay Owned Moving Company PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER! HELMETS & VESTS FROM $89 LUCKY 13 FROM $29 JACKETS PANTS & CHAPS FROM $99 416.410.2266 Matthew Kelly, M.A., psychotherapist 416.694.0015 (ex 225) www.depththerapy.ca WANTED CraigPenney.com depth therapy PICK UP guide 2013 YOUR COPY TODAY! MOTORCYCLE & SCOOTER GEAR LEGAL SERVICES Counselling + Coaching + Bodywork CONDOFRESH. Two handsome guys Sean and Jamie provide cleaning, organizing and staging services for your home whether you’re selling or happy where you are. We take pride in our work and will make you feel welcome and respected in your home. Condofresh.ca. [email protected]. Call/text 647-448-5213. DOC’S A downtown location - affordable rates COUNSELLING IN THIS ISSUE! Great Scott! Painting DAVID W. ROUTLEDGE MSW, RSW HOME, CONDO & OFFICE CLEANERS call Tomas - 416.878.9527 email: [email protected] FULLY BONDED AND INSURED visit: www.ecoscleaning.com Ultimate 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 We’re here to support you on your journey. Our meetings are informal, FRQÀGHQWLDODQGKHOSIXO Gay Fathers meet the second and fourth Thursday of every month at 8pm at the 519 Church Street Community Centre. www.gayfathers-toronto.com LEATHER manhattanmovingservice.ca 416.259.2181 FOR CRIMINALLY INSANE PRICES NEW & OLD BOUGHT & SOLD docsleathers.com 726 Queen St. West A Toronto Tradition 416-504-8888 BOOK YOUR LINE CLASSIFIED ONLINE! Visit xtra.ca for more information. XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 51 REAL ESTATE HEALTH & FITNESS HOMES FOR RENT Full Service Real Estate Brokerage for the Yucatan Peninsula Make living in a tropical Paradise your reality REGISTERED MASSAGE MASSAGE CERTIFIED HEADtoFITA MASSAGE THERAPIES Frank Fita RMT offering Swedish, La-stone hot-stone, Thai-yoga massages. Specializing in treatments for work-related and sports injuries. headtofita.com Across from Wellesley subway. For appointment or info call 416-473-0065. SHOW YOUR PRIDE! Drop trou and experience top notch M4M services. Be prepared for the unexpected! Convenient to Dundas Square. Private, quiet studio. Outcalls to hotels. Extended hours. Cash/credit cards. m4mmassage toronto.com. 416-697-3408 NEW YOU MASSAGE & HEALTH CTR Joseph Alves RMT, Michael O’Brien RMT, Vincent Warcop PT, Dagny Jackman RMT. Offering Swedish massage, Physiotherapy, Shiatsu and Acupuncture. 40 Wellesley St E, Suite 408, 416-929-4052 or visit newyoumassage.ca . All services are eligible for health insurance coverage. Japanese Male RMT Mexico Office +(52) 999 920 7644 Cell Phone +(52) 1 999 128 7779 US Office 619-226-4563 Email [email protected] Calle 37 # 519 xv62 y 62 A, Colonia Centro, Merida, Yucatan C.P. 97000 416-804-9248 Deep tissue to relaxation massage by a professionally trained RMT. Covered by extended health plans. Sanji Masunaga, Wellesley + Jarvis area COTTAGES email: [email protected] PR ED COUNTY LOGHM - WFT BEAUTIFUL WATERFRONT LOG home just 15 min out of Picton - 1350 sq ft -3 br - 2.5 bath - full fin’d bsmt Rustic but modern! ONLY $399,900 Motivated Sellers - OPEN HOUSE June 15 Lorie Brown Royal LePage MLS 2133086 613-966-6060 or email [email protected] EMPLOYMENT HELP WANTED BUDDIES IS HIRING Buddies is hiring part-time, licensed security staff for our club nights. Contact [email protected] BE BOLD! BOLD YOUR LINE CLASSIFIEDS XTRA OFFERS FREQUENCY DISCOUNTS. Contact us to learn more! MASSAGE CERTIFIED KEVIN SHORTT MASSAGE and Yoga Therapy: sensual, intimate bodywork with stretching. $15 off First Time Clients! Check out my website: www3.sympatico.ca/kshortt 416-961-8064 ONE ON ONE 10 years experience: acupuncture, shiatsu, reflexology, sports massage & personal training. Specialized combination of relaxing & deep-tissue massage. Downtown: 416-910-7778. Wiliam(By appointment only) RELAXATION Massage Buffet Massage: traditional, anal/prostate, & Taoist Erotic. Breath orgasms. Sex and Life Coach. Paul Barber 647-821-3131 canadian bodyworker.com 34% of Xtra readers plan to purchase a memberships to fitness centres or gyms this year. BEAUTY CARE Visit us for a full body treatment ! Male aesthetician offering waxing, skin care treatments. IPL, nail care , in a professional environment. Call Sorin at 416-924-2557 www.aestheticsbysorin.com. RMT offering deep tissue Swedish massage for relaxation or chronic pain treatment. Call Shin at 416578-0414 www.shintorontormt.com We are located at 40 Wellesley St E, Suite 301, next to Wellesley Station PHYSICAL FITNESS GET FIT FAST! Certified Personal Trainer with 15+ yrs experience. www.millarfit.com. Call Jason 647-223-5585 PERSONAL EROTIC MASSAGE MAGIC FINGERS GET A MASSAGE from me and feel fantastic for days. My hard smooth body and warm sensuous hands will soothe and delight. Clint 416-469-8144. EXPERIENTIAL EMBODIED EROTIC EXPLORATIONS for Men Weekend Touch Explorations Full-Day Erotic Experiments Afternoon Touch Exchanges Explore & Experience Erotic Sensual Touch Group or Individual Sessions [email protected] www.phillipcoupal.ca FRIENDS MALE HOUSE HUSBAND MATERIAL? SEEKING a man that can relocate to London. You should be comfortable looking after the home, and pleasing your husband. Seeking forever. [email protected] MODELS & ESCORTS BOYS R US A SMALL BUT superb selection of young, fresh, honest faces for your erotic pleasures. Try us first and you won’t be disappointed. 416-469-8144. 52 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! THE BEST OF GAY & LESBIAN TORONTO Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (Toronto PFLAG) 416-406-6378 (Support Line) Dog & Cat Grooming Computer Sales & Service The Reading Salon thereadingsalon.ca Yoannou & Associates, Chartered Accountants 416-487-3273 x24 Contemporary Computers 877-724-9000 Fashion Accessories — Men As You Wish Concierge 647-208-2884 Accountants Ms Hema Murdock, CA 416-696-6653 Susan Calverley, MBA, MSc, CMA 416-605-1553 MensMarket.com mensmarket.com Adult Stag Shop – The Adult Fun Store 416-323-0772 AIDS/HIV Resources Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance 1-800-686-7544 Alternative Health My Canna-Meds mycm.ca Automotive Sales & Leasing Ken Shaw Lexus 415-766-0055 AARON LEE Asian High-Class Masseur for Men Therapeutic Massage & Sensational Touch. Call or text me 416-831-3238 incall 90/hrout call 120/hr AVAILABLE FOR INCALLS/OUTCALLS. Great with first-timers, fetishes and unusual requests. Great body, boyish good looks, big thick cock. 90% Repeat rate. Satisfaction guaranteed. Pics at : www.squirt.org/devon80 Devon: 416-208-3531 [email protected] QUIT STARVING YOURSELF! Call me if are hungry. providing all fetishes and fantasies you desire. In or out calls available 24/7 Chad 416-838-3440 Concrete – Contractors G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service–Since 1975 905-824-2557 Concrete – Contractors G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service–Since 1975 905-824-2557 Construction G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service – Since 1975 905-824-2557 Bars & Clubs (Toronto) Fly Nightclub 416-410-5426 Contracting & Renovations Business & Professional Organizations G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service – Since 1975 905-824-2557 Church Wellesley Village Business Improvement Area 416-393-6363 Butchers St Jamestown Steak & Chops 416-925-7665 Jones Pond Campground 585-567-8100 Cheese Shops Leslieville Cheese Market 416-465-7143 Chiropractors gesund 416-913-5170 Churches CHOOSE WISELY Concierge Services Newbright Construction 416-985-8639 Campgrounds MODELS & ESCORTS RELAX FOR AN HOUR while your body is massaged from head to toe. Let your thoughts wander as you release all your stress and anxieties. Extra time and services canbe provided with this five star service. Chad 416-838-3440 E indexdirectory.ca Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto 416-406-6228 Coffee Shops Fuel+ 647-352-8807 Community Groups & Services Enterprise Toronto 416-392-6646 Cosmetics Rosense 416-216-6999 Counselling Change4U2 416-827-7578 David Moulton, MEd, Canadian Certified Counsellor 647-525-8268 David W Routledge (MSW, RSW), Psychotherapist 416-944-1291 Tailspin Dog Spa 416-920-7387 Entertainment Take a Walk on the Wild Side™ 416-921-6112 Florists Astra Florists astraflorists.com Davis Floral Creations davisfloral creations.com Foundation Repairs G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service – Since 1975 905-824-2557 Jewellery & Jewellers Pet Stores & Supplies The Fair Trade Jewellery Company 647-430-8741 Helmutt’s Pet Supply 416-504-1265 Juice Bars Pharmacies Juice Box 416-924-4671 Pace Pharmacy & Compounding Experts 416-515-7223 Renovations & Restorations The Village Pharmacy 416-967-9221 Newbright Construction 416-985-8639 Zaillan Pharmacy 416-216-6999 Restaurants & Cafés Printing C’est What? Brew/ Vin Pub Restaurant 416-867-9499 Lawyers Harvey L Hamburg 416-968-9054 Ivan Steele Law Office 647-342-0568 Law Office of El-Farouk Khaki 416-925-7227 Paul T Willis – Barrister & Solicitor, Notary Public 416-926-9806 Robert G Coates 416-925-6490 Legal Services Craig Penney, Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyer 416-410-2266 Lighting Living Lighting on King 416-364-9099 Massage – Certified/ Registered Furniture – Leather gesund 416-913-5170 Wilson Furniture 1-800-323-6705 Japanese Male RMT 416-804-9248 Gardening Davenport Garden Centre 416-929-7222 The Power of Touch 647-330-ALEX(2539) Hair Removal Meats & Delicatessens LJ’s Laser Hair Removal Clinic laserbylj.com St Jamestown Steak & Chops 416-925-7665 Hair Stylists & Barbers Men’s Accessories Ragga Hair and Beauty Salon 416-368-8113 MensMarket.com mensmarket.com Health Foods & Nutrition The Big Carrot 416-466-2129 Home Improvement & Repairs Bryant Renovations 416-260-0818 G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service –Since 1975 905-824-2557 Mortgages Investors Group Financial Services –Kenton Waterman 416-860-1668 Linda Rudolph at The Mortgage Centre 416-282-1677 Moving & Storage Agility Moving & Storage Ltd 416-654-5029 Lewco Chandelier 416-439-4999 Avery Moving & Storage 416-239-9565 Phillip Coupal Counselling 416-557-7312 Newbright Construction 416-985-8639 Marsh Movers 416-823-7512 Dental Services Insurance Adelaide Dental 416-429-0150 Kenton Waterman Investors Group Financial Services 416-860-1668 Dr Iudita Costache– Galleria Dental 416-534-9991 Dr Kevin Russelo & Associates 416-966-0117 Galleria Dental, Dr Iudita Costache 416-534-9991 Internet Distributel Canada 1-877-700-7854 Investment Services Kenton Waterman Investors Group Financial Services 416-860-1668 Naturopathy gesund 416-913-5170 Painting CM Painting & Decorating 647-588-1774 Newbright Painting 416-985-8639 Pet Care Tailspin Dog Spa 416-920-7387 The UPS Store 473 Church St 416-966-3008 112 Elizabeth St, Ste 5 416-971-5001 Psychotherapy Bruce M Small, MSc, Psychotherapist 416-598-4888 Roy Runions, Sales Representative, RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Ltd, Brokerage royrunions.com Bryant Renovations 416-260-0818 Cora Breakfast & Lunch 27 Carlton St 416-340-1350 277 Wellington St 416-598-2672 Fire on the East Side 416-960-3473 Coming into Life 416-391-4986 x2 Hair of the Dog 416-964-2708 depth therapy 416-694-0015 x225 I Went to Philly 416-927-9090 Nick Mulé, PhD, RSW, Psychotherapist 416-926-9135 The Blake House 416-975-1867 Psychotherapy Depth Therapy The Churchmouse & Firkin 416-927-1735 Sex Matthew Kelly, M.A. Psychotherapist Depth Therapy 416-694-0015 x225 Squirt.org squirt.org Publications Bed Time Toys bedtimetoys.ca Pink Triangle Press 416-925-6665 pinktrianglepress.ca Xtra (Toronto & Ottawa) 416-925-6665 xtra.ca Xtra (Vancouver) 604-684-9696 xtra.ca Radio Stations Proud FM 416-213-1035 Real Estate Great Gulf Homes – Yonge + Rich 416-499-8883 Nicholas Bohr RE/ MAX Hallmark Realty Ltd, Brokerage str8up.ca Philip Kocev – Sales Representative 416-364-2036 RE/MAX Baywatch Ltd, Brokerage 705-756-7629 Theresa Forget, Sales Representative, RE/MAX First Realty, Brokerage 905-686-3800 Real Estate Agents Gaelen Patrick – Sutton Group Realty Systems Inc 416-801-9265 Sex Shops Condom Shack 416-596-7515 Shipping The UPS Store 473 Church St 416-966-3008 112 Elizabeth St, Ste 5 416-971-5001 Spa Services LJ’s Laser Hair Removal Clinic Toronto, Hamilton 1-800-506-5920 Tax Services CJH Tax Services 647-270-8057 Yoannou & Associates, Chartered Accountants 416-487-3273 x24 Telecommunications Acanac 416-849-8530 Theatre Buddies in Bad Times Theatre 416-975-8555 Veterinarians Blue Cross Animal Hospital 416-469-1121 Waterproofing G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service–Since 1975 905-824-2557 Websites Squirt.org squirt.org Xtra.ca xtra.ca TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS XTRA HOT DRASKO BOGDANOVIC Xtra brings you the chance to win a pair of tickets to see FUN. & Tegan and Sara NAME: FILIP JEREMIC AGE: 24 SIGN: VIRGO Saturday July 6th at Downsview Park. Filip likes to do fun activities on a date, like making cheese from scratch. He wishes for the return of McPizzas and in his dream house would like to have one of those paintings where you spy on people through the eye holes. He often gets mistaken for a young Annie Lennox, his favourite bar is the Hyatt rooftop bar, and his quote of choice is “Treat me like a lady; fuck me like a whore.” Filip has a monthly show at Comedy Bar with his sketch duo British Teeth and sometimes does zany character standup. To enter, send your name and phone number to [email protected] before June 28. Some restrictions apply. Only winners will be contacted. THE BEST OF GAY & LESBIAN TORONTO @mister_filip | Instagram: misterfilip | britishteethcomedy.com SPRING /SUMM ER 2013 To comment on or become an Xtra Hot guy or gal, email Drasko at [email protected]. XTRA HOT is sponsored by Stag Shop Exploring Leslieville ›10 Summer skin care ›16 Highlights of The Junction ›32 Summer patio guide ›39 THE BEST OF GAY & LESBIAN TORONTO Book before Sept 1 and receive an early booking discount of 15% CANADA’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS DON’T MISS OUT ON OUR WINTER / FALL EDITION! CANADA’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS XL-TOR_2013-1_Pages _4.indd 1 Booking deadline: Wednesday, Oct 23 Release date: Thursday, Nov 14 MORE AT XTRA.CA XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 53 Hot ’n horny hookups. LAPTOP OR MOBILE WE’RE VERSATILE 54 JUNE 13–26, 2013 XTRA! TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS MORE AT XTRA.CA XTRA! JUNE 13–26, 2013 55 Exploring: never stop Single Tablet Regimens (one pill, once a day) are a step forward in HIV treatment. Explore more at exploreHIV.ca While they’re not a cure, these treatment options are designed to be effective and convenient. If you’ve been exploring different HIV treatments, talk to your doctor about Single Tablet Regimens too. It’s good to know what is out there.
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