de francesca gregorini portia rossi

Transcription

MAY 2013
® ISSUE 115 • FREE
The Voice of Alberta’s LGBT Community
ONE ON ONE WITH
ELIZA
DUSHKU
Dido
Not as mellow as her music
Liberace
Behind the Candelabra
PLUS:
Pro Sports’ First Openly Gay Player
Comic Expo Coverage
15 Years of Fairy Tales
...and more!
Business Directory
Scan to Read on
Mobile Devices
http://gettag.mobi
Community Map
Calgary • Alberta • Canada
Events Calendar
Tourist Information
Why we love
John Barrowman
STARTING ON PAGE 55
www.gaycalgary.com
2
GayCalgary Magazine #115, May 2013
www.gaycalgary.com
www.gaycalgary.com
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4
www.gaycalgary.com
Table of Contents
Videography
Steve Polyak,Sales
Rob Diaz-Marino
Craig Connell
Printers
[email protected]
North Hill News/Central Web
Printers
Distribution
Web exPress
Calgary: Gallant Distribution
GayCalgary
Staff
Distribution
Edmonton:
Clark’s Distribution
Calgary: GayCalgary
Staff
Other:
Canada Distribution
Post
Edmonton:
Greenline
Other: Canada Post
Legal Council
Courtney Aarbo, Barristers and Solicitors
SalesGeneral
& General
Inquiries
Inquiries
GayCalgary
and Edmonton
Magazine
GayCalgary
Magazine
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Calgary,
AB, Canada
Calgary,
AB, Canada
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Office Hours: By appointment ONLY
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This Month's Cover
Cher and Christina
Aguilera
courtesy of Sony
Main: Eliza
Dushku
Pictures;
courtesy
of Mike
Top Annie
Right: Lennox
Dido, photo
by Guy
Aroch.Owen;
Goudie.
Middle Right:Rex
Behind
the Candelabra,
photo by HBO
Proud
Members
of:
Bottom
Right:
John Barrowman
Proud Members of:
Edmonton Rainbow
Business Association
International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association
Bears, Queens, Geeks, and More
Publisher’s Column
Director talks Liberace biopic and why he’s proud to call it his last
film...for now
13InnerSPACE at the Calgary Expo
14 Orphan Black
The new sci-fi show in town
15 Discussing Community Safety
Victim Assistance Support
16 Sean Patrick Flanery
A pre-Comic Expo chat with actor, martial artist and speedy driver
18 Dido Thanks You
Singer-songwriter on ‘loyal’ gay following, anger issues and which
song of hers she doesn’t want at your wedding
20 A New High
Sarah Brightman talks space mission, trendy gays and ‘fun feeling’ of
hitting big notes
22 Deep Inside Hollywood
e
n
zi
Vin Diesel, Moon Men and Wanda Sykes: nothing in common except
deals
23 Cocktail Chatter
The Caiprinha
a
g
a
24 Pro-Sports’ First Openly
Gay Player
m
25 The Non-Operative Word is Not Sorry
26 The 15th Annual Fairy Tales
27 Amaluna
Part Cirque part Broadway
28 Balletlujah!
Canadian icon k.d. lang inspires Alberta Ballet’s last dance of the
season
29 A Master’s Ego Struck Down
Red gives inner look at expressionist painter’s melees
30 Out of Town
National Lesbian & Gay
Journalists Association
PAGE 10
10 Behind the Candelabra
PAGE 14
Writers and Contributors
Mercedes
Mercedes
Allen,Allen,
ChrisChris
Azzopardi,
Azzopardi,
DallasDave
Barnes,
Brousseau,
Dave Brousseau,
JasonSam
Clevett,
Casselman,
Andrew Jason
Collins,
Clevett,
Mark
Andrew
Dawson,Collins,
Rob Diaz-Marino,
Emily Collins,Janine
Rob Diaz-Marino,
Eva Trotta,
Janine
Evan Kayne,
Eva Trotta,
Stephen
Jack Lock,
Fertig,Lisa
GlenLunney,
Hanson,Steve
Joan
Hilty,
Polyak,
EvanRomeo
Kayne,San
Stephen
Vicente,
Lock,
EdNeil
Sikov,
McMullen,
Krista
Allan
Sylvester
Neuwirth,
and theSteve
LGBTPolyak,
Community
Carey Rutherford,
of Calgary,
Romeo SanEdmonton,
Vicente, Edand
Sikov,
Alberta.
Nick Vivian and
the GLBT Community of Calgary, Edmonton, and
Alberta.
Photography
Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, Karen Hofmann,
LisaPhotography
Lunney, Mike Gere
Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino,
B&J
Videography
Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino
7
PAGE 18
Publisher: Steve Polyak
Editor: Rob Diaz-Marino
Sales: Steve Polyak
Design & Layout:
Rob Diaz-Marino, Ara
SteveShimoon
Polyak
MAY 2013
PAGE 35
®
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Continued on Next Page 
www.gaycalgary.com
5
Table of Contents
 Continued From Previous Page
34 Matinée Launches Revolution in Sin City
®
...With Four-Day Weekend Spectacular
35 Kiss & Del
Magazine Figures
PAGE 39
Scissor Sisters guitarist Del Marquis talks ‘ego baby,’ band’s hiatus
and being Beyoncé
37 Edmonton Fruit Loop Summer Series
39 Bring On Your Faith, Dolls
Eliza Dushku arrives at last month’s Calgary Comic & Entertainment
Expo
41 Guess Who’s Back, Sheldon?
42 Woo’d by Torchwood
PAGE 41
Queer Eye
A Couple of Guys
Mz. GayCalgary May 2013 - Deva Dave
Directory and Events
Classified Ads
a
m
PAGE 42
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Avg. Online Circulation: 150,000 readers
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43 Why We Love John Barrowman
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Wil Wheaton Returns to Calgary Expo
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History
Originally established in January 1992 as
Men for Men BBS by MFM Communications.
Name changed to GayCalgary in 1998.
Independent company as of January 2004.
First edition of GayCalgary.com Magazine
published November 2003. Name
adjusted in November 2006 to GayCalgary
and Edmonton Magazine. February
2012 returned to GayCalgary Magazine.
February 2013, GayCalgary® becomes a
registered trademark.
Disclaimer and Copyright
Opinions expressed in this magazine
are specific to the author, and do not
necessarily reflect those of GayCalgary
staff and contributors.
Those involved in the making of this
publication,
whether
advertisers,
contributors, or the subjects of articles
or photographs, are not necessarily gay,
lesbian, bisexual, or trans. This magazine
also includes straight allies and those who
are gay friendly.
No part of this publication may be reprinted
or modified without the expressed written
permission of the editor or publisher.
Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.
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JUNE 2013 Print Deadlines
Ad Booking: Wed, May 29th
Submission: Fri, May 31st
In Circulation: Thu, Jun 6th
Please contact us immediately if
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More articles and exclusive content online!
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Editorial
Bears, Queens, Geeks, and More
Publisher’s Column
By Rob Diaz-Marino, MSc.
After coming out of press with the April edition, we didn’t have
a single quiet weekend for the rest of the month. For better or
for worse (but mostly for better), three major multi-day events
would suck up practically every spare moment of our time:
Bears in Togas
First up was the much anticipated (by Steve and I especially)
Bearacchus weekend, brought to us by the Fellowship of Alberta
Bears (FAB) and ARGRA. Unfortunately as the timing turned
out, Bearacchus was happening opposite Jasper Pride. For many
reasons, including the fact that we had promised some friends from
Edmonton a place to stay for this event, we opted to stay in Calgary.
It started Friday night with the Tacky Tourist party at the Ramada
Hotel downtown (the host hotel for the weekend) where all the bears
already in town got to wear their gaudiest Hawaiian shirts. Steve
and I were in the mood to dress in theme for once, so we each wore
our one and only Hawaiian shirts too. I went a little further, digging
out of the closet a sun hat that I didn’t even know we had, and
putting some of our old press passes to use to look like the kind
of tourist who has to show off how many resort activities they’ve
participated in. It was a nice evening of socializing, topped off with
a hairy buns competition!
Saturday afternoon was the Bear-BQ at the Backlot, which
coincided with ISCCA Voting Day. This was pretty convenient, as it
allowed us to kill two birds with one stone. “Slippery Bear” Les was
cooking burgers and steaks on the grill - and apparently with meat
on his mind, Steve tried his hardest to convince Les to participate in
the Jock Strap Auction that would be occurring at the dance later
that evening. Les seemed up for it, until he realized it was a bit more
involved than just handing over a pair of his underwear. Ah well.
Nevertheless, all the hungry bears buying food at the Backlot raised
around $700 for the ISCCA.
As opening time for the main event approached, the weather grew
progressively worse, snowing heavily. Steve and I made our way
down to the Arrata Opera Centre, where the dance was being held,
to set up the slide presentation of bear eye-candy we had prepared.
Steve had to forego dressing in theme for the toga party because it
wouldn’t be practical for him to carry his camera, however I had
done my research on how to wrap a toga and dressed myself up for
the occasion.
The dance had a good turnout, though I fear the last minute
turn of weather may have thinned the numbers a bit. While there
were many familiar faces from both Calgary and Edmonton, this
was the first Bearbash for a number of Calgarians, and even a few
people from other parts of Canada and the US. DJ Phon3hom3
kept people moving on the dance floor, and contestants in the Jock
Strap Auction circulated to sell tickets and strut their stuff (and a
few of them had an obscene amount of stuff to strut). The auction
fundraised for FAB and ARGRA, and according to organizers, Gay
Friends in Calgary also raised over $400 on coat check.
www.gaycalgary.com
The end of the night is never a pretty sight when you are one of
the sober minority in the room, however I stuck around a little while
after the doors had closed and people were being cleared out to make
sure our guests from Edmonton got back to our place safely. Then
Sunday morning, hung over or not, we all went back to the Ramada
Hotel for some eggs, bacon, sausages, and more at the “Bear-runch”
(brunch) and said our goodbyes to out-of-towners who were heading
back home. With highways in dangerous condition after the previous
night’s snowfall, we were kind of glad we had stayed in town.
Queens in Crowns
Pop Quiz: what comes the week after ISCCA voting day? The
answer is: Calgary Coronation.
Due to the venue selection for the In Town and Out of Town
shows, coverage of these events in the magazine were not required,
so Steve and I enjoyed a drama-free Thursday and Friday night at
home before the main event at the Westin on Saturday.
This year, Ball organizers made a number of changes to the
performance order and other aspects of the night, in hopes of
promoting a better flow for the audience. In some ways they were
successful, such as taking care of the announcements and cheque
presentations near the beginning of the night so that the rest, leading
up to the Coronation ceremony, would be solid entertainment. From
my spot behind the camera, the first set seemed very long, however
the second and third sets went by surprisingly fast – and there
wasn’t even a fourth set!
In other ways, the changes were not so successful, such as the
tipping dish placed in front of the stage, designed to reduce the
time taken for the tipping line to clear after each performance. It
was apparent that people want to interact with the performers when
giving their tips, so this measure unfortunately didn’t save much
time. Lesson learned.
Despite things seeming to go by quicker, the event still breached
midnight. Argintina Hailey-Dior was voted in as Empress, with
Chris Tron stepping in beside her as Regent Emperor due to a “no”
vote for the Emperor candidate.
This news caused a bit of a kafuffle, and there was much
discussion about it the next day. Amidst it all, Steve and I felt a
bit sad that a number of people were so caught up in the drama
of it that they were forgetting to congratulate Argintina for being
successfully elected.
It’s hard to comment on the no vote without stepping on toes
or lending credence to hearsay. While Dennis was understandably
discouraged, we still saw him at the Coronation after party and some
of the Coronation week wrap-up events the following day, which
speaks volumes.
From our own experience, we’ve seen that Arginitina is a really
sweet and humble person who truly cares about the community.
Over the past few months we witnessed her receive flack that she
7
 From Previous Page
doesn’t deserve, not because she did anything wrong, but because
she found success by doing things a little differently. So we hope
that she and Chris are able to break the mould this year, to find
success by following a slightly different path than previous reigns.
Online Last Month (1/2)
Geeks in Tights
Drake Jensen, Plumb
After two busy weekends, I was determined to be in a bad mood
over having to go through a third one. And in fact, I managed to
keep this up for a little while on Friday until I reluctantly started
enjoying myself. Even being stuck at our booth for a good part of the
weekend, there was rarely a dull moment.
If nothing else, the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo is
swarming with hot men. A straight man would likely say the same
thing about the women…in fact, I’m pretty sure a few did. My theory
on the men is that many of them have strived to model themselves
after the hyper-masculine role models out of comic book lore – some
quite literally dressed up as their favorite characters, while others
more subtly incorporate it into their every-day “look”. For Steve and
I who like guys with bulk, beards, body hair and tattoos, it was a
veritable smorgasbord of pleasing visuals.
The magazines went very fast, and our presence caused an
explosion of traffic to our website and new followers on Facebook
and Twitter. This was no surprise considering the Expo was sold out
weeks in advance, with an attendance estimated at around 60,000!
As an official sponsor of the event (we even had an aisle in the main
hall named for us) it made us very proud to see the weekend go so
successfully.
At certain points during the weekend, a superhero known as
“Camera Man” could be seen as a black streak amongst the throngs
of people. That was me in my hoodie, hustling to videotape some of
the celebrity Q&A panels for some of our follow-up articles.
Of the panels that I saw, one actor in particular stole the show:
John Barrowman, who is interviewed in this edition. The man had
me rolling with laughter with his funny stories, crazy antics, and
blatantly gay sexual innuendos. What I loved more was that the
crowds were eating it up too, even encouraging him to get more bold
with it. Barrowman proved to me beyond a doubt that straight men
and women can not only embrace a gay character (as he played on
Torchwood and Doctor Who) but also an out gay actor. He told an
initially funny story, in which he was concerned he had caused a
straight fellow actor to cry after their characters had done a kissing
scene. But in actuality, he confessed the man was crying because
his brother who was gay had committed suicide years ago, and was
lamenting that at the time, his brother didn’t have someone like
Barrowman to look up to. It brought tears to my eyes, but they were
quickly wiped away by his next funny story.
Barrowman appeared that weekend on the Torchwood Panel (with
Eve Myles and Gareth David-Lloyd), and on another panel of his
own. I returned from both with a big grin on my face. I can’t help
but admire the guy – he has made a fan out of me.
Eve Myles, who made our cover last month, was also very sweet.
I came along to film the follow-up interview and didn’t think to
introduce myself, so she made a point of saying hi to me and asking
my name. Casper Van Dien was very funny and raucous when Jason
interviewed him, and I made a straight buddy from work a little
jealous when I texted him a picture of Eliza Dushku from less than
5 metres away, as I was filming her panel.
Each year, the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo brings out
talented, well known artists to showcase their work and in many
Hear Me Out
Drake Jensen, OUTlaw Is the world ready
for its first openly gay male countrymusic star? We might not know for sure...
http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3411
Stepping Up
Getting to Know the Candidates
for this Spring’s Coronation
As 2012’s Emperor and Empress of the
ISCCA prepare to step down, a new year
of royalty prepare to make the step up...
Cocktail Chatter
Above and Beyond
My brother-in-law introduced me to a
new liqueur last week – well, new to me,
anyway. It’s an Italian aperitif called....
Creep of the Week
Matt Barber
If any of my readers have daddy issues
and get off on being told “you’re a bad bad
boy,” you’ll love Matt Barber’s new...
Deep Inside Hollywood
The sun’ll come out tomorrow
for Jane Lynch
And that sun will stay out for exactly eight
weeks. That’s how long Glee’s mercurial
Sue Sylvester, aka Jane Lynch, will star...
Out of Town
Pittsburgh
Once one of the country’s preeminent
industrial
powerhouses,
with
a
population of nearly 700,000, Pittsburgh
(visitpittsburgh.com) has - like many...
Screen Queen
Holy Motors, Top Gun, The
Sessions, Roger Rabbit, Hitchcock,
Flight, Rise of the Guardians
Holy Motors A hypnotic fever dream of
wildly intoxicating weirdness, the twisted
premise of director Leos Carax’s...
The OutField
Jarod Bormann goes to the mat for equality
Like most Iowa boys, Jarod Bormann
grew up on a wrestling mat. That’s the
unofficial state sport – the University of...
8
www.gaycalgary.com
Online Last Month (2/2)
THE NAKED TRUTH
New Memoir Reveals Secrets
of A Working Boy
“I went through my teenage years
believing I was this broken person who
didn’t deserve to be treated well,” says
Justin Hernandez, the writer of...
Hear Me Out
Justin Timberlake, Kacey Musgraves
Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience
Sexy’s back, but not like you remember it:
After seven long, hard, long years...
Other People’s Politics
And We Just Have To Deal With It
Having friends who don’t share your
political views is very inconvenient. It
requires you to think in terms of...
Out Destination
Road Trip
In the past year, I’ve traveled around the
country, everywhere from Fort Lauderdale
to Seattle, Chicago to St. Louis, but the...
Cocktail Chatter
The Bitter Orange
“What about ‘The Burnt Orange?’” Dan
was trying to be helpful, but I bit his head
off. “That’s the ugliest Crayola color...
Creep of the Week
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II has no direct impact
on my life. I’m not one of her “subjects,”
nor do I follow the obsessive tabloid...
cases take drawing commissions. Quite coincidentally, several
weeks prior, Steve had connected online with one such artist that
was being brought out for the Expo. After paying him a visit at his
booth for a quick interview on Friday, he took Steve and I up on
our offer to go out for drinks that night at the Backlot. We ended
up having a really great time with him and a few friends of his from
Calgary (a few of whom turned out to be friends of ours as well)
and so made similar arrangements Saturday night, and Sunday
after the Expo was finished before he had to catch his flight back
to Vancouver. He was a really sweet and interesting guy, especially
for me who dabbles in drawing and photography. I didn’t exactly
grill him with questions about his profession, but a few things came
up as incidental topics that I was fascinated to hear about. Being
able to spend time with a new friend felt good, and really made our
weekend.
Other Stuff
The SHARP Foundation held their annual Taste for Life fundraising
event last month, so Steve and I tried something new by visiting
Los Chilitos, a Mexican restaurant on 17th Avenue. As one of the
participating locations, the restaurant donated 25% of their sales
for the evening to the SHARP Foundation. Although the restaurant
is a 10 minute walk from our house, this was our first time visiting.
As someone who has eaten at restaurants in Mexico, I definitely
appreciated the authentic atmosphere they have created. We ate a
sampling of different dishes, of course including some tacos – all very
delicious. Before we left, I got a picture of myself with one of the SHARP
Foundation volunteers, and the handsome waiter who shares a name
with one of my cousins from Spain.
For any women that felt a little excluded due to the primarily maleoriented Bearacchus weekend, Les Girls restored the balance with
their Geek is Sheek women’s dance. It was surreal to see Vinyl, once
the space of Boyztown, a private men’s club, completely taken over by
women. We also got to see the newly renovated downstairs, now called
Hyde, and I have to say I really like the atmosphere they’ve created with
the bookshelf walls. We hung around for the first little while to get
pictures, but as the girls started to really enjoy themselves, it was our
queue to give them their privacy. *wink*
This Month
Thankfully we have a few weeks to breathe before the next major
events. The North American Gay Volleyball Association tournament
comes to Calgary from April 23rd to 26th, and the Fairy Tales Film
Festival starts April 24th to 26th and continues April 29th to June
1st. We attended the launch party for Fairy Tales last month where
they showed previews of many exciting new films that are coming to
this year’s festival. We’re definitely looking forward to it! For more
information, look for their itinerary of films as a sponsored spread in
this edition.
The weekend afterward (in June) begins Edmonton Pride Week, and
you can also find a sponsored event itinerary in this edition of the
magazine.
Brent Hartinger’s highly successful
young adult novel Geography Club is the
little gay engine that could. The sweetly
unassuming story of closeted...
View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments
Geography Club meets soon
Out Destination
Seattle, Washington
Microsoft, Nordstrom, Amazon.com and
Starbucks are just a few of the companies
headquartered in Seattle, Washington,
The Emerald City. The city boasts...
More articles online...
www.gaycalgary.com
9
Behind the Candelabra
Director talks Liberace biopic and why he’s proud to call it his last film … for now
 Photo by HBO
By Chris Azzopardi
Steven Soderbergh knows who’s significantly responsible for
the major success of his male-stripper romp Magic Mike: gay
men eager to ogle the barely-covered bits of Channing Tatum
and his hunky posse. The Oscar-winning director’s upcoming
feature will obviously court the same audience – and not just
because Matt Damon lets it all hang out, too.
Behind the Candelabra is so gay that major Hollywood studios would
have nothing to do with the Liberace film. Premiering May 26 on HBO, the
revealing biopic stars Michael Douglas as the shiny showman who died
of AIDS complications at age 67 and Damon as his much younger beau,
Scott Thorson.
In our interview, Soderbergh spoke in depth about their real-life
relationship, the “flamboyancy scale” used to guide the actors’ gayness
onset, diversity in film and why Damon wanted to flaunt the junk in his
trunk.
GC: Steven, you’ve made the gayest movie of your career.
SS: That was my intent.
GC: Was it?
SS: In a way. It was an opportunity to make use of all the hours that I’ve
spent watching melodramas like Sunset Boulevard – anything connected
to a certain aesthetic that we associate with camp or just glamour.
I had spoken to Michael about it conceptually when we were doing
Traffic, but when I started researching Liberace, I was really having
trouble figuring out what the angle should be. I didn’t want it to be a
traditional biopic.
It was a friend of mine in New York who made me aware of Thorson’s
book (Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace). Once I read that,
10
it solved all my problems. That was six years ago. So we’re sort of
experiencing everything through his eyes. He’s Alice going down the rabbit
hole.
GC: What did you know about Liberace before reading Thorson’s book?
SS: I’m old enough to have seen him on TV when he was still performing.
I was, however, young enough to not really be able to articulate what was
distinctive about him. (Laughs) But I remember my parents always made
a point of turning on that channel if they knew he was going to be on
somebody’s show or if he had a special. I had this vague sense of him
being a very flamboyant entertainer.
In 2000, as I started to learn more about him and gather material, what
was great was discovering that he was an amazing technical musician,
an incredible keyboardist. I found it fascinating that somebody with that
sort of skill set was very happy to hide it behind a real genuine desire to
put on a very popular and entertaining show. He wouldn’t have been as
interesting to me if it turned out that he was a so-so keyboardist.
GC: How did Michael pull off the piano-playing parts?
SS: Oh, lots of tricks.
GC: Then you fooled me, because at one point he’s playing 16 beats to
the bar for “Boogie Woogie” and you can clearly see Michael’s hands on
the piano.
SS: In my mind, that was a very important scene. Because if we don’t
sell that, then we have a problem. There was a lot of effort expended on
that particular scene. Michael had to spend a lot of time making sure
that he was doing the right thing so that the effects would work properly.
He couldn’t just sit there. He had video of the pieces and he had to make
sure his hands were very close to being perfectly placed so that we could
make it work.
www.gaycalgary.com
GC: Did you discuss with Michael how flamboyant he could go with
Liberace?
SS: Sometimes I’d use a number. I’d go, “Oh, I think he should be at
a 7 here.”
GC: A 7 on the flamboyancy scale?
SS: Yeah. But more often than not, he and Matt would both tell you
that once you put on the outfit and the hair and everything, you’re kind
of there. I don’t remember having to really talk about how gay I wanted
them to be. (Michael) would just show up in that outfit with that hair and
it was happening.
GC: Was there a scene where you told them to take it to a 10?
SS: The first meeting where Lee (the name close friends called Liberace)
first meets Scott backstage, I would’ve said to Michael, “OK, this is about
as far as I want you to go.” Take it as far as you feel comfortable.
GC: The sexual tension was so palpable my screen was sweating.
SS: (Laughs) One of the things I liked about it is this sort of Sunset
Boulevard dynamic in terms of the age difference and the fact that Scott
shows up and Lee’s giving him elevator eyes.
looking at it on paper, and then when you see what Michael and Matt did,
I get why they couldn’t see it. I was just frustrated that they didn’t believe
that we could see it.
GC: What do you think it says about Hollywood and society when a
movie about two gay men won’t get picked up by a major studio but a
movie that exploits violence does?
SS: That’s more about the culture at large than it is about the studios.
They don’t give a shit. If movies like this were making a lot of money,
that’s all they’d be making. The reason you don’t see more movies made
with non-white protagonists as leads is because, in our culture, non-white
audiences go in significant numbers to see movies with white protagonists,
but white audiences do not return the favor. It’s not reciprocal, and that’s
the only reason that movies lack so much diversity.
GC: Did you know going in that a movie about Liberace would be a
tough sell?
SS: Yeah, I knew it would be tough, but I didn’t think it would be
impossible. If it wasn’t for HBO, I don’t think we would’ve been able to
get it made.
GC: How did you perceive their relationship?
SS: I took the relationship at face value, and I believed that it was
GC: Matt had said that it’s a challenge creating chemistry with someone
you wouldn’t normally be attracted to. As the director, was it a challenge
to make this relationship seem real?
SS: The key, which they understood intuitively, was: The chemistry
was going to come from the comfort level, and the more comfortable they
felt with each other and the more that it seemed, “Oh, this is how people
act when there is not a camera around,” that’s what would sell it. Just
being totally inside of it and never stepping out of it and looking back at
it. You have to just jump into the hot tub, and that’s what I think really
sells it when I see the movie. They seem so comfortable with each other.
GC: And only one take for the sex scene where Matt is on top of Michael
– really?
SS: (Laughs) I said, “OK, Mike, you’ve gotta be able to reach the amyl
nitrates, so you should be here. Matt, you’re gonna be on top of him here.
I’m gonna drop the camera down here.” We did a take, there was a long
pause and I was just like, “I don’t have any notes. That’s that.”
GC: Not that I was counting, but there were three Matt Damon ass
shots. When is an ass shot necessary and when is it gratuitous?
SS: In this case, it would’ve been more awkward and distracting if you
somehow didn’t show it. But none of that was planned. Matt’s in his robe
and he gets into bed, and in another scene he’s getting out of the hot tub.
It’s all stuff that was motivated; I guess that’s really what it comes down
to.
“Gratuitous” means they’re doing something they wouldn’t normally
do to create an ass shot, and that’s not how we were thinking. Though I
certainly had it in mind when Matt came to the set and said, “You’re not
gonna believe the Brazilian tan line I got from the spray guy. The world
has to see this.” (Laughs)
GC: Studios turned down the film because they said it was “too gay.”
What exactly is “too gay”?
SS: They weren’t convinced that anybody who’s not gay is going to
want to see it. That was really their attitude. It’s not like, “We don’t like
gay people.” They had concerns about how to sell it. And when you’re just
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a real relationship and that they did love each other. It’s a very weird
environment in which to maintain any relationship, but I felt that it was a
sincere relationship and that they were both broken but in different ways,
and so there was a kindred feeling somehow.
GC: And that last scene really brings authenticity to the relationship.
SS: When I read the book, it convinced me that this was worth doing,
because it really surprised me. The way the movie lands emotionally is
really unexpected – and in the book, I just found that scene incredibly
moving and sad.
GC: Do you see this film and Liberace’s life as a cautionary tale at all?
SS: No. I guess when I look at it, there’s just more of a frustration that
there was this added pressure because of the time period – the pressure
of hiding the relationship and then, of course, the threat of mortality that
was circulating amongst the gay community during that period. I mean, I
lived for nine months with my sister in San Francisco during the summer
of ’80 through the spring of ’81 on Market Street. If I was gay, I’d be dead.
That was ground zero.
GC: What was that experience like for you?
SS: It was interesting to be 17 and walk down the street and have
somebody look at me in the way that I’d be looking at girls. (Laughs) That
was the first time being exposed to that, but it wasn’t a problem. The
friends I did have that were gay and sexually active were really, really
paranoid and being super safe. They were scared.
It’s a classic case of everybody realizing everything too late. I always
wish we could think 50 years in the future when we look at what’s going
on right now in terms of equal rights. I’m just sitting here going, “50 years
from now, we’re going to be wondering why we were even arguing about
this.” Why can’t we just pretend that it’s 50 years later and just end it
now?
GC: On behalf of the gay community, I would like to thank you for
Magic Mike.
11
SS: (Laughs) It’s so funny, because that was such a huge part of the
success of the film – the attention it was given from that community from
the minute it was announced. It was such a chatter magnet and, honestly,
that was part of the reason why Warner Bros. came in while we were
shooting and picked the movie up. This is not something they typically do.
hard for them – especially, when they’re looking at a piece of art – to drop
the ideology and look at the macro of it. They’re just reacting with their
amygdala instead of their prefrontal cortex and they’re crying foul and you
go, “No, actually, if you break this down, you only got halfway there before
you started yelling.”
This was an independently financed movie that they came and bought
while it was shooting. I can’t even tell you the last time they did that, and
that was because they had a feeling that this thing was going to have some
cultural traction because of all the Internet attention it was getting.
Yeah, there was a bit of a flash mob about it initially. I was trying
to explain that – actually, she’s not a lesbian. She’s just a fucking
opportunist! (Laughs)
GC: With Magic Mike 2, have you thought about where you want the
story to go?
SS: We actually just had a meeting about it the other day. It’s getting
pretty far along. They’ve got a good idea. There were some stories and
events that Channing lived through that we just couldn’t fit in the first
one. One of them is a really hilarious and very cinematic idea that we
reluctantly didn’t put in the first film, because it was such a big idea you
could build a whole film out of it – but we didn’t want to build that film out
of it. It’s perfect for this, though.
GC: How involved will you be?
SS: I want to help. I have some proprietary feelings about it, obviously.
I want to make sure it gets done and done well, so we meet every couple
of weeks to talk about where it’s going. But it’s gonna be good. It’s a
good idea. It’s not a retread. And there will be more time spent with the
characters – all of them.
GC: You’re not gonna tell me the idea, are you?
SS: Yeah, I don’t want to share the details.
GC: Is the original cast returning?
SS: Oh yeah!
GC: What did you make of the flack you received for the lesbian-killer
character in Side Effects?
SS: I knew that was coming. I thought, “Look, these kind of things
swing in both directions.” You get people who are so on guard that it’s
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GC: Side Effects was supposed to be your last film. What made you put
retirement on hold for Behind the Candelabra?
SS: The movie was supposed to happen earlier and it didn’t. I decided
that, actually, this is great if this were – and I’m not saying it will be – the
last movie I ever made. I would be very happy. I feel like it’s connected in a
lot of ways to the first film I ever made, and it’s also a progression.
GC: Can you talk about the connection between this film and Sex, Lies,
and Videotape?
SS: The connection is that it’s completely relationship driven, and most
of it is about two people in a room ... except the room is now a hot tub.
(Laughs) It’s a progression in the sense that it’s a much more mature piece
of work than my first film – obviously, it ought to be – but I’m able to do
things, having done it for 24 years, that I wasn’t able to do back then.
GC: Are you still retiring?
SS: In terms of movies, it’s going to be a break. I don’t know how
extended. I’m just taking a break from that specific kind of work for a
while to see if I can tear everything down and rebuild it. See if I can come
back different.
www.gaycalgary.com
Interview
InnerSPACE at the
Calgary Expo
By Evan Kayne
Ajay Fry and Teddy Wilson from Space TV’s Sci Fi
genre news program InnerSPACE were back in town
for the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, and
at their panel the boys got a chance to really sharpen
their improvisational and hosting skills: the reel clip of
upcoming shows refused to play, leaving them to reenact the concepts. While it would have been nice to see
the reel, it was a lot funnier to watch them perform on
the spot. As well, a large portion of the panel was devoted
to a new series – Orphan Black (see the accompanying
article in this issue).
Often in Expos and conventions you get creators or fellow
geeks like the InnerSPACE men giving a serious analysis
of themes, characters and ideas on various science-fiction
television shows. When I caught up with Teddy and Ajay
later that weekend, their panel prompted me to discuss gay
characters and geek culture.
It’s probably indicative of how much closer to the mainstream
“Geek Culture” has become by how often it comes up on shows
that are not science fiction oriented – and it’s no longer just
the odd Star Trek references either. Recently on The Big Bang
Theory , Sheldon had a minor meltdown upon finding out his
favourite series Alphas was being cancelled. Ajay and Teddy
have had those moments themselves, and have heard of fans
echoing a similar response when a favorite sci-fi series ends. “I
do think it’s really cool that idea of meta geek referencing on
shows like The Big Bang Theory,” Teddy said. However, while
the characters on that show are a bit of a stereotype of geeks,
“I think it’s very interesting gateway show for people who aren’t
super aware of the geek community.”
Besides stereotypes of geeks, I asked them about evolving
portrayals of LGBT characters on television. Orphan Black
has Felix, the adopted brother of the main character. What’s
refreshing about Felix is that he’s not the stereotypical
neutered, safe gay character. He’s sexually aggressive, acerbic,
sells drugs and is probably not someone you’d want to have as
a friend.
“Whereas ten years ago people might shy away from that kind
of vibe and dynamic from a gay character, now it’s fine,” Teddy
said. Some gay characters will be flamboyant, some won’t.
“That’s the key to it...people are who they are.” Ajay added that
I used the right word when I discussed Felix – character. “It’s no
longer a caricature. It’s a fully fleshed out, realized character.”
www.gaycalgary.com
 Ajay Fry and Teddy Wilson
As usual for Expo interviews, we didn’t have much time to
talk, but the InnerSPACE boys were also excited about all the
series they’ve got going on. Besides Orphan Black and the new
season of Doctor Who, they were gushing over a new television
series from the UK - Utopia. It just started airing on Space and
essentially it’s about a cult graphic novel which is rumoured to
have predicted the worst disasters of the last century, and how
a small group of people gain possession of a sequel manuscript.
They then have to battle other groups who may or may not want
to use this information for nefarious purposes.
Ajay was excited for In the Flesh: “It’s another great BBC
series...it’s a mini-series about zombies being reintegrated into
society after they’ve been cured of zombism.” And for those who
like their reality shows, look for “Panic Button” - a Canadian
reality series about facing your fears whether that be snakes,
spiders, or small spaces. There were a few more new shows
coming out, and with the summer movie season upon us, I’m
sure InnerSPACE will be ready with comments, interviews and
opinions – whether it be on the Expo floor or on SPACE.
13
Interview
Orphan Black
The new sci-fi show in town
By Evan Kayne
One of the nice things about going to the Calgary Comic
and Entertainment Expo is being exposed to exciting new
sci-fi television shows. Orphan Black is a new science
fiction television series about a woman who witnesses
the suicide of an exact duplicate of herself, and how she
gets sucked into this duplicate’s life. She discovers there
are more clones – and someone’s hunting them all down.
It’s a Canadian production which will be distributed by
BBC worldwide, and it’s already getting a lot of positive
feedback and fan reaction.
I had a chance to speak with two of the actors from the
show - Jordan Gavaris (Felix) and Dylan Bruce (Paul).
They both joked how they provide a lot of eye candy for the
viewers. “Actually my first costume fitting involved a sock...
so that tells you a lot about our show sometimes,” Dylan
said. While a little sex appeal doesn’t hurt, Jordan thinks
the portrayal isn’t gratuitous as the characterization is
strong and it’s justified based on that. “Because we take the
characters to such a place, we’re really figuratively stripping
down...I thought it was a bit of a cop-out that we didn’t
literally strip down as well.”
It has been getting good numbers, so good it has been
renewed for a second season. When I asked Teddy and Ajay
from InnerSPACE (SPACE’s news and entertainment show)
about Orphan Black, they both said they were “unequivocally
over the moon and totally a fan of” this TV show. A common
thread amongst those two and from Jordan and Dylan as
well, was the level of writing for the characters.
Funnily enough, some other gay media have gotten
their noses bent out of shape that the gay character
(Felix) is flaming, bitchy, irreverent, a drug dealer and
generally somewhat of an asshole - labelling the portrayal
as “stereotypical”. One suspects they would like all gay
characters to be tireless saints.
Jordan disagrees. “I think it’s not fair that we feel in
television today, being comfortable representing the gay
community means only representing the gay community in
a traditional sense with two partners and a child.” Jordan
has met men like Felix. There are good and bad elements
to any person, and like in real life their sexuality is just
a small part of who the person is. “He’s a brother, he’s an
artist, he’s a multi-faceted human being the same way we
all are.”
For a science-fiction show, you can have all the
pyrotechnics in the world, but what makes it keep viewers
and stay on the air is the strength of the characters as they
are written. That’s one reason to watch it. The fact that
it’s a softer and more accessible science fiction is another.
However, the final word on the show goes to Dylan: “Watch
the show, it’s gritty, it’s exciting, it’s thrilling...there’s a dark
humorous undertone which (Felix) lends to [it] so much. It
just gets crazier and wilder as the season progresses...I’m
not B-S-ing…it’s fantastic.”
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Community
Discussing Community Safety
Victim Assistance Support
By Constable Andy Buck
Hello everyone, it is great to be talking to you again, and even
better that we have had some sun recently to warm our bones
after what seems like an extremely long winter.
You may recall in my introduction to you at the beginning of
the year that I have been a police officer for many years, primarily
in the UK, and I have to tell you that in my experience Calgary is
a very safe city. However, as with all big cities, sometimes bad
things do happen as was evidenced recently by an incident that
was reported quite extensively in the media. If you are unfortunate
enough to require police action as a result of being a victim of a
personal crime such as assault or robbery, then you need to know
that you are not alone when it comes to dealing with the aftermath
of these incidents. This month I want to provide you with a bit
of information about the Calgary Police Service Victim Assistance
Support Team.
The Calgary Police Service Victim Assistance Support Team
(VAST) promotes and advocates the rights and entitlements of
victims of crime and trauma. VAST provides assistance to both
primary victims (persons who have experienced direct injury, loss
or trauma) and secondary victims (those who are impacted by the
repercussion of a crime or trauma including witnesses, friends,
family and co-workers.) To lessen the effects of a traumatic incident,
the Victim Assistance Support Team provides non-judgmental
emotional support, a listening ear and practical assistance to
victims of crime or tragedy.
VAST also provides comprehensive resource listings for
victims.
Programs and services offered by VAST
The Calgary Police Service Victim Assistance Support Team has been a
source of support to thousands of victims of crime and tragedy in Calgary
since 1977. Their role is to reduce the impact you may experience from a
crime or tragedy. All services are free of charge.
The call centre
Victim Support Advocates (volunteers) provide phone contact with
victims of personal crime or tragedy, offering case and court information
and updates, emotional support and referrals to community agencies for
counseling, bereavement and other appropriate support agencies. Contact
information and hours of operation appear at the end of this article.
The Court Support Program
The Crisis Response Program
Victim Support Advocates provide 24/7 response to the scene of an
incident to provide immediate crisis intervention, emotional support and
practical assistance to victims of crime and tragedy. Teams are dispatched
under the direction of Calgary Police Service members.
Other programs and services
The following programs are offers by the Alberta Government and
supported by victim support advocates.
Victim impact statement
Once charges are laid, victims have a right to complete a Victim Impact
Statement, as legislated under Section 722 of the Criminal Code of Canada.
The victim impact statement is intended to give crime victims a voice in the
criminal justice process. A victim impact statement is a written account of
the personal harm suffered by a victim of crime. It provides an opportunity
to participate in the sentencing of an offender by explaining to the court, and
the offender, how the crime has affected them.
Restitution
Once charges are laid, victims have a right to apply for restitution from the
offender, if they have suffered financial loss as a result of a crime. Restitution
is a way for the offender to repay the victim.
Financial benefits
Eligible victims of violent crime in Alberta have a right to apply for Financial
Benefits, as an acknowledgement of their victimization. This program is
administered under the Victims of Crime Act and Regulation. Benefits are
based on the victim’s verified injuries; with the amounts set in the Victims of
Crime Regulation.
The contact for more information related to VAST can be found at the end
of this article.
In relation to the incident briefly mentioned at the start of this article, I can
tell you that I have reviewed the file and I am satisfied that the investigation
is being conducted properly, professionally and diligently. The victim in this
case is naturally upset, but seems to be doing okay and has been working
with VAST regarding available supports and resources.
Incidents like this are very shocking, but happily they are isolated ones.
Please be alert and don’t be afraid to report all suspicious activity. As always,
you can call me or email me with any questions, comments or concerns.
Stay safe, and I look forward to talking to you next month.
Victim Support Advocates inform victims of their rights, their role and
their obligations when participating in the criminal justice system, once
charges are laid. Advocates provide court updates, court preparation, court
orientation and, when required, court accompaniment for victims, families
and witnesses during preliminary hearings and trial.
Constable Andy Buck
403-428-8154 • [email protected]
The Court Support Program also works in partnership with The Child
Witness Court Preparation Program for children ages three to 17, and the
Domestic Violence Legal Intervention Program.
Victim Assistance Support Team (VAST)
Call Centre:
403-428-8398 or toll-free 1-888-327-7828
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 8am-9.m, Friday 8am-4pm
More Information:
Sergeant Brent Hutt ([email protected])
403-428-8294 • http://www.calgarypolice.ca
www.gaycalgary.com
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Interview
Sean Patrick Flanery
A pre-Comic Expo chat with actor, martial artist and speedy driver
By Janine Eva Trotta
The renowned alabaster face we can all recall from 1995
is came to Calgary’s 2013 Comic Expo. Sean Patrick
Flanery, the Texan actor who portrayed to us Jeremy
“Powder” Reed, headed north for the chance to meet and
entertain his western Canadian admirers.
This was his first Comic Expo experience and first time in
Calgary, and the actor was looking forward to the trip.
“We just thought it be a good idea,” he said. “A good
opportunity to meet our fans.”
Flanery promised his presentation at the Comic Expo will
be on “Whatever the fans want to discuss; anything and
everything.”
Though comics were not something he was into, nor read
fervently, he said as a youth he was a big movie buff.
“My favourite genre is good,” he says, naming Roberto
Benigni’s Life is Beautiful (La Vita è Bella) as his all-time
favourite, but adding that he also loves 2001 Space Odyssey
and a full host of other quality films.
In real life Flanery lives with his best friend Donut in the
sunny climbs of California.
“She’s a brown one – a mixed mutt,” he says proudly of
the canine named after the first snack she devoured under
Flanery’s care. “I’m still a Texan at heart but I’ve lived here (in
Los Angeles) long enough to call it home.”
As such, he has set up two academies for martial arts in
the area. Flanery is an avid Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and karate
enthusiast – great skills to have for his 2007 and 2008
portrayals of Indiana Jones in four segments of The Adventures
of Young Indiana Jones.
“[Martial arts are] a big part of my life,” he says.
Like his taste in film, the selection of roles that he plays also
tend to span the full gamut. From Saw 3D to character Sharon
Newman’s boyfriend in popular daytime soap The Young and
the Restless, to 1999’s Simply Irresistible and parts one and two
of The Boondock Saints.
Flanery has dabbled in science fiction, playing briefly
the character of Orlin in Stargate SG-1 among other genres,
including action, romantic comedy and horror - even music
video. The actor of mixed Cajun, Irish, and English decent
appeared in The Black Keys’ music video “Howlin’ For You”.
“Let’s be honest – acting is not a real difficult occupation – it’s
all relative,” he says when asked which of his roles presented
the biggest challenge.
Flanery is genuine; he says that though weather can be
uncooperative or certain climates can make playing roles more
difficult, he is lucky to be making a living doing what he is
doing.
And to spice things up, in his down time, the actor likes to
race fast cars. He won both the 1997 and 1998 Toyota ProCelebrity Races at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
As to the kind of projects he would like to do next, he answers
candidly.
“Good ones,” he says. “I’m not specifically hoping to play
Hannibal: Part III or anything too specific.”
“I want to play something I’d like to see myself.”
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www.gaycalgary.com
17
Dido Thanks You
Singer-songwriter on ‘loyal’ gay following, anger issues and
which song of hers she doesn’t want at your wedding
 Photo by Guy Aroch
By Chris Azzopardi
It would be easy to mistake Dido as being as mellow as her
music – but don’t.
In our chat, the British singer-songwriter – promoting her first album
in five years, Girl Who Got Away – didn’t just chat about her gay fans and
the Eminem song that launched her career. We found out what turns the
musically meek songstress into an angry beast. Let’s just say this: Tequila
makes Dido dangerous.
GC: Welcome back, Dido.
D: Thank you very much. It’s nice to be back.
GC: When did you recognize you had a gay following?
D: Pretty instantly, I would say. I’ve always had a very loyal gay following,
which I’m very thankful for.
GC: Do you have a lot of gay people in your own life?
D: Oh yeah, tons. I mean, friends, work people … everybody.
GC: Everybody?
D: (Laughs) No, not everybody, but a huge amount. I’m surrounded by
very good people.
GC: What kind of alcohol?
D: Back then I used to drink quite a lot of tequila, but then that all
went a bit wrong and I found that’s just the one thing I cannot drink. So
now I like to drink wine. Does that mean I’m getting old? It probably does.
(Laughs) But tequila makes me get into fights.
GC: Tequila makes you fight?
D: Yeah! It used to make me weirdly aggressive – and I’m like the most
unaggressive person ever. (Laughs) But tequila makes me quite angry.
GC: But, Dido, you seem so mellow.
D: It takes so much to piss me off. Someone’s gotta poke at me quite a
lot to get me even remotely angry, but if I have tequila, I’ll just get angry at
the next person who comes around.
GC: How personal is Girl Who Got Away in relation to your other three
albums?
D: All my albums are pretty personal. You can’t help your life filtering
into your songs – or if you’re me, you can’t. I can’t help it. I’m a very open
person. I’m very honest in life and I’m very honest in my music, as well. I
think I’m always going to write that way.
GC: Who is the “girl” and who/what/where is she trying to get away
GC: Two of your biggest singles, “Thank You” and “Don’t Leave Home,”
from?
D: It’s funny: I think “Don’t Leave Home” at a wedding is just completely
D: Actually, my brother (Rollo Armstrong) is the “girl who got away,” and
he wrote most of those lyrics.
are wedding favorites.
weird. It surprises me that anybody has that at their wedding. It’s a song
about being incredibly claustrophobic. (Laughs) People are like, “I’ve played
that at my wedding,” and I’m like, “Why, if I can be honest?” I guess it’s the
title. “Thank You,” though, is a perfect wedding song, and I’ve actually sang
it at quite a few friends’ weddings. But if someone asked me to play “Don’t
Leave Home,” I’d just be like, “Really?”
GC: Have you ever sung at a gay wedding?
D: I haven’t actually, no. I haven’t really sung at many weddings. It takes
GC: There’s some gender-bending going on there.
D: (Laughs) Definitely! I love that song (“Girl Who Got Away”). He sent
me the lyrics and I just remember reading it thinking, “I love this song.” It’s
about so many things: about how I used to feel, that sort of restless feeling,
that feeling of maybe there’s another life somewhere and that feeling of
wanting to be exceptional but not quite reaching it. It’s my favorite song. But
then, as far as the title of the album, it’s also about everyone reaching out to
quite a bit of alcohol and coaxing to get me to sing at anyone’s wedding.
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www.gaycalgary.com
me (saying) that I keep disappearing, and it was quite a good comment on
that. I don’t think I was disappearing, but everyone else thought so.
GC: Maybe because it’s been five years since you released an album.
What’s your life like when you’re away from music?
D: I’m never really away from music. I might be away from the public eye,
but I’m never away from music. I’m always making it, I’m always writing it,
I’m always playing it, and then obviously it builds up into an album and I
put it out and I’m back in the public’s consciousness. And then I’m out of
it again.
I took a bit of time between albums two and three just because I realized
I’d been on the road for nine years at that point and that it was probably
time to go home and clean up the mess I left, and so I took a bit of time
in making the third album. But actually, this record I put together quite
quickly. Then in the middle I had a baby. You know, a small event. (Laughs)
GC: How do you feel before an album drops?
D: Oh my god, I’m so excited. I’ve only put out three records in my life;
this is only my fourth, and so this is still so fresh and exciting to me. It feels
like the first time I ever put a record out. I’m really proud of this album.
I feel like it’s my best record. It was such a fun record to make. Me and
brother just had such a brilliant time. I’m so lucky to have my brother as
my producer. It’s just a happy record for me.
GC: What kind of place in your life were you at when you recorded the
song “Let Us Move On”?
D: You know how we all go around saying life is short? I remember
saying once, “Life is actually really long, and not in a bad way but in a good
way.” When things are just really dark, when you look back on it, this will
be such a small moment in your life. You know when something’s so huge
you can’t get past it? Actually, it’s not. It’s just a very small part of a very
big life.
GC: Your debut, No Angel, obviously had such a huge impact on your
career, as did your featured spot on Eminem’s “Stan.” Did you worry about
the possible repercussions of performing with one of the most controversial
entertainers at the time?
D: I didn’t, because when I met him he was so respectful to me and
treated me so well. I saw integrity. I think he’s one of the greatest storytellers
around, and so no. As a real fan of his music, I have a lot of respect for him
musically, and he treated me well. That, for me, was enough. I just really
enjoyed working with him.
GC: You had mentioned to Playboy once that people kept asking you
about your feelings on the misogyny and homophobia in his music. Working
with him, did you feel sucked into that controversy?
D: I didn’t really feel sucked into it, to be quite honest. I’d heard that he
was making a social commentary on things and I just thought he was a
great storyteller and I didn’t get too sucked into it. Isn’t that, I guess, why
he performed with Elton John at the Grammys?
GC: Yeah, he was debunking the homophobia talk.
D: Yeah, exactly. I go on the person I see in front of me, and he was really
not a misogynist to me at all. Quite the opposite. Just utterly respectful –
and all the people around him were utterly respectful, as well.
GC: Many of your songs have been featured on television and in film. For
you, what’s a standout scene that included one of your songs?
D: Being played during 127 Hours was really cool. While I was watching
it, I was wincing and listening to my song and thinking, “This is so wrong
but so good.” That was a thrill being nominated for an Oscar. A dream thrill.
Sliding Doors was the first song I had in a movie, and that moment was
most exciting for me because I had never heard myself used in a film before.
GC: They used the same song, “Thank You,” during the love scene with
Ellen DeGeneres and Sharon Stone in If These Walls Could Talk 2. Have
you seen that?
D: Oh, totally!
GC: What’d you think of your song being used during a lesbian sex
scene?
D: That was really cool! There have been so many good uses. It’s just
been brilliant, and I’ve been really lucky.
www.gaycalgary.com
19
Interview
A New High
Sarah Brightman talks space mission, trendy
gays and ‘fun feeling’ of hitting big notes
By Chris Azzopardi
Sarah Brightman knows what it means to “shoot for the stars.”
A one-of-a-kind soprano, the Phantom of the Opera singer, who
originated the iconic role of Christine 27 years ago, has a voice
that can reach as high as the cosmos.
Soon, so will the singer herself, as she becomes the first singer to record
a song from space as part of a three-person team that will orbit the Earth
16 times daily. Her first album since 2008, Dreamchaser, is an extension
of this intergalactic mission – a trip that shouldn’t surprise her gay fans.
Brightman did, after all, lose her heart to a starship trooper.
We chatted with the renowned singer about that campy disco-era music
video, being a “heavenly” diva and getting high off those high notes.
GC: How did you select the cover songs for this album?
SB: Because of the journey I’m hoping to take in a couple of years to
space, I wanted to create a body of work that incorporated the feeling of our
emotions of space. I wanted to collect pieces which really felt very expansive
– some with deeper meanings and from a different perspective – and that
would bring all sorts of emotions up, so a lot of the songs were pieces I’d
wanted to do for a long time but couldn’t, because I am an interpreter of
music rather than a composer of it. These pieces kind of all fell into place
when I thought of the theme of this album. It was really a journey for me
collecting them all and putting them all together.
GC: How did Sia’s “Breathe Me” fall into the vision that you had for the
album?
SB: That song has a deeper meaning; it’s not just the voice that goes to
extraordinary places, but it’s about what it’s saying. I think the same with,
for example, the piece “One Day Like This,” which Elbow originally did. The
song is really trying to explain an experience – one experience we can have
can last a lifetime. I think in today’s world, we’re very greedy for experience,
and what we sometimes forget is that the smaller experiences that we have
are actually the bigger ones, and we’re losing the beauty of them. I think
“One Day” is similar to the Sia piece “Breathe Me,” and I also liked the idea
of “Breathe Me” being about space – there is no oxygen out there – and so it
has something to do with the physical feeling of breathing, as well. I thought
of that and what it means – it holds our life together.
GC: You will be the first professional singer to take a trip to space in the
next year or two. Isn’t this some kind of Guinness World Record?
20
SB: Yes, but that came afterwards. That wasn’t the reason for going. It’s
a much deeper thing which one could either talk about or not. But yes, I do
happen to be the first professional singer to go up.
GC: Has this been a lifelong dream of yours?
SB: It has, yes. I grew up through the ’60s, and space was very forefront
at the time. I watched the first man land on the moon on my black-andwhite TV screen. It opened my eyes and my mind to what we were capable
of, and that we could do things that were completely out of the box if we
wished to do so or felt we had the force to. It gave me a force, and it gave me
an energy. It was a very open time and very experimental time, and I thank
that time for the career that I have because it gave me the courage, in a way,
to move forward and to work really hard.
A lot of the pieces on television, the TV dramas, and in the movies were
very space-oriented because space exploration was all opening up, so
we were very influenced at that time and really felt that space and space
exploration and moving off the planet and into different places was going
to be very much part of our lives – when in fact it wasn’t. So when the
opportunity came up for me to be able to take a flight on the Virgin Galactic,
and then further on down the line to make this particular journey on the
Soyuz, I sort of grasped the opportunity and hoped that I would get through
the medicals and the training, which I did. It brought me to this moment
now, of us talking.
GC: It’ll be interesting to hear your stories after you return to Earth.
SB: Yes, I know. That’s one of the things I really want to share. I’m not
a scientist and I’m not a doctor and I’m not an engineer and all of those
things, so I probably will see some of it from a different perspective and
might be able to reach people more normally in that way.
GC: You are, however, a phenomenal singer. What’s the highest note
you can sing?
SB: When I was younger it used to be much higher, because, of course,
as you get older your high notes can still be reached but they don’t mean as
much. The voice does richer things. It used to be an E flat; I think that used
to be my highest note. Now I think it’s probably a D. Generally the repertoire
I do doesn’t need that note – that’s more sort of “Queen of the Night Aria.”
GC: When you’re hitting a note that high, what goes through your mind?
Do you have to think about it? Does your body convulse?
SB: (Laughs) You have a fair amount of air rushing from your lungs to
your vocal cords, and then obviously the resonances are open up in your
head, which actually makes you feel quite sort of light-headed and high. So
they give you a … fun feeling. (Laughs)
GC: Like smoking pot?
SB: It’s much better than having a spliffy. (Laughs)
GC: Have you ever nearly passed out?
SB: You do actually feel very faint sometimes. I have often, yes.
Sometimes you get a lot of those resonances when you open them and
there’s air going through. Obviously air doesn’t go through the head – it’s
www.gaycalgary.com
only imaginary – but the lungs are filled and you’re using certain energies.
It is a wonderful feeling when you’re getting it right. (Laughs)
GC: You’ll be on the road later this year. For people who’ve never
experienced a Sarah Brightman show, what is that experience like?
SB: I like to take people somewhere else completely. I like to take them
to different worlds. This time, it’s going to be definitely outer planetary.
(Laughs) It’s definitely a journey to the stars, but in the most romantic
ways, as well – in a beautiful way. In the most jewel-like, crystalline way I
can think of.
There will also be moments of huge amounts of energy in it. The beauty
of technology today is that with these wonderful screens we have and what
we can put on them, as well as the singer singing along, everything melts
together with light, with the persona there and also the visuals behind you.
You can really create stunning atmospherics for people to really just enjoy
the music to, and that’s what I intend to do.
GC: Can we talk about the “I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper” video?
SB: Of course we can! (Laughs) See, that proves my love of space, even
though it was so tongue in cheek then.
GC: You really were futuristic, even in the ’70s.
SB: I know, and in my Mary Quant tights. Mary Quant did wonderful
makeup and glittery things and tights and stuff like that. It was a very sort
of “in” look at that time. And those silvery suits were by Mary Quant.
GC: Is that video the gayest thing you’ve done in your career?
SB: (Laughs) So I’m told! I did it a few years back for gay pride in
got that female side, so he understands all points of view. He loves theater
and he loves music and he loves what I do, and he loves my mother and
looks after her because I can’t always be there for her. He’s just a lovely guy.
GC: When was it that you noticed you had a gay following? When you
were performing with Hot Gossip?
SB: Yes, it was. And it’s very important to me, because I always feel that
the gay following – they generally know what’s gonna happen before it does.
They’re very “in the know” with all the arts, and so I’ve always felt when
that following is strong I’m kind of doing the right things, because they have
good taste and are very happy to explore. They love the fantastic and all of
those areas where a lot of people wouldn’t necessarily go.
GC: It’s been a long time since you’ve done Broadway. Are your theater
days over?
SB: It’s never say never with these things. I can’t imagine it at the
moment, but there may be a point where I say, “You know, I really would
like to be in one place and do a Broadway show or a play or something in
New York or L.A. or London, wherever it may be, and really enjoy myself
focusing just on that.”
GC: Females who can sing as well as you are usually recognized as
divas. Is that a term you would consider yourself?
SB: Well, it’s funny – “diva” actually means goddess-like, and I think it’s
an extremely positive term. There have been negative connotations – “diva”
meaning difficult and throwing their weight around – but I never see it as
something like that. I see it as something that’s heavenly.
GC: And in that way, you certainly are a diva.
SB: (Laughs) I hope so. It does seem that I’m flying off to the heavens!
England, and I was able to go on and do “I Lost My Heart” to its fullest. I
had loads of dancers and everybody was going crazy out there. It’s a really
fun song to do.
GC: You’ve been around gay people your whole life. Your brother is gay
and so is a second cousin of yours. What’s your relationship like with your
brother?
SB: It’s the best. It’s always been wonderful, since he’s been a baby.
There’s been a real sort of connection there. It’s lovely with him because he’s
www.gaycalgary.com
21
Gossip
excellently retro… Wanda Sykes and her producing partner
Page Hurwitz recently signed a deal with NBC to develop and
produce non-scripted products (translation: reality and talk
shows, anything that isn’t a sitcom or narrative series). By
way of public statement, Sykes joked, “Wait, I thought we were
getting The Tonight Show.”
James Duke Mason will Disappear Here
James Duke Mason’s mom was a Hollywood kid herself,
hanging out underage at Los Angeles’s notorious punk
rock clubs in the late 1970s before becoming lead singer of
The Go-Go’s. And if having Belinda Carlisle as your mom
wasn’t already a leg up, his grandfather, legendary actor
James Mason, wasn’t exactly a stranger to entertainment,
either. That means it’s something like destiny that young
gay blond Mason would make his way into film, and he’ll
star later this year in acclaimed indie filmmaker Matthew
Mishory’s (Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean)
noir thriller Disappear Here. Mason will play a young actor
who becomes involved in the uglier sides of Hollywood and
political life – we could tell you more about the plot but our
lips are sealed. (Yes, that was too easy, but you’d have done
the same thing.) After a successful Kickstarter campaign
cameras are set to roll this fall for an expected 2014 bow.
Meanwhile go check out the teaser trailer online and marvel
at Go-Go genetics.
Coming soonish: Emanuel and The Truth About Fishes
 Vin Diesel photo by Miguel Campos / Shutterstock.com
Vin Diesel, Moon Men and Wanda Sykes:
nothing in common except deals
By Romeo San Vicente
MGM is in talks with Hairspray/Rock of Ages director
Adam Shankman to direct the action-comedy The
Machine, starring Vin Diesel as a humanoid weapon that
befriends a young boy.
Sound familiar? That’s because the two men previously
worked together on The Pacifier, which was essentially
the same movie… Wunderkind Bryan Fuller, whose witty
projects (Pushing Daisies) are often cult favorites that wind
up cancelled, has yet another critically acclaimed series on
his hands with Hannibal. The difference? It’s also gaining
traction with audiences, so now SyFy wants to be in business
with him, too. They’ve ordered a pilot for High Noon, an outer
space adventure series set on the moon as it’s colonized by
earth. Yes, a new life form is discovered, which makes it
22
Sure, it’s an oddly titled film, one more or less destined
for the arthouse. But ladies, listen up. It stars Jessica Biel
and Kaya Scodelario (U.K. star of Skins and last year’s
acclaimed remake of Wuthering Heights) and it was directed
by Francesca Gregorini (director of Tanner Hall who also
happens to be daughter of Catherine Bach, stepdaughter
to Ringo Starr and an ex of Portia de Rossi). That means
it’s a lesbian-directed movie that’s not going to get lost in
the gay film festival shuffle. So mark your calendars for this
drama about a young babysitter (Scodelario) who becomes
obsessed with a female neighbor (Biel), one who bears a
striking resemblance to the young woman’s dead mother.
OK, wait, don’t mark them yet because there’s still no release
date. But the recent premiere of this Hitchcock-inspired
mystery/thriller at Sundance and its brand new trailer mean
it’s coming … sometime … probably to select theaters this
summer and DVD/streaming not long afterward.
Sam Mendes and The Chocolate Factory
With the Broadway success of Matilda, all lights are
green for Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, the next Roald
Dahl children’s story to get the stage musical treatment.
And wasn’t it really just a matter of time, anyway? From
novel to screen musical to screen comedy-adventure minus
the music back to musical form again? Call it the circle of
creative recycling, if you will, but don’t call this adaptation
un-ambitious. Sam Mendes, respected for his theater work
and not exactly slouching as a film director either (maybe
you’ve heard of Skyfall, that little indie film he spent
three years making) is helming the production. And in a
fascinating casting move, acclaimed British theater actor
Douglas Hodge – a man known more for his classical work –
will step into the role of Willy Wonka. Meanwhile, the reason
you’re reading about it all here is because Marc Shaiman
and Scott Wittman (South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut,
Hairspray) are the men behind the music. So don’t freak
out; if anyone can find something to rhyme with Everlasting
Gobstoppers or snozzberry, it’s those guys.
Romeo San Vicente’s plan to go into space used to involve Lance Bass.
Used to. He knows what he did…
www.gaycalgary.com
Lifestyle
Cocktail Chatter
The Caiprinha
By Ed Sikov
“Portuguese is easy,” Chipper explained. “All you do is speak Spanish
through your nose.”
Hilarity ensued. “That’s so bogus,” Craig managed to get out through
heaves of laughter. The other boys – Dan, Paolo and me – were too convulsed
to say anything.
“No, really!” Chipper insisted, and he proceeded to demonstrate: “¡Buenos
dias!” he cried while holding his nostrils shut. It was certainly adenoidal, but
Portuguese it wasn’t.
“I happen to know a bit of Portuguese,” Paolo announced, “and that’s not
the way you say ‘good day’ in Portuguese. It’s ‘bom dia.’”
“That’s what I said!” Chipper protested to no success. “Comeme!” he
snarled, once again pinching his nostrils and sending the rest of us into
spastic fits of amusement.
We were enjoying this especially inane discussion on the Saturday evening
of a lovely spring weekend at Fire Island Pines; we’d all gotten together to
open the beach house and launch another glorious season of hot sand,
hot men, and – as far as Chipper was concerned – hot air. The particular
topic suggested itself because I’d stopped at the amazingly well-stocked
Pines Liquor Store and picked up a bottle of cachaça, the Brazilian firewater
distilled from sugar cane. In Rio they practically give it away, it’s so cheap.
The Pines Liquor Store charged a bit more, but it was worth it.
Cachaça is very, very strong. Drinking it neat would be asking for trouble –
big-time trouble. It really must be mixed with something else to be palatable.
Thus the Brazilian national cocktail, the caiprinha. (It’s pronounced KYEpa-REEN-ya.)
To make a round of great caiprinhas, you need a lot of very juicy limes.
This can be a problem in most of the United States and Canada, because in
all but the warmest locations, limes are shipped to stores on the basis of their
appearance, not their taste. How many times have you grabbed what looks
like a perfectly ripe lime and sliced it open only to find desiccated, lifeless
pulp? For this reason, I recommend that you augment your fresh limes with
bottled lime juice. You’ll get whatever fresh flavor your limes will yield – and
the rind is actually full of flavor and aroma – but you won’t be dependent on
the probably low quality of the fruit inside.
Another peculiarity of the caiprinha is the fact that it’s better when the
sugar you add doesn’t dissolve entirely, thereby giving the cocktail a slight
crunch. Usually I recommend using superfine sugar when mixing drinks.
(And to really milk the experience for all it’s worth, you have to say “superfine”
the way the guy says “Super Fly” in the theme song from that great
blaxploitation film from 1972.) But superfine sugar dissolves completely, and
you don’t want that in your classic caiprinha. There should be a granular
quality in each sip, if for no other reason than to remind you that you’re
drinking sugar can liquor. Here’s the classic caiprinha recipe, modified to
increase the lime juice by way of a bottle.
The Caiprinha
1 lime1 ½ tsp. sugar
1 tsp. lime juice
3 Tbsp. cachaça
Slice the lime into quarters, and place the quarters pulp side up
in a wide glass. Add the sugar and lime juice, the mash the lime
quarters down with a pestle or other similar muddler. Add the
cachaça and crushed ice and stir. Do not remove the lime pieces from
the drink; this cocktail should have a rustic quality.
Multicolored Pepper Rim
Hand-grind a saucer full of multicolored peppercorns. Take a tall
tumbler, dip it in the water, and then in the ground pepper. Voila! Here
you have the perfect topper for a Bloody Mary. Variation: shake some hot
pepper flakes onto the peppercorns for a spicier crust, but don’t overdo it.
Cracked Fennel Rim
Either buy cracked fennel from Penzey’s spices (www.penzeys.com) or
crush some whole fennel seeds in a mortal and pestle and dip your wetted
glass into a saucerful of fennel. This would make a great Bloody Mary
crust, too, as well as an interesting rim for plain frozen Absolut or the
caraway flavored liquor, Aquavit. Cumin seeds would work just as well.
Rimming
“I can’t talk to you now. I’m rimming.” Dan was obviously aghast. There
was a momentary pause on the line, after which he said only, “Who?”
“Get your mind out of the gutter!” I cried in triumph. “It’s not that kind of
rimming.”
“What other kind is there?” he asked warily.
“I’m creating decorative and tasty rims on cocktail glasses. You know, like
salt on a margarita?”
“Very funny,” he muttered, clearly indicating that he didn’t find my little
joke even half as amusing as I did. “I’ll be home in an hour.” Then he hung
up.
The truth of the matter is that I was initially inspired by a very, uh,
captivating porn video I’d watched a few days earlier. To be a bit confessional
here, the actual practice of rimming has never appealed to me. Before. Then
I saw these two most attractive young men appear to be enjoying themselves
fully, executing their task with vigor. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. And
that’s saying something, because having been a video porn reviewer earlier
in my checkered career, I have seen so much bad porn that it usually does
absolutely nothing for me now. (I wrote for the late, lamented Inches magazine
under the by-line “Joe McKenna,” which was Doris Day’s character’s name
in The Man Who Knew Too Much; I added the e to “Jo” to make it conform to
gender norms.)
It was through this filth that I got to musing on the word “rimming,” and
in a flash of pure inspiration, I realized I had the subject of my next column.
www.gaycalgary.com
Sugar Rim
Pour some granulated sugar or superfine sugar onto a plate, and dip
a tumbler in to form a sugar crust for a screwdriver or a Madras or a
Watermelon or even a Manhattan, as long as you decrease the amount of
sweet vermouth in the Manhattan to keep the drink from being cloying.
Why stop at salt for margaritas? There are many things you can use to
beautify and spice up the edge of a cocktail glass. So I began experimenting.
The liquor cabinet was running low, so I was forced to use my imagination;
I employed only a bunch of clean glasses, a saucer full of water and several
small plates. A quick tour of my spice cabinet produced an array of spices
and seasonings that I paired with imaginary cocktails. I suppose a wealthier
cocktails columnist would have made real cocktails to try out the various rims
I created, but stocking the liquor cabinet and refrigerator for all the following
drinks would have meant going without food for a few days. I’m certain these
combinations will work. I wouldn’t print them if I had any doubts.
23
Politics
Pro-Sports’ First Openly Gay Player
By Stephen Lock
Jason Collins, the 34-year old free agent basketball
centre who has played with the Boston Celtics and
currently with the Washington Wizards, recently publicly
came out in a cover story in Sports Illustrated, the first
American pro athlete to do so while still playing.
We have had other athletes come out, of course, but none during
the heyday of their careers and certainly none within the “big four”
professional sports franchises of football, baseball, basketball, and
hockey.
In the past - and the not-so-distant-past at that - we have read and
heard the reactions of pro athletes to the mere idea of a teammate
perhaps coming out, and it has been predictable.
Tim Hardaway, a former point guard with the NBA, notoriously
commented after retired NBA player John Amaechi came out, that
he would distance himself from any player known to be homosexual.
When the interviewer asked him if he realized the comment was
homophobic, Hardaway kept right on going and dug himself in
deeper.
“Well, you know I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don’t like
gay people and I don’t like to be around gay people. I am homophobic.
I don’t like it. It shouldn’t be in the world or in the United States.”
He also then stated if he ever found out he had one or more gay
teammates, he would try and get them fired.
Despite pretty lame and half-hearted attempts at an apology,
along the lines of “I shouldn’t have said that”, the NBA, to its
credit, suspended him from its then-upcoming All Stars Weekend
activities in Las Vegas, preferring not to have him around. His
employer, Trinity Sports, and owner of the Continental Basketball
Association’s Indiana Alley Cats, dismissed him from his position
as Chief Basketball Operations Advisor and then issued a press
statement distancing themselves from his remarks.
San Francisco 49ers cornerback, Chris Culliver, made rather
inarticulate but very obviously anti-gay comments to a radio talk
show host during Super Bowl XLVII, stating:
“I don’t do the gay guys, man. I don’t do that. No, we don’t got
no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do.
Can’t be with that sweet stuff. Nah … can’t be … in the locker room,
man? Nah.”
So for an active professional athlete to come out takes some guts.
What is encouraging, though, despite the ranting of some perhaps
not too bright players, is the reaction of David Stern, the NBA’s
commissioner, who stated:
“As Adam Silver [deputy commissioner and chief operating officer
of the NBA] and I said to Jason, we have known the Collins family
since Jason and [his twin] Jarron joined the NBA in 2001 and they
have been exemplary members of the NBA family. Jason has been
a widely respected player and teammate throughout his career and
we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very
important issue.”
Likewise, high profile players such as Kobe Bryant, Collins’
Washington Wizards teammates Bradley Beal and Garrett Temple,
and others, were quick to commend and support Collins. In an
official team statement, the Washington Wizards stated the team
was “extremely proud of Jason and support his decision to live his
life proudly and openly”. The Boston Red Sox have offered Collins
the honour of throwing out the first pitch. Even former-President Bill
Clinton got in on the praise as did the White House.
All this bodes well for his, and one hopes, future NBA stars’,
acceptance within the sport, to say nothing of the other three major
sports. There are rumours of four NFL players preparing to come
out, but Collins has stated he is not aware of any other gay NBA
players.
Collins seems to be taking all this in stride, although
understandably a bit overwhelmed by all the attention, including a
phone call from the President of the United States to congratulate
him on going public.
While Collins is the first American pro athlete to come out during
his playing years, momentum has been building for some years now.
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Gareth Thomas, a Welsh rugby player, came out during the 2009
season. Puerto Rican boxer, Orlando Cruz, went public in October
2012, Robbie Rogers, an American soccer player who played on the
US national men’s team as well as for Leeds United, came out in
February just before retiring at the age of 25 making him the third
professional soccer player to come out after Justin Fashanu did so
in 1990.
Fashanu became the first British soccer player to come out and
endured considerable abuse from both team players and fans as
a result, as well as being publicly disowned by his brother. After
moving to the States, Fashanu was accused in 1998 of sexually
assaulting a 17-year old male in Maryland (where the age of consent
is 16). While the charges were eventually dropped due to lack of
evidence Fashanu, who had by then returned to England, committed
suicide.
With Collins’ coming out, and the level of support he is receiving
from a variety of quarters, it certainly highlights the progress made
in regards to sexual orientation “issues” within professional sports
in the last 20-odd years since Fashanu did it and light years from
when former NFL player David Kopay came out in 1975.
True, we’ve had former Olympians such as Mark Tewksbury come
out and various divers, swimmers, tennis players, and skaters are
also openly gay, but -- and this is certainly not meant as a snide
dig at their sports -- these sports tend to be viewed as not quite
as macho as hockey, football, baseball or basketball in the US or
soccer and rugby are in Britain and Europe. But coming out after
retirement is different than coming out while still in the game.
Tewksbury has spoken about what the repercussions may have
been if he had come out while competing at the Olympic level.
Certainly he would have very likely seen -- and has seen -- lucrative
endorsements suddenly evaporate. Such does not appear to be the
case with Collins; quite the opposite, with companies such as Nike
and others beating a path to his door. Suddenly, coming out as gay
has marketing cache.
Rick Welt, then an executive with the Phoenix Suns, a team in
the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the NBA, who came
out in 2011 and is now the president of the NBA’s Golden State
Warriors, predicted major companies such as Nike would jump at
the opportunity to have an openly gay spokesperson.
Just before the New York Times article in which he came out was
published, he informed Commissioner Stern and executives at Nike
Inc. Nike told him they would be interested in having any player
contemplating becoming the first openly gay athlete in major U.S.
team sports as an endorser.
“They made it clear to me Nike would embrace it,” Welts has been
quoted saying. “The player who does it, they’re going to be amazed at
the additional opportunities that are put on the table, not the ones
that are taken off.”
According to Bob Witeck, a gay-marketing strategist and corporate
consultant, the first openly gay team-sport athlete -- provided he’s
a recognizable name -- would earn millions in endorsements and
speaking engagements from companies seeking to capture more of
a U.S. lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual/transgender adult
population whose annual buying power he pegs at almost $800
billion.
American Airlines, Macy’s, Ikea, Amazon.com and, in Canada, TD
Canada Trust and Labatt’s have all successfully used high-profile
gay-themed advertising campaigns.
Collins could conceivably reap some tangible benefits from
opening that closet door and if it can happen in the rarified macho
atmosphere of professional sports, it is going to filter down to we
mere mortals on levels other than the emotional release that coming
out provides.
www.gaycalgary.com
Trans-Identity
The Non-Operative Word is Not Sorry
By Mercedes Allen
I’m going to be writing about transition regrets and/or reversal
of transition (sometimes from folks who remain trans-identified).
Before I do, though, it seemed necessary to finish and put this
article out there, as it lays the groundwork. I’d written about
the decision to be non-operative previously, and had intended
to leave it at that, but it remains one of the most hotly-contested
and misunderstood subjects that I touch on.
When it comes to genital reassignment, the non-operative word among
trans people should not be “sorry.”
That’s not a very popular statement in transsexual communities. But as
much as I don’t like “rules” for being trans, I have arrived at one guideline:
Do as much or as little as you need to achieve the peace that you need.
It’s not quite that clear and simple, of course, especially given the pressures
to conform and integrate as either male or female, which have been idealized
as binary opposites in society. Trans (that is to say, both transsexuality
and/or transgenderism) challenges those absolutes, but it’s also a lot to
ask, for someone to be a life-long challenge to society. Not everyone is an
activist, nor should they be required to be. And phrasing it as a “pressure to
conform” also oversimplifies something that also includes fears about going
swimming or to public places of semi-nudity, going through airport scanners
and travelling internationally, being in sex-segregated spaces like homeless
shelters or correctional facilities, or the possibility of being challenged in a
public restroom.
Relationships can also factor into the equation. Genital reassignment
surgery is inevitably going to change a dynamic within intimate relationships,
and raise questions about our sexualities and those of our partners. While
the decision for or against GRS shouldn’t be dictated or coerced by our
partners, when we love someone, it’s inevitably going to be on our minds.
Some individuals will be able to consider foregoing surgery as an act of love
and sacrifice, while for others it would be far too much to ask -- we’ll see
why, shortly.
Another factor that blurs the lines is the fact that we live in a nation where
our enfranchisement in society is largely affected by our identity documents.
In Canada, only the Province of Ontario has a provision to change a birth
certificate without multiple verification of surgery -- and in many provinces,
the same applies to things like driver’s licenses. While our Social Insurance
card does not display a gender marker, potential employers can do an S.I.N.
check which displays a gender marker in the resulting report -- and that, too,
cannot be changed without a new or amended birth certificate. When our ID
is incongruent, it potentially exposes us to harm and/or discrimination when
we’re carded, and at many other stages of just trying to live and work and
access services. At no other time is a person’s enfranchisement in society
dependent on them having surgery. But because that is the status quo in
Canada, it will inevitably be a point of consideration for the time being.
At times, health issues can also be factors affecting whether one can or
can’t obtain surgery. This might take the form of a serious medical condition
that precludes undergoing other procedures (some of these -- such as
diabetes or HIV -- can be worked around by finding surgeons with better
hospital access, but some conditions can be completely prohibitive). It
might also refer to fear of undergoing a major invasive surgery, an aversion
to the medical process overall, a desire to wait until techniques improve, or
living in a province where GRS is not funded and not being able to afford it.
Occasionally, health care funding is an influence for GRS, such as situations
where genital reassignment is funded by insurance while orchiectomy is not.
But for the moment, let’s put all of these things -- health, cost, relationships,
social pressures, legal identification and enfranchisement -- aside. In an
ideal world, the decision to have surgery should hinge on an individual’s
needs and the advice of their doctor.
This may seem a little confusing for people who have read my writing
about surgery being a medical necessity. I still maintain that its availability
is, and that when surgery is necessary for an individual, it is an absolute
necessity. [http://www.gaycalgary.com/u555] Relationships and legal
enfranchisement obviously underscore why, but it’s also important to
remember what GRS is designed to do: alleviate distress.
Trans individuals sometimes experience an emotional, psychological and/
or physical distress and anxiety -- a body squick -- about their genitalia. It’s
not always a conscious thing, but can be experienced as a discomfort or
aversion to their genitalia, or a sense that those parts are out of place and
don’t make sense to be there. At the most extreme end of gender dysphoria,
this aversion becomes even violent, driving a person toward self-harm or selfdestructive behaviour. For people who experience it less severely, it can be
www.gaycalgary.com
a discomfort toward sexual intimacy in general, or a feeling of being out of
place, without being completely clear on why. Obviously, in these situations,
it makes sense to align the body with what a person understands that they
need to be.
But not everyone experiences those levels of anxiety and distress.
Sometimes transition alone, minus surgery, is enough to resolve a person’s
dysphoria, while other factors are able to become more significant reasons
not to have surgery.
Non-operative trans women (there is often an exception made for trans men
because of the limitations of phalloplasty and metoidioplasty procedures) are
sometimes considered button-pushing because they challenge the traditional
trans narrative, in the same way that some bisexual people are unfairly seen
as a challenge to the “born this way” narrative of sexual orientation. The
idea that we are fixing a predominantly medical condition seems undermined
by the existence of people who don’t want to completely “fix” their bodies
through surgery. And yet, individuals exist who genuinely need to transition
and live as their identified sex, but don’t genuinely need GRS.
In transsexual culture, there seems to be this perspective that all roads
lead to the holy grail of GRS, and that after one has the surgery, one has
“arrived.” Part of the reason that so many post-operative trans women and
trans men leave the community is because once they’ve reached that point,
the weighty discussion about GRS is no longer relevant to them. The GRSheavy direction has also tended to exclude non-operative and other trans
people, because of the implication (intended or not) that they “must not be
real” if they choose not to pursue surgical methods.
Yet GRS was only ever supposed to be one step toward self-resolution.
It’s neither all-completing, nor is it a final endpoint (and this point calls for
a discussion of post-traumatic / minority stress), although it does have
the ability to bring closure when that body distress / squick exists. By
comparison, cissexual (non-trans) women never stop learning what it means
to them to be a woman; cissexual men likewise. How can we say that we’ve
“arrived” simply from the flick of a scalpel?
The basic reality of the trans condition is that our bodies do not define us.
If we allowed that to happen, we’d have never been able to start a transition
-- we would still be living in the misery and shame of having to live up to
everyone else’s expectations.
The trouble with a heavy (or exclusive) focus on GRS as the “endpoint” of
our transition (aside from the fact that the psychological journey never really
completely ends) is that we can become so intent on becoming “wholly” female
or “wholly” male that we abandon, hide or feel ashamed of characteristics and
histories which make us truly unique. It’s important that surgery does not
become a case of simply trading one mask for another.
We do need to sometimes sit back and reflect on exactly how unique
we’ve become. Not many men can say that they’d sewn their own grad
dress. Although our pre-transition lives may have been fraught with their
share of difficulties, they’ve also had landmarks, even if they didn’t feel so
monumental. On a broader scope, we definitely have an original view of the
battle of the sexes, with a far more acute understanding of what hormones do
to our moods, of how differently men and women are perceived and treated
in public venues, of the different social dynamic dating a man as male,
compared to dating a man as a female. Those perspectives are hard-won.
It’s a shame to bury them.
From that perspective, the decision not to have surgery can sometimes be
like wearing a badge of honour. We’ve gone through the ritual. We’ve done
the firewalk. We have the marks on the soles of our feet. While some are
comfortable with covering up the burns and never telling anyone about the
experience and that’s fine, once in awhile, it’s nice to embrace some of the
differences and take pride in them.
More often, though, non-operative-by-choice trans people have arrived at
a point of personal resolution from transition alone, and find that they don’t
need GRS to feel complete. Good for them. You don’t need to change your
genitalia in order to achieve your personal closure? Then don’t. Anyone who
doesn’t understand this needs to take themselves out of the comfort zone of
their own experiences, for a moment, to remember that one size rarely fits all.
The non-operative word is not “sorry.”
In the end, you are who you need to be. No one has the right to invalidate
that.
25
Community
 From “Interior. Leather. Bar.”
The 15th Annual Fairy Tales
By Krista Sylvester
James Franco touched cinema? Yes please.
But if you need any other reasons to attend the 15th Annual Fairy
Tales Queer Film Festival there are at least 15.
This year’s festival promises the premiere of 10 new short films
celebrating Calgary’s queer history, films from around the world,
the Youth Queer Media Program and a steamy night of pushing the
boundaries of gay sexuality.
Fairy Tales programming director James Demers says this year’s
festival will continue on the path of celebrating the diversity and
strength of Calgary’s community while reflecting the rainbow that
is the audience.
“For anyone who ever mixed up the name of the festival thinking
it was fairy tales for kids, which we always have a bit of a chuckle
about – this year is a far cry from anything Disney,” Demers explains.
“Much like a stereotypical 15-year-old, the festival this year features
films that are hungry, curious, lippy, lusty and angry – and we think
you’ll be quick to fall in love with them. It’s fun and evocative and
there are definitely some steamy hot scenes.”
Demers says this year’s focus is on connection and reconnection
with the community and its history as the community moves forward.
“The festival is a fun and important event that brings all facets of
the community together to share in a common experience over film.
Fairy Tales is always looking forward to representing the voices that
are underrepresented in our community. This includes the voices of
comedy as well as drama, action and adventure. We look forward to
sharing new films and a piece of history with our audiences.”
As has been the case for several years now, the Fairy Tales Film
Festival continues to grow each year both in audience and awareness,
which will surely be the case again. Many probably aren’t aware that
the festival began as a two-day offshoot of the Calgary Society of
Independent Film Makers (CSIF) to what is now a weeklong event.
But organizers are always looking for new audiences.
“We do have a loyal audience who come each year but we are
always looking to meet new audiences and look for new faces,”
Demers says. “It keeps our film dynamic and creates a challenge
each new year for our programming committee.”
And even if audiences come year after year, there’s always
something new for them, adds Fairy Tales operations director Kari
McQueen.
“Our 15th anniversary Know Your Roots Project is really exciting
this year. It highlights the people from our own community and
26
 From “Strange Frame”
 From “Love Free or Die”
chances are you’ll know at least one person on the big screen this
year.”
The “Know Your Roots Project” is a series of short films that will
be shown in sections at the beginning of each feature film, paying
tribute to elders and people that paved the way by creating the
foundations of today’s community.
Also new this year is the fact that each night of the festival is
made into its own event, which means there are six parties over
seven days with “something for everyone.”
Some of those events include Franco’s May 31st showing of
Interior. Leather. Bar. The film is an exploration of the destroyed 40
minutes of Cruising, which originally featuring Al Pacino in 1980.
The film explores gay sexuality on film that originally set Sundance
on fire. The film will be followed by the festival’s Kink Party taking
place in Goliath’s, opening the famed bath house to everyone for the
first time in Calgary – yes, women included.
On May 25th, the Retro Film Gala presentation of The Adventures
of Priscilla Queen Of the Desert will be shown in the original 35mm
format with a live drag queen/burlesque show and bar in the theatre.
Costumes are strongly encouraged.
And on May 30th, the Youth Queer Media Program Gala is an
amazing opportunity to see work created by local youth of the
community in the past year.
This year’s opening gala will be held at the Wine Bar & Brasserie in
Kensington and the closing gala will be a collaborative event with the
Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association at the Arrata Opera Centre.
McQueen says she’s very excited to share this year’s event with
the entire community.
“It’s also incredibly rewarding to receive the amazing support from
our community that we do. It makes the festival so worth doing,
especially when we see that we make a difference.”
Most of the films will be presented at the historic Plaza Theatre in
Kensington with the exception of one film that will be presented in
the Hillhurst United Church. Tickets and more information can be
found on their website.
Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival
May 24th-26th, May 29th-Jun 1st
http://www.fairytalesfilmfest.com
www.gaycalgary.com
Amaluna
Part Cirque part Broadway
By Jason Clevett
If you’ve seen the giant circus tent at the
Stampede Grounds but not yet been inside to
see Amaluna, the latest Cirque production to
hit Calgary, you are running out of time. The
show wraps up May 19th before heading to
Edmonton May 29th to June 23rd.
Unlike many touring cirque shows, there is a plot to
Amaluna. As described on its website:
“Amaluna invites the audience to a mysterious island
governed by Goddesses and guided by the cycles of the
moon. Their queen, Prospera, directs her daughter’s
coming-of-age ceremony in a rite that honours
femininity, renewal, rebirth and balance which marks
the passing of these insights and values from one
generation to the next. In the wake of a storm caused
by Prospera, a group of young men lands on the island,
triggering an epic, emotional story of love between
Prospera’s daughter and a brave young suitor. But
theirs is a love that will be put to the test. The couple
must face numerous demanding trials and overcome
daunting setbacks before they can achieve mutual
trust, faith and harmony.”
Despite this explanation, the storyline can be hard
to follow. Like many Cirque shows it does amount to a
www.gaycalgary.com
number of circus acts tied together with a soundtrack.
If you have seen a number of different Cirque shows you
have probably seen several of the acts before. It doesn’t
take away from the talent involved in doing them, and
still elicited gasps from the audience. Highlights include
an effortless segment involving a pole, an incredible
water dance, and cute shirtless boys soaring through
the air on a teeterboard. The worst segment of the show
involved clowns, frequently one of the weakest points of
these shows, and their dull and somewhat disturbing
birthing segment left little to be desired.
Amaluna is a spectacle touched by a love story that at
many times will leave your mouth agape in wonderment
at the amazing things the human body can do.
Amaluna
In Calgary until May 19th.
Opens in Edmonton May 29th.
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/amaluna/default.aspx
27
Review
 Photos by Paul McGrath
Balletlujah!
Canadian icon k.d. lang inspires Alberta Ballet’s
last dance of the season
We all knew, evident in the sculpted muscles and porcelain
frames of the dancers, that ballet is a strenuous art form. But
who would have guessed that the usually mellow cooings of
Canada’s well loved pop and country singer-songwriter k.d.
lang would motivate the rancour and endurance demanded in
Alberta Ballet’s final show of the 2012-2013 season?
In the theme of odes to musical genius, Alberta Ballet’s Artistic Director
Jean Grand-Maître delivers another intimate, high-energy collaboration of
unique choreography, design and music.
“For this show, it’s more about portraying your character and yourself
– it’s not about the perfection of every step… which as ballet dancers we’re
always seeking,” says ensemble dancer Mark Wax. “A lot of the choreography,
especially the…. barn dance… it’s more about having fun and working on our
charisma; learning how to be charismatic on stage and really have a good
time for the audience.”
Balletlujah is a contemporary ballet set in the Alberta prairies, every bit as
lively and feisty as the artist whose music the movement is set to.
“There is one song called Turn me Around which is more country and high
spirited and high tempo, where we do this insane dance to it – it’s a miracle
that we don’t smack into each other,” Wax says, adding that while collisions
did occur in rehearsal they have been polished out in time for audiences.
Balletlujah opened in Edmonton on May 3rd and comes to Calgary May
8th to 11th. Wax says the company’s first show went fantastic, with a special
boost back stage from k.d. lang herself.
“I’ve always had a respect for her; I wasn’t familiar with the music that
we’ve been using so I’ve gotten to become a fan through this process, and
also a fan through her level of encouragement and her personal visits at runs
throughout,” Wax says. lang advised the cast to let loose and enjoy their
premier performance.
“She seemed extremely happy,” he says. “She appreciates what we’ve been
doing.”
And what they’ve been doing has been nothing short of vigorous hard
work. Five days a week the Alberta Ballet dancers attend a 1.5 hour ballet
class followed by a six hour rehearsal. In their off time the performers cross
train to compliment their dance finesse.
For Wax this means an active blend of yoga, weight lifting, cycling, and
long distance running.
“I just incorporate those depending on my work load,” he says. “If I’m
rehearsing a lot doing a lot of stamina …I focus on weight lifting; if I’m doing
more small pieces I focus on the stamina.”
28
This show called for an impressive amount of corporal fortitude, meaning
not a lot of time or physical energy was left over for cross training.
“It’s a very specific stamina that we have been cultivating,” Wax explains.
The dancer says that up until one week before opening curtain call, how
the whole show was going to come together was still a mystery.
“All of a sudden we’re coming close to being on stage and we do a full
run through and we say oh my gosh how are we going to make this a full
performance and not just a cardio work out?” he recalls. “How do we convey
the artistry [of the movement]?”
The solution was poignant and perfectly simple. The dancers triumphed
through encouragement; the encouragement they donated to one another
and what they were offered by the piece’s eclectic muse.
Wax has been dancing with the Alberta Ballet for three seasons. At a
towering 6’4” one might say he is the dancer that sticks out the most.
“I’m the tallest one [in the cast] so I’m easy to catch,” he says.
Alberta’s ballet enthusiasts might recall the lithe dancer from his portrayal
of the lead drag queen in the Elton John inspired ballet Love Lies Bleeding.
Wax began his dancing career in a small town in Montana of only 800
people.
“As a student I researched companies and listened to what other people
had to say or [looked] where other people got jobs,” he says. “And then
when I left with Boston Ballet, which was the first company I danced with
[professionally] I auditioned in New York [for Alberta Ballet] and that’s where
I got the job.”
Wax says his time at Alberta Ballet has afforded him some wonderful
opportunities.
“Some ones that stick out are dancing in [Belanchine’s] The Fourth
Temperaments,” he says. “That was a big role for me.”
In Balletlujah, Wax is dancing a staggering eight songs in total. Where one
might notice him the most is in a finishing number, in which he dances in a
group of three crows alongside the title character.
He says the shows in Edmonton have given him the confidence to bring
a little bit more to each successive performance, adding that he is grateful
Balletlujah will wrap the season.
“[This] is perfect timing because we really all need a break,” he says.
Wax will be spending his break visiting family throughout the States and
taking a romantic trip to Cape Cod with his steadfast boyfriend, to whom he
is very thankful for the support and love he has received over the last year
and a half of dancing.
The cast of Alberta Ballet will start rehearsing again in July.
Balletlujah
http://www.albertaballet.com
www.gaycalgary.com
Review
 Photos by Trudie Lee Photography
A Master’s Ego Struck Down
Red gives inner look at expressionist painter’s melees
A tomato, a rabbit nose, an albino’s eyes, ruby slippers, the
Russian flag, China’s flag, persimmon, red light district, lava,
scorpions, flame, passion, sun rise, Satan; what does Red mean
to you?
In Alberta Theatre Project’s last act of the season, two men portray the
artistic struggle of defining one’s craft against the tide of corporatism and
a change in popular movement.
Red is a play written by Jeff Logan, for which the playwright received
the 2010 Tony, as well as the Drama Desk, Outer Critic Circle and Drama
League awards.
Set in the studio of famed abstract painter Mark Rothko, aptly played
by Allan Morgan, the play centres on the dialogue between a cranky,
loudmouthed and arrogant master and his devoted pupil, an assistant
called Ken, under-played by Braden Griffiths.
The production is dialogue heavy, and script rich. While Morgan brings
his character to life with robust voice and vibrato, his assistant falls to the
stage’s wayside – too devoted, too needy, too rehearsed.
Indeed Morgan brings to his character the asset of a mutual artistic
experience.
“Sweet Lord I guess I graduated from theatre school in 1984, so almost
30 years [I’ve been in theatre],” he says with gaiety.
Morgan is a graduate of Studio 58 in Vancouver and is a recurring face
at Calgary’s Epcor Centre, Red being his seventh or eight show with the
company since 1997.
In between his performances at ATP he freelances “all over the place”
including stops at the National Art Centre in Ottawa, performances with
Calgary Theatre Projects, and in Montreal.
In Red, Morgan tackles the role of an artist much loved but, perhaps,
even more hated for his abstract canvases of murky painted rectangles –
the types of painting that might make many of us say, “man I could do
that!”
However in Red we learn that these swatches of colour, often vibrant
and often red in hue, are like children to the painter; something he loves
and is willing to lay down his honour for.
The play allows us a glimpse into a popular artists’ musings. While
Rothko’s assistant is weak, he challenges the famed painter to face his
own hypocrisy, which in turn prompts him to turn down ‘one of the largest
commissions offered to a painter since the Sistine Chapel’.
In reality, Rothko was an “extraordinary volatile” New York abstract
expressionist painter, “part of the same group of artists that came to rise
with Jackson Pollock,” Morgan says, though in the play he jests that the
paintings of Rothko would have been cheaper than his contemporary’s.
www.gaycalgary.com
“He’s an American painter but he’s originally from Russia. His family
immigrated when he was 10.”
Rothko took great inspiration from the artist Henri Matisse, specifically
from his painting The Red Studio (L’Atelier Rouge). His biggest fear in life
was that black, representing death, would swallow the red in life, or the
joy de vivre.
“He became very famous for a style of painting,” Morgan continues,
explaining Rothko’s technique as incorporating “bricks of very intense
colour.”
Rothko was commissioned to paint a series of paintings for the Seagram
Building, located in New York City’s Midtown Manhattan district, which
were to hang amid the silver tinklings of diners at the Four Seasons
Restaurant.
“It was one of the sort of statement buildings of the modernist times,”
Morgan says of the Park Avenue skyscraper.
The artist was offered $35,000 for the project. “Which is like $2-million
now,” Morgan says. “The most money that had ever been paid to an
abstract artists for his art.”
But Rothko, somehow swayed by the assistant he seems to have no
greater regard for than he would a friend’s nuisance pet, withdraws at
the last minute.
I’m no fan of Rothko myself, and so thought I would be unable to like
the character. But Morgan offers a candid rendition that is indeed likable.
He comes across as an artist who realises that his life’s work – his greatest
passions – are being hung over the mantles of Manhattan’s society ladies’
homes; that they are being used as furniture accents, breakfast nook
décor, status symbols, or “anything but what they are.”
“This is the time of Andy Warhol and the beginning of pop art,” Morgan
explains. Another variable in Rothko’s crumbling sense of artistic identity.
“Those [commissioned] murals now live in various museums in the
world,” he says, adding that while performing in London, England he was
fortunate enough to see them at a showing in the Tate Modern.
“[Red is] a funny and a really great discussion about art, and about
death, and about mortality, and about living,” Morgan says. “An idea
driven play.”
He hopes the show will rouse discussion on human responsibility to art.
“How do we continue to make art as we get older or does it fade away
from us?” he says. “All of us think, did I do enough? When we start to
sort of look back, at my age, we think Jesus Christ, did I do enough?”
ATP presents Red
Until May 18, 2013 • Martha Cohen Theatre
http://www.atplive.com
29
Out of Town
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
 The dunes near Poodle Beach, a favorite spot of gay sunbathers in Rehoboth. Photo by Andrew Collins
by Andrew Collins
The unofficial gay and lesbian summer beach resort of the MidAtlantic states, charming Rehoboth Beach is situated along a
sweeping, sandy stretch of the Delaware shore that’s within a
three-hour drive of Washington, Baltimore, and Philadelphia.
Over the past decade, many of the town’s guest houses, shops,
and restaurants have received stylish makeovers, and this once
low-key, largely middle-class town has developed a see-and-beseen cachet that extends well beyond nearby cities. Prices have
risen, too, but Rehoboth largely retains a laid-back, welcoming
vibe that makes it a perfect destination for summer fun, and
a romantic weekend retreat during the quieter spring and fall
shoulder seasons.
The town began developing a subtle gay following in the ‘50s, probably
owing to the fact that closeted Washington types, unable to risk braving
the nightlife of D.C., found this relatively secluded beach region a
relatively safe and anonymous place to be themselves, or at least test
the waters. Lesbians and gays continued to settle here gradually, and
then Glenn Thompson opened a full-scale gay resort, the Renegade,
on the western outskirts of town in 1980. Soon after, the Blue Moon
restaurant and bar opened downtown. Nowadays, Rehoboth (beachfun.com for general tourism info; camprehoboth.com for details on the
GLBT scene) teems with gay-owned or - oriented businesses, including
cafes, restaurants, bars, and about a dozen guest houses. Although the
Renegade was razed in 2002 to make way for condos, the Blue Moon is
still a first-rate place to dine and socialize.
Although an increasing number of trendy, urbane businesses have
opened here in recent years, Rehoboth’s beachfront is still lined with a
bustling, honky-tonk boardwalk of saltwater taffy parlors, video arcades,
and souvenir shops. Many visitors spend afternoons catching rays at the
beach. The largely gay male section, known as Poodle Beach, runs from
about St. Lawrence to Penn streets, at the southern tip of the Boardwalk.
Women sunbathe here to some extent, but more lesbians and a fair share
of gay men flock north of downtown to the beach at Cape Henlopen State
Park (aka “North Shores” - about a 20-to-30-minute walk or 10-minute
drive via Ocean Drive).
You can also access other parts of Cape Henlopen State Park by
driving 10 miles north (via Rte. 1 and U.S. 9) to the charming and
historic town of Lewes, and accessing the park from Dunes Road. Lewes
itself is a lovely Dutch colonial town founded in 1631, with a neatly
preserved downtown of tony shops and inviting restaurants overlooking
a beautiful, narrow yacht harbor - it makes a great little day trip, by
car or bike. Top-notch, gay-popular restaurants in Lewes include The
Buttery (butteryrestaurant.com), which occupies a romantic Victorian
house with a large veranda, and Café Azafran (cafeazafran.com), a
30
www.gaycalgary.com
Spanish-inspired tapas bistro open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner there’s a branch in Rehoboth, too.
Shopping and Dining
Another popular daytime diversion is shopping. Rehoboth Avenue, the
main drag, has plenty of fun retail as well as a few galleries. A block
over, Baltimore Avenue is the hub of the town’s gay scene, home to a
few boutiques, home-furnishing emporia, and the small but well-stocked
Proud Bookstore, which carries GLBT books and gifts. Delaware has no
sales tax, and out on Route 1 you’ll discover a bounty of outlet shopping
centers. Back in town, take a break from browsing to grab a delicious
lunch (maybe the best chicken salad sandwich you’ll ever taste) at Lori’s
Café (lorisoyveycafe.com), or enjoy a snack or a latte at the Coffee Mill
(coffeemillrehoboth.com), a cheerful coffeehouse.
Rehoboth has an excellent dining scene, and several trendy
newcomers seem to open each season. On the high end, the superb
Blue Moon (bluemoonrehoboth.com) - site of the gay bar of the same
name - turns out high-caliber contemporary American fare, like Maine
lobster spaghetti and stout-brined Berkshire pork chops. Down the
street, trendy Aqua Grill (aquagrillrehoboth.com) serves eclectic and
reasonably priced international fare - Thai-mango-chutney burgers,
coconut shrimp, pot stickers - and then morphs into a fantastic gay
video and dance bar, with a sprawling patio, as the evening proceeds.
Drag brunches and T-dances are part of the fun on weekends. In the
same neighborhood, Mixx (mixxrehoboth.com) is another high-energy,
stylish restaurant and bar with a strong GLBT following, excellent food
(macadamia-crusted local rockfish, seared scallops), and a see-and-beseen cocktail scene - there’s live music some evenings.
Another hip spot where you’ll see plenty of family, Espuma (espumarestaurant.com) serves contemporary Spanish and Mediterranean fare,
including great lobster paella. And don’t miss the casual Purple Parrot
(ppgrill.com), a good bet for burgers and diner fare; it’s a lively hangout
for drinks and conversation, too, with a popular happy hour each day.
Other notables include the Seafood Shack (seafoodshackrehoboth.com),
which serves tasty fried-oyster po’boys and tender crab cakes and is
known for its live entertainment, which includes piano, female vocalists,
and acoustic bands.
one of the best in town; the Silver Lake Guest House (silverlakeguesthouse.
com), a large and luxurious property with great views of the lake after
which it’s named and close proximity to Poodle Beach; and century-old
At Melissa’s B&B (atmelissas.com), an inviting six-room inn in a leafy
residential neighborhood close to the beach and restaurants - it’s a nice
option for LGBT families, as one room has a king and bunk bed, and
another has two queen beds. The Royal Rose Inn (royalroseinn.com)
is right in the heart of Baltimore Avenue’s gay scene and has seven
charming and attractive rooms, plus a rooftop hot tub and sundeck.
Perhaps no property in town draws more praise for its colorful
personality (and high camp factor) than the lesbian-owned Bewitched
and Bedazzled B&B (bewitchedbnb.com), a decadent 13-room property
that consists of two neighboring houses. One is playfully furnished as
a tribute to the ‘60s TV classic Bewitched, and the other pays tribute
to the glamour of Hollywood, with dozens of autographed photos of
movie stars. Another romantic option, the Canalside Inn (canalsideinn-rehoboth.com) overlooks the historic Lewes-Rehoboth Canal and
offers 12 elegantly outfitted rooms done in cheerful, pastel hues. It’s a
20-minute walk from the beach, as is the spacious, well-kept Shore Inn
(shoreinn.com), a mostly male 14-room resort popular for its festive pool,
deck, and hot tub. Guys on the make should try the clothing-optional
Ram’s Head (theramshead.com), which is a 15-minute drive from the
beach and caters largely to butch leather-and-Levi’s types.
If you’re partial to larger, more anonymous mainstream properties,
Rehoboth has several chain hotels, including Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn
Express, and Comfort Inn out on Route 1. But to fully experience the
bustle and charm of this increasingly hip and trendy gay getaway, try
to book a room in town and spend as much time as possible wandering
the boardwalk, beach, and quiet residential streets, places where the
authentic Rehoboth springs vibrantly to life.
Dos Locos (doslocos.com) is a great standby for Mexican food and
cocktails. The ornately furnished, Asian-inspired Planet X (planetxcafe.
com) scores high marks for its creative cocktails and unusual vegetarian
and organic fare, from tofu sate with ginger-peanut sauce to grilled ahi
fillet with asparagus, scallion herb salad, and lemon aioli. Dogfish Head
Brewing & Eats (dogfish.com) is one of the most esteemed craft breweries
in the country - it’s a fun place to sample a flight of unusual beers
(Chicory Stout, Positive Contact Wit-style beer, Chateau Jiahu - which is
brewed with rice from an ancient Chinese recipe), and the kitchen serves
tasty modern pub fare, too.
For cocktails and entertainment, most folks drop by the lounges at local
restaurants to socialize before or after dinner, with the aforementioned
Blue Moon, Mixx, Aqua, and Seafood Shack among the favorites. Early
in the evening, a lot of lesbians and gay guys head to the Frogg Pond
(thefroggpond.com) tavern for karaoke and conversation, or nearby
Rehoboth Ale House (rehobothalehouse.com), which has live music some
evenings and drag brunch on Sundays. If you’re into the leather-andLevi’s scene, be sure to check out the Double L Bar (doublelbar.net),
which has a patio, two pool tables, and a cruise-y vibe.
Accomodations
Rehoboth has no shortage of appealing, atmospheric accommodations.
Among the top guest houses, the Lighthouse Inn (lighthouseinn.net) is
an attractive 1904 house that’s steps from the beach and has light-filled,
nautically themed guest rooms with gas fireplaces, refrigerators, and
TVs with DVD - the top-floor rooms are especially romantic and roomy,
and a separate two-story cottage sleeps up to four. Rehoboth Guest
House (rehobothguesthouse.com), which is two blocks from the beach
and steps from Baltimore Avenue nightlife and dining, is a vintage threestory inn with clean, basic rooms, a friendly and helpful innkeeper, and
some of the best summer rates in town - the simplest rooms, which
share a bathroom, start at just $120 midweek in high-season, which is
a bargain considering the location and lovely grounds and sun decks.
Other good bets include the spacious, spotless, and contemporary
Cabana Gardens B&B (cabanagardens.com), whose rooftop sundeck is
www.gaycalgary.com
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www.gaycalgary.com
www.gaycalgary.com
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Matinée Launches Revolution in Sin City
…With Four-Day Weekend Spectacular
By Mark Dawson
Matinée is asking fans to “feel the revolution” this Memorial Day – the
party revolution, that is. The festival that has become world famous for
re-imagining the elaborate party experience with blazing pyrotechnics
and production by Cirque du Soleil and Matinée Ibiza, returns to Las
Vegas with the biggest dance festival of the summer. Taking place Friday,
May 24th thru Monday, May 27th, MATINÉE LAS VEGAS FESTIVAL will
play host to over 8,000 clubbers dancing to twenty of the world’s leading
DJs at eight high-energy party events.
“In todays over technologized world, people want a real interactive
experience,” explains Paul Nicholls, part of the production team behind
Matinée North America. “We combine fantasy elements from concerts,
theatrical stage shows, Hollywood films and even video games into one
giant offline spectacle.”
“A Matinée party is all about awe and extravagance,” continues
Matinée North America’s Patrick Crough. “We partner with the hottest
and most cutting-edge acts from around the world. For this year’s
MATINÉE LAS VEGAS FESTIVAL, we’ve teamed up with the Las Vegas
production, Absinthe. We are integrating several of their amazing Cirque
acts into our main events. It will be breathtaking.”
Matinée launched over fifteen years ago in Ibiza. Since then, it has
evolved internationally with lavish events including CircuitFestival
Barcelona. When party founders decided to expand the brand into North
America, they asked Crough and Jake Resnicow to oversee and produce
all parties in the USA and Canada.
Their first Matinée event was Pride in New York where they transformed
Manhattan’s Governor’s Island into an extravagant dance arena, with
explosive music and thrilling light shows. At sunset, a surprise fireworks
display ignited the skyline.
They made their Las Vegas debut in 2011 with the first Matinée Las
Vegas Festival. It included jaw-dropping spectacles, including one that
involved synchronized swimmers performing in a glass pool of water set
on fire. The evening capped with a surprise performance by pop singer
Natasha Bedingfield.
“Matinée raises the bar on nightlife,” says Jake Resnicow. “Whether
in the heart of Manhattan or on the beaches of Miami, a Matinée event
is meant to take revelers out of body and beyond the confines of their
imagination.”
“One reason we stay so cutting edge is we re-invest into the parties,”
adds Crough. “As the numbers get bigger, so does the experience.”
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Last year’s MATINÉE LAS VEGAS FESTIVAL was wildly successful.
The main event at Rain Nightclub in the Palms Hotel featured Spanish
dancers, fire displays and live acts by Cirque Du Soleil. The weekend’s
big surprise was the large crowd of men that packed the Monday Pool
Party. Says Nicholls, “It was a party we added at the last minute because
pre-sales were so high. It ended up being a really great way to close the
long weekend.”
They plan to pull out even more stops this Memorial Day. They have
upgraded the main event to one of Vegas’ hottest and most exclusive
clubs, Vanity at Hard Rock. The dance floor is a massive 14,000 squarefeet with an outdoor terrace and fire pits.
The weekend will feature eight events over four days and nights,
including main events and after-hour parties at the city’s hottest clubs,
as well as pool parties at the weekend’s host hotel, Rumor. Each party
will feature original themes designed to take revelers on a weekend-long
journey.
The DJ line-up includes some of the world’s most innovative icons in
dance music, including Matinée Spain all-star DJs Taito Tikaro, Javier
Medina and Flavio Zarza. Billboard #1 remixers/producers Hector
Fonseca, Alyson Calagna, DJ Theresa, Ed Baily, Brazil’s Rodolfo Bravat,
and red-hot rising stars Nina Flowers, Justin Dawson, Ryan Kenney,
Luis Perez, Derek Monteiro and Billy Lace will also headline.
Las Vegas is the perfect city to launch the party revolution, says
Resnicow. “In Vegas, partiers can do what they want, when they want.
There are very few restrictions and absolutely no last calls. Now, that’s
a revolution.”
Weekend passes start at $99. The exclusive and luxurious Rumor Hotel
(455 East Harmon Avenue, Las Vegas) is the host hotel for MATINÉE LAS
VEGAS FESTIVAL. Suites start at $129/night. Rumor will also provide
guests with complimentary shuttle service to all weekend events.
MATINÉE LAS VEGAS FESTIVAL
http://www.matineevegas.com
www.gaycalgary.com
Kiss & Del
Scissor Sisters guitarist Del Marquis
talks ‘ego baby,’ band’s hiatus
and being Beyoncé
 Derek Gruen, aka Del Marquis
By Chris Azzopardi
Derek Gruen, aka Del Marquis, is happy to let his fellow Scissor
Sisters eclipse his nerd-cool presence on stage. Now, though, as
the band takes some time off, all swoony eyes – and ears – are
on Marquis and his latest solo project, Cosmos, released under
the moniker Slow Knights (take that, Jake Shears).
Marquis recently chatted about teaming with Prince’s legendary
backing band for the new release, the “unique relationship” he has with
the Scissor Sisters and his mission to be Beyoncé ... with a guitar.
GC: What do I call you: Derek or Del?
DM: You can just stick with Del. I know I’m confusing everybody.
GC: What do you like most about doing these side projects without
the Scissor Sisters?
DM: I’m not really one of the main songwriters in Sisters. I come in
and put down guitar parts over structures and ideas that are existing,
so this really gives me more validation – considering I went from a world
working as a designer into music, where I wasn’t sure I was creating
enough. I had to kind of do these projects to feel like I had my own little
ego baby; basically, in a really trite way, I wanted to build something
from the ground up, so on this second project I definitely felt more
confident and got to the point where the record I finished was what I had
in my head the whole time. I didn’t really feel like I did that the first time.
GC: With the series you released in 2008 and 2009?
DM: Yeah, I had never written lyrics and I’d never sang to my own
music, so it was really part experimentation and blind fury. I look back
and think, “God, I would’ve worked a little harder on that. I would’ve
finessed those lyrics. I would’ve cut that song down by a minute.”
GC: How would you describe this album to a Scissor Sisters fan?
DM: I set out to make an R&B record that went to outer space. It’s
a groove record, but it’s a decidedly different sense of taste. Obviously,
doing a record like this, I have a bit more control and it’s through my
own filter as opposed to a band’s.
GC: Do you like having that control, or would you prefer having three
band members who can make decisions for you?
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DM: There are bonuses to both. I can’t say I did everything myself on
this record, but if I worked on a song with someone else, I just said to
approach it in a way that maybe isn’t typical of their own work, because
I have a certain sound I’m looking for. So can you write from a different
point of view than you normally would? Just keeping it so that with all
these different contributors and different singers, it still sounds like a
cohesive record and not some weird anomaly.
GC: So, in a sense, you get to be the frontman and call the shots.
DM: Yeah, I mean, I’m the art director. (Laughs) I’m the creative
director of the project. Being a creative director is very different from
being a front person, and I’m actually the opposite. I chose four or five
other people to be the front person to sing each song, which is the true
focus for the listener, or most listeners, so I actually remove myself from
the center of attention.
I was happy to kind of be a Dave Stewart and just wear sunglasses
and hide a little bit, because I actually don’t feel very comfortable in front
of a mic. I’m not a true singer, and giving the song to other people to sing
allows me to enjoy them. I can distance myself enough from them by
hearing someone else’s voice so I enjoy the record I’ve made.
GC: You’re a lot like Jake, because he obviously doesn’t feel
comfortable in front of a mic at all.
DM: He doesn’t?
GC: I’m teasing.
DM: (Laughs) I’m actually that gullible. I’m like, “What are you talking
about?” I don’t think I’ve ever known anybody more attuned to be there
(than Jake) – and you know what, seeing that is clarity enough to know
when it doesn’t feel right. Because it should feel natural. Everyone has a
role they are destined to fill whether they know it or not, and I have just
enough attention on me as a guitar player. Anything more and I’m not
sure I’d thrive like that.
GC: I can understand wanting to blend in.
DM: You get moments of glory and that feels great, but then if you’re
in a bad mood you can get kind of skulk in the darkness and no one is
that bothered.
GC: Is that Madonna’s “Holiday” on “Under Attack” that I’m hearing?
DM: It’s just a coincidence. (Laughs) You know. It evokes a sense of
childhood, maybe.
GC: Happy accident, then?
DM: That was a happy accident. Sometimes those songs are just in
our DNA, and I don’t know. If people want to make a comparison, I’m
fine with that.
GC: How did you come to work with Prince’s former backing band,
New Power Generation?
DM: I had basically made a bedroom record like many people do, but
I just felt like there was something missing. I’m not a great bass player,
so I really felt like in order for these songs to sound authentic to my
ears, I needed people to play them who are true players. When I played
the demos to my engineer, he said, “I know the guys who used to play
in New Power Generation and I’m sure I can set this up,” and we did. I
flew out to Minneapolis and had a one-week session and it was by far my
favorite part of the process. I just had to communicate very little. I just
let them do what they do and it was so much fun. When people are that
connected to an instrument, music is their language.
GC: Are you a big Prince fan?
DM: Yeah, I don’t really know anybody who isn’t appreciative in some
aspect. Beyond liking the songs, I definitely like to study people who
perform, because I didn’t feel like I was a natural performer. So I always
kind of looked at different people’s movements, whether it was Nancy
Wilson or Prince or Beyoncé. Prince, who was able to move while playing
a guitar in these outfits – people couldn’t believe that he was playing a
solo while riding on his back or doing a split. I was like, “How do I get to
that point? How do I become Beyoncé with a guitar?” (Laughs) I definitely
love studying live tapes of him and have taken inspiration from him,
especially with the new romantic stuff and some of his outfit choices. It’s
nice to study and, through my own lens, I’ve appropriated some things.
GC: Study or stalk?
DM: I don’t want to stalk him. He’s a Jehovah’s Witness! I don’t want
anything to do with him. (Laughs) And I’m an adult. I’m not interested
in stalking people.
GC: But don’t you have a history of stalking famous musicians?
DM: Yeah, I was a teenager music fan like anyone I know who’s in a
band or works in publishing or in whatever position they’ve attained in
music. The best people were once crazy fans. They were silly teenagers
who made collages and stole set lists and waited outside of hotels. I
mean, all the best that you want to work with as adults were insane
teenagers, but you know, most people grow out of that and they say,
“How do I find a way to get closer to music that’s not so disturbing for
someone past the age of 20?”
GC: How long do you expect the Scissor Sisters’ hiatus to last?
DM: I have no idea. And I think that’s how it should be. If and when it
feels right we would do it in a second, so whatever that means.
GC: Do you think breaks are important to a band’s longevity?
DM: There’s no other reason to take one. As a live band, we’ve never
been very lazy. We always put a lot of effort into performing and that is
really exhausting, and touring is becoming more and more difficult, so
as a band – and we’re talking not two DJs with, like, one tour manager
and a laptop – you’re traveling with a huge group and you’re freighting
all this equipment, and it’s very expensive. It’s a lot of work to travel the
globe. We just felt a little burned out. Like, “Let’s stop so we can enjoy
it in the future rather than absolutely destroying ourselves to the point
where we never want to see each other again.”
GC: When’s the last time you saw them?
DM: In person?
GC: Yeah.
DM: I don’t know. We text and email and tweet. I’ve seen everybody
at least once since last fall. It’s just something where you can feel
comfortable not seeing them for years and then you just walk into a
room and we’d feel like no time had passed. It’s a unique relationship
that’s difficult to explain unless you’ve been in a band. It’s this strange
hybrid of family and friendship and ex-lover.
GC: What are the challenges of releasing an album independently
versus one you’ve done with Scissor Sisters?
DM: How diversified social media is. Just to create a new name for
this project, I had to start over with everything from the basics of Twitter,
Facebook, Instagram – and then I’m not very active as it is. I’m almost
like a technophobe, so for me this administration of being up on my
Twitter – using exclamation points and being informative and funny – it’s
like I can really barely muster the energy. I’d much rather be working
in the garden or riding my bike and whistling at the clouds. (Laughs) I
really have a tough time doing this groundwork.
Knowing that I made a great record is enough for me, and then it’s
like, “Oh wait, I have to tell people about it.” I don’t want to do any of
that. It’s awful. (Laughs) I have people helping me set up some bells and
whistles. Gosh, I sound like a fucking Golden Girl.
GC: You need to call Taylor Swift. She’s mastered social media.
DM: (Sarcastically) Oh my gosh, I just need to be dating teenage boys
and then breaking up with them. I’m sure that would really help.
GC: There you go. New marketing plan.
DM: Yeah, that’s it.
GC: How good are you with the hashtags?
DM: I keep forgetting. It’s like, “Do I need to hashtag?” I tweet when
appropriate, and occasionally –
GC: When inappropriate?
DM: Yes, occasionally inappropriately, if I’ve had something to drink.
GC: That’s the way you sell yourself.
DM: I know. But why does everything have to be funny? I mean,
Twitter really only works if you’ve got wit. And I do consider myself
occasionally witty, but I didn’t know that to be a pop star you also have
to be a comedian.
 Photo by Andy Whale
36
www.gaycalgary.com
Community
Edmonton Fruit Loop
Summer Series
Edmonton Fruit Loop 2013 Summer Series
May 10th, June 14th, July 12th and August 9th
Yellowhead Brewery (10229-105 Street, Edmonton)
http://www.facebook.com/fruitloopedmonton
By Lisa Lunney
The Edmonton community is now home to a great
summer series of events targeted towards the LGBT
community. Fruit Loop is a lineup of activities for
“fellow Fruits—the diverse community of gays, lesbians,
bisexuals, transfolk, queers, two spirited, straight, allies,
cherries and berries—to mix, mingle and have fun,” says
their Facebook page.
Fruit Loop is a new name to the city, so they probably need a
formal introduction. They are a grassroots collective of creative
individuals who are donating their time, talents, resources
and energy to better the community. Members of Fruit Loop
are not associated with any single organization, business or
venue. They put in the effort for their audience to have the
best possible experience, as their primary goal is to make the
community they support happy. Since summer is the season
of parties, mingling and bonding, Fruit Loop has created the
Summer Series in hopes of receiving a warm acceptance in the
Edmonton area. They simply ask for patrons to come out and
support events and to share in the festivities with others.
Fruit Loop is designed to be more than just an average
night out at the local gay bar, with the goal of being anything
but ordinary. The creators of Fruit Loop are planning to work
closely with LGBT groups at each event to give something back.
The summer series takes place the second Friday of each
month from May, continuing to August (specifically May 10th,
June 14th, July 12th and August 9th), so that patrons will have
things to look forward to throughout the entire summer.
Yellowhead Brewery will serve as a host for the Summer
Series of events. They brag one of Alberta’s finest micro brewed
beers, Yellowhead Premium Lager – so they will provide great
drinks and delicious bites. The venue is located in the heart of
Downtown Edmonton, a hot spot for nightlife in the city.
Fruit Loop will be actively seeking feedback on each of the
Summer Series events. This feedback will help Fruit Loop do
things better, and determine if these events will continue in
years to come.
If you decide to go, make sure you invite the fruitiest and
most fabulous people you know!
www.gaycalgary.com
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www.gaycalgary.com
Bring On Your Faith, Dolls
Eliza Dushku arrives at last month’s Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo
By Jason Clevett
There seems to be a stigma surrounding child actors
who appear in huge films: many are seen once and
never again. Some spiral into drugs while others just
disappear. Eliza Dushku debuted in the 1994 James
Cameron film True Lies. Starting your career on a film
directed by one of the biggest directors in the world and
a cast that included Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee
Curtis, Tia Carrere, Tom Arnold and Charlton Heston
is a lot for any 12 year old. Fortunately for the world,
Dushku has gone on to build up an amazing resume of
TV and film in the last 20 years.
able to do it for so long. 20 years of True Lies is definitely trippy.
We just did the Blu-Ray and Jim (Cameron) put together the
crew that did his Avatar behind the scenes film and they did
interviews and it was wild to look back at it and to think about
what a killer and crazy experience it was and to think it was so
long ago. Tom Arnold and I live-tweeted a screening of it. It is
remarkable, what a cool thing, as a 12 year old, to be able to go
spend a year doing that with such talented people.”
Dushku counts co-star Jamie Lee Curtis as one of her
influences. Another actor who started young in film and built
a career her way, Curtis showed a young Eliza how to operate
in Hollywood.
“I think I just continued to show up and bring what I do.
I don’t really know if other people have done it differently. I
feel there are times in my life where I have tried to leave the
business to go back to school or do something else with my
life and I get pulled back in. I hate it when people say crazy
shit like it’s meant to be but it definitely has pulled me back at
times when I’ve looked to do something else. I am grateful for
it and the things I am able to do and the fact that I have been
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“She was incredible. I remember when we first decided on the
film, my Mother didn’t have a lot of experience with actors or
Hollywood we were pretty green when we came on the scene. I
remember a couple of days of knowing Jamie on set my mother
looked me in the eye and said, you watch that woman she
knows how to be a class act and a feminist in a club run by the
boys and she is not to be played with. She was sexy and strong
and funny and had all the qualities. So I did watch her closely
for those 9 months and [she was] someone I looked up to.”
GayCalgary Magazine spoke to Eliza Dushku over the
phone in advance of this weekend’s sold out Calgary
Comic & Entertainment Expo. Dushku’s resume
includes working alongside Robert DeNiro,
Leonardo DiCaprio and James Belushi. Films
such as Wrong Turn, Bring It On, and Jay and
Silent Bob Strike Back, and TV shows like Tru
Calling have made fans around the world. At
her appearance Expo weekend, many of those
waiting to meet her were there because of her
character Faith in the Joss Whedon shows
Buffy The Vampire Slayer & Angel, and as
Echo in Dollhouse.
“I would say a big part of it is the Joss
Whedonverse shows. But I get a lot of people
from different projects – Tru Calling, Bring
It On, I feel like there is a little something
something for everybody along the way. It
is usually pretty mixed but it can be pretty
Faith heavy.”
Being part of 3 of Joss Whedon’s shows
displays the connection between the two
of them, and Dushku gets excited while
speaking of Whedon.
“It is a lucky little family. I am
definitely psyched to have been and be
a part of that little crew. You do feel
like you are a part of history when we
were in the Buffy-sphere. It has really
transcended and what most shows
will ever do is sort of a phenomenon
and I have seen the effects of how it
has reached around the world. I can
go to any country and find Buffy fan
pockets and that is extraordinary.
So I am lucky and grateful and
always pinching myself a little bit.
Plus I love Joss, he is just a bro. He
is somebody I am proud to call my
buddy.”
Dushku
was
an
executive
producer and played the lead
character Echo on the 2009-2010
show Dollhouse. When the show
was cancelled by Fox it was
disappointing, but unlike
many shows that just
go off the air Dollhouse
resolved its storylines.
“It was very nice
of Fox to let us have
that chance, and I
say that truthfully. A
lot of shows they pull
the plug and it is just
don’t show up for work
tomorrow. You don’t have
closure and it is an awkward scenario
for everyone. The fact that they picked us up
for the second season when we didn’t have the numbers on the
main nights. We were one of the first shows where they started
to consider DVR numbers but it wasn’t quite in time. We were
one of the highest DVR’d shows because we had that lovely
40
Friday night death slot time when we aired. They still gave us
a second season and then midway when they cancelled it they
still let us finish it which I thought was very thoughtful of Fox.”
Recently Dushku has been doing a lot of voice work for
cartoons like Jay & Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie
and voicing She-Hulk in Hulk & The Agents of S.M.A.S.H. Doing
voice work is a different experience from being physically on
screen, but one she has enjoyed thus far.
“I get to show up in my pajamas and don’t have to
spend an hour in hair and makeup, and I get to sit in
a room with a bunch of funny talented guys and do
something that I hadn’t done before in my career.
We just finished the first season of Hulk Smash
and I played She-Hulk. The cast was insane with
some real voice over veterans in the room, every
week I would go in to record I would nerd out.
I love all things comic-booky. I learned a lot,
it is different and a lot of fun but it is still so
fast and a creative vibe. Last week I watched
some of the finished episodes and I just
wanted a bowl of cereal and to sit and watch
5 episodes on my sofa. It looks really good,
it is smart, funny and has an old school
vibe.”
In speaking with Dushku it was
evident that she was very excited to
attend the Expo.
“Honestly what I enjoy most is
meeting people. For so long I was
in a place where you couldn’t get
access to the fans. Even things
like Twitter you can speak your
truth. I like things straight from
the horse’s mouth and direct
communication.
With
these
shows you actually have that
few minutes of face time where
you literally have people run
up and say I have waited 20
years to say bla bla bla to you.
I get riveted and excited by
that. Everybody is there in
a positive place. I am a big
fan of other people so it is
a joyous occasion to get a
weekend where everyone
gets to geek out, I really
feel that way.”
www.gaycalgary.com
Interview
Guess Who’s Back, Sheldon?
Wil Wheaton Returns to Calgary Expo
By Jason Clevett
At the 2012 Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo, Wil Wheaton
was one of the highlights of the event, reuniting for the first
time with the entire cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In
a display of grit and determination, an exhausted and sick
Wheaton pushed himself to the limit and was gracious to the
fans. He clearly made an impression as he and comic icon Stan
Lee were the only two returning guests this year. GayCalgary
Magazine spoke to Wheaton prior to the Expo.
“I am in my home - I am going to be home before the Expo. I was
exhausted last year [from flying to Calgary directly from Australia]. I am
really good at conserving energy, taking care of myself and knowing what
my limits are. I am very fortunate in that the average person who wants
to meet me at a comic convention tends to be pretty understanding and
respectful of exactly what I have to offer. I am really looking forward to
coming back and being at 100% energy and health so I have time to see
more of the convention than just the parts I am directly involved in. I am
especially looking forward to getting out into Calgary itself and partaking
in some of the fine craft beers you have there.
“It makes me feel like I am doing something right. I started going to
conventions when I was a kid before I worked on Star Trek. I know what
it is like to be on both sides of the line. I know what as a attendee I want
from a guest, and I work really hard to treat the people that come to meet
me the way I would want to be treated if I was there to meet somebody
else. Getting invited back makes me feel like I did something right and
that makes me happy.”
While much of the focus in 2012 was on Star Trek, typically Wheaton
appears at conventions as a “solo” feature. He is excited to have more
of his impressive career up for discussion instead of being focused on
one aspect.
“It is truly nothing new for me. I go to cons all over the country to talk
about Tabletop or Big Bang Theory or Falling Skies. Being somewhere
with other groups of people is outside of what’s normal for me, this will
be more about letting the fans tell me what they want to know about
rather than everyone be expected to focus on one thing.”
The 2012 convention culminated in a sold out corral for an on-stage
reunion of the cast. In a night that was memorable for the cast and fans
alike, it was important to Wheaton, as he got to publicly address how
he felt leaving the show and how he didn’t feel he had the right to invite
them to his wedding and to apologize. It was an emotional moment, but
also funny as Levar Burton told him, “you were a pain in the ass. But
you are our pain in the ass.” The emotion of the cast in that moment
was evident to the back of the arena, and it was a moment Wheaton is
grateful for.
“What is interesting about that is that everyone in cast came to me
individually and privately and said you didn’t need to say that, we knew.
It was really important for me. It is almost like a thing that I had to let go
of, to stop living my adult life in the shadow of something that a teenage
version of me felt responsible for. In a lot of ways it unburdened my
relationship with everybody in the cast. Everyone in the cast was like,
look man, you were kid. It’s fine, let it go nobody thinks less of you. For
me because I grew up working so much as a kid and having so many
adult responsibilities, when I look back at behaving the way a teenager
behaves there is a part of me that feels ashamed of that because I felt
a responsibility to be an adult even if I didn’t have the maturity and
experience to know precisely what that meant at the time. Getting to
take ownership of that and let it go was really important to me.”
sitting in an airport and being left alone, he is never going to experience
that. I guarantee you there is not a person in his life who says, hey man
don’t do that you’re fucking up. There are 100 people in his life that are
basically making their careers off of him. He doesn’t get to be a person,
he is a business. So every time I see him do something that a teenager
does and I watch this celebrity obsessed media that just cannot wait for
him to fall, jump all over him, I feel a great deal of empathy and sadness
for him. I am hoping he gets a chance to grow up and grow out of these
things but I expect he may end up sort of a dysfunctional man child,
sort of like what happened to Michael Jackson. I think that is really,
really sad. It is always hard to be a child who is famous. It is hard to be
a teenager anyways, being a teenager and in high school sucks. You are
trying to navigate the most difficult transition to the world from child to
adult. Every time I put up a picture of me as a teenager dressing as a
jackass I can laugh at it now and people will respond to me and say, boy
am I glad my teen years weren’t preserved the way yours are.
“The only advice I would give to young people in the industry is stay
close to your siblings because they are going to keep you honest and be
inherently suspicious and wary of people who are constantly telling you
how fucking great you are – [only] because there is probably something
in it for them.”
The last year has been very busy for Wheaton since he last graced
Calgary.
“Gosh I have worked a lot. My show Tabletop has just taken off and
become a massive, massive hit and much more of a success than any of
us thought it would be. We have shot the first half of the second season.
We are just about done editing that and getting ready to get back into
the second half of production. Surprisingly what I did not have time to
do was write more because I have been so busy producing other things.
That is the only regret I have really from the past year, I have been
working on a novella for a little while and I really wanted it to be done by
now. I guess it will be finished when it is ready to be finished.”
Being a veteran of conventions around the world, including this past
Expo, Wheaton knows what to do at these events. He is determined to
be healthy and gung ho, and wants you to be as well. He had some
important words of advice for the 60,000 packing the Stampede Grounds
that weekend:
His challenges on the show can be summed up in being a teenager. It
has always been a challenge growing up in the spotlight, and now seems
to be even more so, when every move a young artist like Justin Bieber
makes seems to be plastered across the internet.
“Stay hydrated and wear comfortable shoes.”
“I have an incredible amount of empathy for Justin Bieber. That kid
is never going to have a normal life. Things you and I take for granted
like going to the grocery store or having drinks with friends in a bar or
www.gaycalgary.com
41
Woo’d by Torchwood
 Photo courtesy of the BBC
By Evan Kayne
If last year was the year of the Trek at the Calgary Comic
and Entertainment Expo (what with the reunion of the
cast from Star Trek: The Next Generation), this year we
all got a passionate Torchwood kiss as John Barrowman
(Captain Jack Harkness), Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper) and
Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto Jones) came to town.
When asked about the Expo, the lovely Eve said exactly
what fans felt after meeting her or the others: “it’s been a
blast...I’ve had a brilliant time”. The rapport between the
three was amazing. Whether on the Torchwood panel or on
John Barrowman’s own panel, the audience was enthralled
and entertained - and not just by Barrowman flashing his
superhero undies.
Unfortunately, for a family audience there were a lot of
stories that couldn’t be recounted on the panel...with everyone
pointing towards John, who usually gave an impish smile in
return. In his own defense, he did say that “...everyone always
blames me – which I’m totally cool with – but they all live
vicariously through me.”
On their panels, the cast discussed the history of the show –
from Eve joking about her first meeting John and swearing he
was in love with her...only for him to turn gay because Gareth
David-Lloyd was cast as Ianto, to all of them agreeing on their
favorite episode – the spectactularly creepy “Countrycide”.
It wasn’t all jokes though – John recounted how in the
episode “Captain Jack Harkness” he found the actor playing
the original Captain Jack (Matt Rippy) crying in a corner
after the scene where the two of them passionately kiss. In
seriousness, John said he was worried he may have crossed
a line with the actor (who was straight). Instead he discovered
that Matt was sad that a positive gay role model wasn’t around
to inspire his brother who had committed suicide years prior.
While John was bawdy at times, he never crossed that line
of being insulting. He respected his fans, and his co-workers.
For him, Torchwood opened doors and played a huge part of
his life. “We loved this show. We loved doing it. We loved the
characters that we played. We were family.”
Delightful, funny, charming and just a wee bit naughty –
that pretty much sums up any encounter with the Torchwood
gang.
42
www.gaycalgary.com
Why We Love John Barrowman
By Jason Clevett
“You’re really tall...are things proportionate?” John Barrowman
asks me as we pose for a photo, leaving me speechless for the
second time in less than 10 minutes.
That simple fun and flirty statement pretty much sums up John
Barrowman at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. Whether
making out with InnerSPACE host Ajay Fry during his panel or “The Hub”
evening host Shane Turgeon, teaming with Casper Van Dien to surprise
Nathan Filion with a boa constrictor, or responding to a fan asking to grab
his ass during a photo op with “at least stick a finger in”, Barrowman is
instantly likeable and full of surprises.
“You don’t know what kind of underwear I have on, or if I am actually
wearing underwear. You are desperate to look down but you aren’t going
to,” he teased. The answer as fans found out over the weekend was Iron
Man underwear on Saturday and Spiderman on Sunday. One of the most
popular guests at this year’s event which featured a reunion with his
Torchwood co-stars Eve Myles and Gareth David Lloyd (interviewed in the
last edition).
“The thing is we are all crazy. Casper I haven’t seen in 12 years, we
were brothers on a show called Titans for Aaron Spelling. I walked out of
the elevator last night and there he was looking exactly the way he looked
a long time ago except we both have some grey hair in places we won’t
talk about.”
Barrowman is a man of many talents. He has his own skin care
products, is an author and of course an actor, singer and dancer. From
multiple theatre roles like Raoul in Phantom of the Opera and Billy Crocker
in Anything Goes, he has conquered the theatre world and also released
multiple albums. He has appeared in films such as The Producers but is
most known for his portrayal of Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who
and Torchwood. Many fans at the expo wanted to know if they would be
seeing more of Captain Jack, including the upcoming 50th anniversary
Doctor Who special.
www.gaycalgary.com
“I have no idea. I don’t know. That is the honest answer. Whether or not
they decide to bring back Torchwood at some point it is their decision not
ours. But Eve, Garreth, and I have always said when they do, if they want
to revive Ianto or do a season that takes place before - who knows - but
we would love to be there.” At his featured panel he told booing fans that
he would not be part of the 50th anniversary. “I wasn’t asked, that’s it. I
love that you are booing and that every other question is Why aren’t you in
the 50th? I wasn’t asked, it is not my control; it is the BBC producers and
those that make the decisions. They felt that they only wanted to bring
back David and Rose which I think is a great idea. John Barrowman the
fanboy is disappointed, I think I was a big part of the program but I am ok
with it. That doesn’t mean you all can’t petition the shit out of it.”
Barrowman is keeping busy, currently acting in the hit CW show
Arrow, which airs on CTV in Canada.
“Arrow has been incredible. Who can complain when I go into the
makeup trailer and there’s Stephen Amell laying there in a loin cloth
having scars and tattoos put on his body. That’s awesome. What’s really
nice is that Malcolm Merlyn (his character) is an off the kilter hero, he
thinks he is a hero which I love playing him that way. I am having a great
time. The finale episode is like an episode on steroids times 100. The
sequences we have filmed I could not believe what they were doing and
how they were approaching it. I wrapped filming at 5:30 in the morning
last Saturday and caught a plane back to Palm Springs. There have been
people filming like that for the last 10 days. This is an episode where if
43
you haven’t watched Arrow you can watch it and get hooked on it. It is
going to be awesome.”
“Save a horse ride a cowboy. Make me the Grand Marshall and I might
think about coming. And then I’ll show up to the rodeo,” he jests.
Living in Wales with his partner of 20 years Scott Gills, Barrowman had
an interesting outlook on how gay rights and gay characters are portrayed
in Europe compared the USA.
Barrowman is one of the most successful out gay actors, something he
attributes to his honesty and another appealing aspect of his character.
He was told by a gay producer early in his career to pretend to be straight,
advice many actors have taken. Not in his case, and it has paid off.
“You are not going to like my answer. Although you think the UK is
much further on - and they are in terms of rights for gay, lesbian, and
transgendered people in Europe - Canada has been, well, progressive,
and good on Canada for that, you have marriage already. But the United
States are kind of in the 50’s where they were with black and white is
where they are with the GLBT community. There is this fear that if we get
marriage the place is just going to devour itself. I guarantee you that once
marriage passes, because it will, the sun will still rise. People will still go to
work and church and love each other but everybody will be equal. In terms
of television, American TV has the most gay and lesbian characters in the
world on TV. They are stereotypes. That is where it is different in Britain,
everyone is not flouncy and a queen. We are actually men and women
living lives like everyone else. That is where I think American television
is progressing now, they are moving on to show the diversity of the gay
community.”
Even if not a fan of John Barrowman before the expo, if you met him
or interacted with him in any way then you became one almost instantly.
Despite his success he remains grounded. During his panel he told a story
about an agent at the hotel cutting off two girls who were trying to get into
the same elevator.
“I came into this business to work. Success and fame has come with it
and I love it and thank everybody for giving me the life I always dreamed
about and never thought I would ever have. When a lot of actors come into
the business you know that becoming famous could happen, why become
an asshole? Why become a dickhead? Just be yourself and embrace it and
thank everybody for making you who you are.”
Calgary certainly loved John, who unfortunately mostly saw the city
from the Parade of Wonders parade route and the hotel. Could he return
to Calgary for say, a large gay event held at the end of June?
44
“I ignored him of course as everybody should. I have a successful career
and the fact of the matter is…I have been honest and truthful and the
public is not stupid. People say that they are married because they are
covering up because they are actually gay. It is not my job to out people,
somebody might not be coming out for a personal emotional reason. When
people do come out, that is their choice and that is what it should be. But
you should never feel that you have to be in or pretend to be somebody
else because of your work, and if you do then fuck that work. Go do
something else and be yourself. I am adamant and very passionate about
this because I was told to be straight when I was younger. I went home to
my boyfriend, who has now been my partner of 20 years and said, Scott
what should I do? and he asked what I wanted to do, and the answer
was I don’t want to lie about my life. That was the defining moment. If
anybody out there is going through that struggle confront your boss and
the people and if they do fire you because of your sexuality, sue the shit
out of them.”
John Barrowman
Arrow airs Wednesday nights on CTV
http://www.JohnBarrowman.com
www.gaycalgary.com
www.gaycalgary.com
45
Photography
ISCWR - Lonestar Tribute
Photos by K Hofmann
46
www.gaycalgary.com
Photography
Karaogay at Broken City, Calgary
Kinky Flea Market, Calgary
http://gaycalgary.com/pa483
East Village Bistro 1st Anniversary, Calgary
Bear-b-que and ISCCA Voting at the Backlot, Calgary
www.gaycalgary.com
47
Photography
Jasper Pride 2013, photos by Mike Gere & Lisa Lunney
48
www.gaycalgary.com
Photography
Bearacchus Weekend, Calgary
www.gaycalgary.com
49
Photography
ISCCA Coronation 37 at the Westin Hotel, Calgary
50
www.gaycalgary.com
Photography
Les Girls – Geek is SHEek at Vinyl Nightclub, Calgary
www.gaycalgary.com
51
52
www.gaycalgary.com
www.gaycalgary.com
53
Dave Richards has done drag as Deva Dave on and off since 1995,
ironically as the result of losing a bet. Today she is well known for her classy
performances, and recently won first place in The Search for Calgary’s Next
Drag Superstar, hosted by RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Sharon Needles at
Cowboys Nigthclub. She has also been involved as a director on the ISCCA
board for the past 2 1/2 years.
Dave is a business owner, having run DevaDave Salon and Boutique since
2004. The boutique carries a selection of men’s and women’s shoes and
underwear, in addition to wigs and accessories. Between this and the Salon,
54
Dave specializes in helping people to look their best. This includes working
with drag performers to improve their art, and also with trans women as they
are just beginning to change their appearance.
Dave Richards first moved to Calgary in 1991 from the Caribbean. He
has been together with his boyfriend Jonathan for 3 years, and will soon be
adopting a baby boy who is due to be born in early June.
www.gaycalgary.com
Directory & Events
24
DOWNTOWN CALGARY
41
37
59
34
2
33
35
36
3
1
60
5 6
16
N
13
1
2
3
5
6
Calgary Outlink---------- Community Groups
Aids Calgary------------- Community Groups
Backlot------------------------Bars and Clubs
Texas Lounge-----------------Bars and Clubs
Goliath’s--------------------------Bathhouses
13 Westways Guest House-----Accommodations
16 Priape Calgary----------------- Retail Stores
24 Courtney Aarbo-----------------------Services
33 Twisted Element--------------Bars and Clubs
34 Vertigo Mystery Theatre------------- Theatre
FIND OUT!
One Yellow Rabbit-------------------- Theatre
ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects-------- Theatre
Pumphouse Theatre----------------- Theatre
La Fleur------------------------- Retail Stores
Theatre Junction--------------------- Theatre
CALGARY
LGBT Community Directory
GayCalgary Magazine is the go-to source for information about
Alberta LGBT businesses and community groups—the most
extensive and accurate resource of its kind! This print supplement
contains a subset of active community groups and venues, with
premium business listings of paid advertisers.
✰....... Find our Magazine Here
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36
37
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......... Wheelchair Accessible
Spot something inaccurate or outdated? Want your business or
organization listed? We welcome you to contact us!
 403-543-6960
 1-888-543-6960
 [email protected]
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Club Sapien (CLOSED)

1140 10th Ave SW
Accommodations
13 Westways Guest House------------------- ✰

216 - 25th Avenue SW
 403-229-1758

1-866-846-7038

www.gaywestways.com
Bars & Clubs
3 Backlot---------------------------------- ✰
 403-265-5211
Open 7 days a week, 2pm-close
209 - 10th Ave SW
60 Cowboys Nightclub------------------------

421 12th Avenue SE
5 Texas Lounge------------------------------ ✰

308 - 17 Ave SW
 403-229-0911

www.goliaths.ca

Open 7 days a week, 11am-close
33 Twisted Element--------------------------- ✰

1006 - 11th Ave SW
 403-802-0230

www.twistedelement.ca
Dance Club and Lounge.
Local Bars, Restaurants, and Accommodations info on the go!
59 East Village Bistro

2nd floor, 610 - 8 Avenue SE
Restaurant and lounge.
http://www.gaycalgary.com/Directory

424a - 8th Ave SE
59 East Village Cafe-------------Bars and Clubs
60 Cowboys Nightclub-----------Bars and Clubs
Calgary Eagle Inc. (CLOSED)
FAB (CLOSED)

1742 - 10th Ave SW
Bathhouses/Saunas
6 Goliaths------------------------------------ ✰

308 - 17 Ave SW
 403-229-0911

www.goliaths.ca

Open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
Community Groups
2 AIDS Calgary--------------------------

110, 1603 10th Avenue SW

403-508-2500

[email protected]

www.aidscalgary.org
✰
Alberta Society for Kink

403-398-9968

[email protected]

http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/
group.albertasocietyforkink
Apollo Calgary - Friends in Sports

www.apollocalgary.com

www.myapollo.com
A volunteer operated, non-profit organization serving
primarily members of the LGBT communities but open to all
members of all communities. Primary focus is to provide
members with well-organized and fun sporting events and
other activities.
Browse our complete directory of over 650 gay-frieindly listings!
www.gaycalgary.com
55
Directory & Events
Student Night------------------------  6pm-6am
Calgary Events
At 6 Goliaths
Mondays
Buddy Night-------------------------  6pm-6am
At 6 Goliaths
ASK Meet and Greet----------------  7-9:30pm

Bonasera (1204 Edmonton Tr. NE)
Inside Out Youth Group---------------- 7-9pm
See 1 Calgary Outlink
Mosaic Youth Group--------------------  7-9pm
Running-----------------------------------  9am
Lesbian Seniors---------------------------  2pm

Kerby Center, Sunshine Room
1133 7th Ave SW
Tuesdays
 1st
Student Night------------------------  6pm-6am
At 6 Goliaths
Between Men--------------------------- 7-9pm
 2nd, 4th
Bootcamp---------------------------  7-8:30pm
See
Apollo Calgary
Karaoke-------------------------  8pm-12:30am
At 5 Texas Lounge
Fetish Slosh----------------------------  Evening
At 3 Backlot
 2nd
Alcoholics Anonymous--------------------  8pm

Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance)
1227 Kensington Close NW
Wednesdays
Communion Service-----------------  12:10pm
See
Knox United Church
Pool Night-----------------------------  Evening
At 59 East Village Cafe with
Prime Timers Calgary
Wing Night------------------------------  5-8pm
 3rd
Uniform Night-----------------------  6pm-6am
By Different Strokes

SAIT Pool (1301 - 16 Ave NW)
Calgary Networking Club-------------- 5-7pm
Swim Practice (June)------------  7:30-8:30pm
Apollo
Coffee------------------------------------ 10am
By Prime Timers Calgary

Midtown Co-op (1130 - 11th Ave SW)
Curling-------------------------  2:20 & 4:30pm
See
Apollo Calgary
• Badminton (Absolutely Smashing)

6020 - 4 Avenue NE

[email protected]
• Boot Camp

Platoon FX, 1351 Aviation Park NE

[email protected]
• Bowling (Rainbow Riders League)

Let’s Bowl (2916 5th Avenue NE)

[email protected]
• Curling

North Hill Curling Club (1201 - 2 Street NW)

[email protected]
• Golf

[email protected]
• Lawn Bowling

[email protected]
NAGVA Party---------------------------  All Day
By NAGVA at Backlot
NAGVA Tournament----------------  All Day
By Nagva
->May26
Friday, May 24th
Queer Film Festival-----------------  All Day
By Fairy Tales
->May26th, May29-Jun1
Sundays
Saturday, May 25th
Lesbian Meetup Group-------------  7:30-9pm
Worship Time---------------------------- 10am
Kent Monkman Launch Party--------  7-10pm
Worship------------------------------  10:30am
See
Apollo Calgary
At 1 Calgary Outlink
 1st
See

See
Karaoke-----------------------------------  7pm
See
At 3 Backlot
By
Deer Park United Church
Scarboro United Church
By
ISCCA at 3 Backlot
Glenbow Museum
Sunday, May 26th
Sunday Services---------------------  10:45am
Hillhurst United Church
NAGVA Closing Party--------------------  Night
By NAGVA at Cowboys Night Club
Worship Services------------------------- 11am
Saturday, June 1st
Illusions-------------------------------  7-10pm
Int/Comp Volleyball----------- 12:15-1:45pm
Wild West Party------------------  9pm-2am
By ARGRA
Arrata Opera Centre (1315 - 7 Street SW)
Womynspace---------------------------- 7-9pm
Church Service----------------------------  4pm
Wednesday, June 5th
New Directions-------------------------- 7-9pm
Swim Practice (June)-------------------  5-6pm
See
Fridays
 1st
 2nd
 3rd
Heading Out----------------------- 8pm-10pm
 4th
Rec Volleyball--------------------------- 7-9pm
See
Apollo Calgary
See
See
Knox United Church
Apollo Calgary
Rainbow Community Church
By Different Strokes

SAIT Pool (1301 - 16 Ave NW)
3rd Anniversary Party-----------------  All Day
By 3 Backlot
Friday, June 21st
Flashlight Night---------------------  6pm-6am
At 6 Goliaths
Stomp and Swoosh-----------------------  8pm
By Calgary Men’s Chorus

Rosza Centre, U of C
Women’s Volleyball----------------  7-8:30pm
See
Apollo Calgary
Legend:  = Monthly Reoccurrance,  = Date (Range/Future),  = Sponsored Event
• Outdoor Pursuits
[email protected]
If it’s done outdoors, we do it. Volunteer led events all
summer and winter. Hiking, camping, biking, skiing, snow
shoeing, etc. Sign up at myapollo.org to get updates on
the sport you like. We’re always looking for people to
lead events.
• Running (Calgary Frontrunners)
YMCA Eau Claire (4th St, 1st Ave SW)

[email protected]
East Doors (directly off the Bow river pathway). Distances
vary from 8 km - 15 km. Runners from 6 minutes/mile to
9+ minute miles.
• Slow Pitch

[email protected]
• Squash
Mount Royal University Recreation

[email protected]
All skill levels welcome.
• Tennis

[email protected]
• Volleyball (Beach)
1 Calgary Outlink---------------------------- ✰
Old Y Centre (303 – 223, 12 Ave SW)

403-234-8973

http://www.calgaryoutlink.com
• Volleyball (Recreational)
• Peer Support and Crisis Line

[email protected]
• Volleyball (Competitive)
1-877-OUT-IS-OK (1-877-688-4765)
Front-line help service for GLBT individuals and their family
and friends, or anyone questioning their sexuality.
• Yoga

Robin: 403-618-9642
Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association (ARGRA)

www.argra.org
• Monthly Dances-------------------------

Arrata Opera Centre (1315 - 7 Street SW)
✰
Calgary Gay Fathers

[email protected]

http://www.calgarygayfathers.ca
Peer support group for gay, bisexual and questioning
fathers. Meeting twice a month.
Calgary Queer Book Club
Calgary Men’s Chorus
Deer Park United Church/Wholeness Centre

77 Deerpoint Road SE

http://www.dpuc.ca
• Rehearsals

Temple B’Nai Tikvah, 900 - 47 Avenue SW
Calgary Sexual Health Centre---------
 403-278-8263
Different Strokes
✰

304, 301 14th Street NW
403-283-5580

http://www.calgarysexualhealth.ca
A pro-choice organization that believes all people have the
right and ability to make their own choices regarding their
sexual and reproductive health.
• Calgary Lesbian Ladies Meet up Group
• Between Men and Between Men Online
• Heading Out
• Illusions Calgary
• Inside Out
• New Directions
• Womynspace

Weeds Cafe (1903 20 Ave NW)

http://www.calgarymenschorus.org
56
Thursday, May 23rd
BBQ-------------------------------------  Dinner
 Calgary Contd.

www.westerncup.com
ISCCA at 3 Backlot

Bootcamp------------------------------- 7-8pm
At 59 East Village Cafe
• Western Cup 31
By
Thursdays
By
Friday, May 17th
BBQ-------------------------------------  Dinner
 Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW)
At 6 Goliaths
Apollo Calgary

Saturdays
Yoga-----------------------------  7:40-9:15pm
See

http://www.differentstrokescalgary.org
FairyTales Presentation Society

403-244-1956

http://www.fairytalesfilmfest.com
Alberta Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.
www.gaycalgary.com
Directory & Events
 Calgary Contd.
• DVD Resource Library
Over a hundred titles to choose from. Annual membership
is $10.
Gay Friends in Calgary

http://www.gayfriendsincalgary.ca
Organizes and hosts social activities catered to the LGBT
people and friends.
Girl Friends

[email protected]

members.shaw.ca/girlfriends
Queers on Campus---------------------

279R Student Union Club Spaces, U of C
403-220-6394

http://www.ucalgary.ca/~glass
Formerly GLASS - Gay/Lesbian Association of Students
and Staff.
✰
Hillhurst United Church
HIV Peer Support Group

403-230-5832

[email protected]
ISCCA Social Association

http://www.iscca.ca
Imperial Sovereign Court of the Chinook Arch. Charity
fundraising group..
Knox United Church

506 - 4th Street SW
 403-269-8382

http://www.knoxunited.ab.ca
Knox United Church is an all-inclusive church located in
downtown Calgary. A variety of facility rentals are also
available for meetings, events and concerts.
Lesbian Meetup Group

http://www.meetup.com/CalgaryLesbian
Monthly events planned for Queer women over 18+ such
as book clubs, games nights, movie nights, dinners out,
and volunteering events.
Miscellaneous Youth Network

http://www.miscyouth.com
• Fake Mustache
• Mosaic Youth Group

The Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW)
For queer and trans youth and their allies.
Mystique

[email protected]
Mystique is primarily a Lesbian group for women 30 and
up but all are welcome.
• Coffee Night

Good Earth Cafe (1502 - 11th Street SW)
NETWORKS

[email protected]
A social, cultural, and service organization for the mature
minded and “Plus 40” LGBT individuals seeking to meet
others at age-appropriate activities within a positive, safe
environment.
Parents for Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)

Sean: 403-695-5791

http://www.pflagcanada.ca
A registered charitable organization that provides
support, education and resources to parents, families and
individuals who have questions or concerns about sexual
orientation or gender identity.
Positive Space Committee

4825 Mount Royal Gate SW

403-440-6383

http://www.mtroyal.ca/positivespace
Works to raise awareness and challenge the patterns of
silence that continue to marginalize LGBTTQ individuals.
Pride Calgary Planning Committee
 www.pridecalgary.ca
Primetimers Calgary

[email protected]

http://www.primetimerscalgary.com
Designed to foster social interaction for its members
through a variety of social, educational and recreational
www.gaycalgary.com

10242 106th St
Scarboro United Church

134 Scarboro Avenue SW

403-244-1161
 www.scarborounited.ab.ca
An affirming congregation—the full inclusion of LGBT
people is essential to our mission and purpose.
Sharp Foundation
Hooliganz Pub

10704 124 St NW
12 Woody’s------------------------------------ ✰

11725 Jasper Ave
 780-488-6557
Bathhouses/Saunas

403-543-6970

1-877-543-6970

http://www.mfmcommunications.com
Web site hosting and development. Computer hardware
and software.
11 Steamworks------------------------------- ✰

11745 Jasper Ave
 780-451-5554

http://www.steamworksedmonton.com
Community Groups
SafeWorks
Free and confidential HIV/AIDS and STI testing.
Alberta Bears
• Calgary Drop-in Centre

www.beefbearbash.com
• Centre of Hope
#44, 48 Brentwood Blvd, Sherwood Park, AB

403-398-9968

[email protected]
www.altview.ca
For gender variant and sexual minorities.

Room 117, 423 - 4th Ave SE

403-699-8216

Mon-Fri: 9am-12pm, Sat: 12:15pm-3:15pm
AltView Foundation

Room 201, 420 - 9th Ave SE

403-410-1180
 Mon-Fri: 1pm-5pm

403-272-2912

[email protected]

http://www.thesharpfoundation.com
Book Worm’s Book Club
• Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre

1213 - 4th Str SW
 403-955-6014

Sat-Thu: 4:15pm-7:45pm, Fri: Closed
Unity Bowling

Let’s Bowl (2916 - 5th Ave NE)

[email protected]
• Safeworks Van

1317-1st Street NW
Theatre & Fine Arts
Restaurants
36 ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects

403-294-7402
 http://www.ATPlive.com
59 East Village Cafe

2nd floor, 610 - 8 Avenue SE
Restaurant and lounge.
AXIS Contemporary Art--------------------

107, 100 - 7 Ave SW

[email protected]
Retail Stores
Adult Depot-----------------------------
✰

140, 58th Ave SW  403-258-2777
Gay, bi, straight video rentals and sex toys.
41 La Fleur------------------------------------

103 - 100 7th Avenue SW
403-266-1707
Florist and Flower Shop.
The Naked Leaf----------------------------
 403-283-3555
16 Priape Calgary------------------------- ✰

1322 - 17 Ave SW
 403-215-1800

http://www.priape.com
Clothing and accessories. Adult toys, leather wear, movies
and magazines. Gifts.
Services & Products
Calgary Civil Marriage Centre
 403-246-4134 (Rork Hilford)
Marriage Commissioner for Alberta (aka Justice of the Peace
- JP), Marriage Officiant, Commissioner for Oaths.
24 Courtney Aarbo (Barristers & Solicitors)

1138 Kensington Road NW

403-571-5120

http://www.courtneyaarbo.ca
GLBT legal services.
Fairytales
Camp fYrefly

7-104 Dept. of Educational Policy Studies
Faculty of Education, University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G5

http://www.fyrefly.ualberta.ca

http://www.edmontonpride.ca
Jubilations Dinner Theatre
Edmonton Prime Timers

Bow Trail and 37th St. SW

403-249-7799

www.jubilations.ca
35 One Yellow Rabbit-------------------------

Big Secret Theatre - EPCOR CENTRE

403-299-8888
 www.oyr.org
37 Pumphouse Theatre------------------

2140 Pumphouse Avenue SW

403-263-0079

http://www.pumphousetheatres.ca
✰
Stagewest-------------------------------
✰

727 - 42 Avenue SE
 403-243-6642

http://www.stagewestcalgary.com
✰
34 Vertigo Mystery Theatre------------------

161, 115 - 9 Ave SE
 403-221-3708

http://www.vertigomysterytheatre.com
EDMONTON
Bars & Clubs
6 Buddy’s Nite Club------------------------- ✰

11725 Jasper Ave
 780-488-6636

780-471-6993

http://www.bucknakedboys.ca
Naturism club for men—being social while everyone is
naked, and it does not include sexual activity. Participants do
not need to be gay, only male.
Edmonton Pride Festival Society (EPFS)
See Calgary - Community Groups.
Cruiseline

403-777-9494 trial code 3500

http://www.cruiseline.ca
Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY.
 403-262-3356
 www.axisart.ca
58 Theatre Junction----------------------
Theatre Junction GRAND, 608 1st St. SW

403-205-2922

[email protected]

http://www.theatrejunction.com

Howard McBride Chapel of Chimes
10179 - 108 Street

[email protected]
Buck Naked Boys Club

403-850-3755

Sat-Thu: 8pm-12am, Fri: 4pm-12am
Wild Rose United Church
 780-938-2941
The Junction (CLOSED)
MFM Communications
 www.sutr.ca
A collaborative effort dedicated to building capacity
and acting as a voice for the LGBTQ community, service
providers, organizations and the community at large
to address violence. For same-sex domestic violence
information, resources and a link to our survey please see
our website.

305 10th Street NW

http://www.thenakedleaf.ca
Organic teas and tea ware.
Duncan’s Residential Cleaning

403-461-9195

http://www.lornedoucette.com
Safety Under the Rainbow


(403) 283-1539

[email protected]

www.hillhurstunited.com
14 FLASH (CLOSED)

10018 105 Street

[email protected]
Lorne Doucette (CIR Realtors)

2nd Cup, Kensington
Girlsgroove
DevaDave Salon & Boutique

810 Edmonton Trail NE
403-290-1973
Cuts, Colour, Hilights.
Jim Duncan: 403-978-6600
Residential cleaning. Free estimates.
• Coffee Night

http://www.girlsgroove.ca

403-797-6564
activities. Open to all gay and bisexual men of any age,
respects whatever degree of anonymity that each member
desires.

[email protected]

www.primetimersww.org/edmonton
Group of older gay men and their admirers who come from
diverse backgrounds but have common social interests.
Affiliated with Prime Timers World Wide.
Edmonton Rainbow Business Association

3379, 11215 Jasper Ave
 780-429-5014

http://www.edmontonrba.org
Primary focus is the provision of networking opportunities
for LGBT owned or operated and LGBT-friendly businesses
in the Edmonton region.
Edmonton Illusions Social Club
5 The Junction

780-387-3343

groups.yahoo.com/group/edmonton_illusions
4 Edmonton STD

11111 Jasper Ave
Edmonton Vocal Minority

780-479-2038
 www.evmchoir.com
GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club

780-474-8240
HIV Network Of Edmonton Society----
✰
9702 111 Ave NW
780-488-5742
 www.hivedmonton.com
Provides healthy sexuality education for Edmonton’s LGBT
community and support for those infected or affected
by HIV.
57
Directory & Events
DOWNTOWN EDMONTON
1
N
11 6 12
1 Pride Centre of Edm.---- Community Groups
See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
Mondays
Boot Camp------------------------------ 7-8pm
Team Edmonton
TTIQ------------------------------------- 7-9pm
 1st, 3rd
HIV Support Group--------------------- 7-9pm
 2nd
Tuesdays
QH Youth Drop-in---------------------- 3-8pm
Martial Arts---------------------  7:30-8:30pm
See
Team Edmonton
Swim Practice-------------------  7:30-8:30pm
See
4 Edmonton STD---------- Community Groups
Knotty Knitters-------------------------- 6-8pm
Edmonton Events
See
4
Team Edmonton
QH Craft Night-------------------------- 6-8pm
Cycling---------------------------  6:30-7:30pm
See
Team Edmonton
Yoga---------------------------------  7:30-8pm
See
Team Edmonton
11 Steamworks----------------------Bathhouses
Fridays
Men Talking with Pride---------------- 7-9pm
QH Anime Night------------------------ 6-8pm
See
Movie Night----------------------------- 6-9pm
Unitarian Church (10804 119th Street)
See Edmonton Primetimers
Men’s Games Nights--------------  7-10:30pm
See
Thursdays
Men’s Games Nights
 2nd, Last
Youth Sports/Recreation-----------------  4pm
Saturdays
See
Youth Understanding Youth
QH Game Night------------------------ 6-8pm
Swim Practice--------------------------- 7-8pm
See
Wednesdays
6 Buddy’s / 12 Woody’s-------Bars and Clubs
Team Edmonton
See
Team Edmonton
Monthly Meetings---------------------  2:30pm
Iconika III--------------------------  9:30pm
By ISCWR

Mercury Room (10575 114 St.)
BEEF UnderBear Party
Buck Naked Boys Club
 2nd
QH Youth Drop-in------------------  2-6:30pm
Monthly Meeting----------------------  2:30pm
By Edmonton Primetimers

Unitarian Church, 10804 - 119th Street
 2nd
By Fellowship of Alberta Bears
Saturday, June 8th
PURE Pride Dance---------------------  9pm
By PURE Pride at  10030 - 102 Street
Bearracuda Dance------------------------  9pm
GLBTQ Bowling------------------  1:30-3:30pm
Women’s Social Circle------------------ 6-9pm
Book Club-----------------------------  7:30pm
Bowling-----------------------------------  5pm
Sunday, June 9th
Martial Arts---------------------  7:30-8:30pm
Sundays
Running------------------------------  10-11am
Friday, June 14th
Yoga---------------------------------  2-3:30pm
By ISCWR
See
GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club
See 1 Youth Understanding Youth
Counseling----------------------  5:30-8:30pm
See
See
 2nd, 4th
BookWorm’s Book Club
 3rd
Team Edmonton
Intermediate Volleyball--------  7:30-9:30pm
See
Team Edmonton
See
See
See
Team Edmonton
Team Edmonton
BEEF Bear Bust BBQ
Gay Edmonton Pageant------------------- TBA
Jun15
Legend:  = Monthly Reoccurrance,  = Date (Range),  = Sponsored Event
InQueeries

[email protected]
Student-run GLBTQ Alliance at MacEwan University.
Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose

http://www.iscwr.ca
Living Positive Society of Alberta
#50, 9912 - 106 Street
780-423-3737
 http://www.facebook.com/LivingPoz
Living Positive through Positive Living.
Men’s Games Nights

Unitarian Church (10804 119th Street)

780-474-8240
OUTreach

University of Alberta, basement of SUB

[email protected]

http://www.ualberta.ca/~outreach
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender/transsexual, Queer,
Questioning and Straight-but-not-Narrow student group.
✰

10608 - 105 Ave
 780-488-3234

[email protected]

http://www.pridecentreofedmonton.org

Tue-Fri 12pm-9pm, Sat 2pm-6:30pm
We provide a safe, welcoming, and non-judgemental
58
Team Edmonton
 Edmonton Contd.
Pride Centre of Edmonton-------------
 2nd
Sunday, May 19th
Friday, June 7th
Naturalist Gettogether
See
Ballroom Dancing--------------  7:30-8:30pm
drop-in space, and offer support programs and resources
for members of the GLBTQ community and for their families
and friends.
• Queer HangOUT: Craft Night
• Counselling
Come and watch ALL the anime until your heart is content.

780.488.3234
Free, short-term counselling provided by registered
counsellors.
• HIV Support Group

[email protected]
Support and discussion group for gay men.
• Knotty Knitters
Come knit and socialize in a safe and accepting
environment - all skill levels are welcome.
• Men Talking with Pride
Come OUT and embrace your creative side in a safe space.
• Queer HangOUT: Anime Night
• TTIQ
A support and information group for all those who fall
under the transgender umbrella and their family or
supporters.
• Women’s Social Circle

[email protected]
Women’s Social Circle: A social support group for all
female-identified persons over 18 years of age in the GLBT
community - new members are always welcome.
Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton

[email protected]
Support & social group for gay & bisexual men to discuss
current issues.
780-474-8240

[email protected]
• Movie Night

[email protected]

http://www.teamedmonton.ca
Members are invited to attend and help determine the
board for the next term. If you are interested in running for
the board or getting involved in some of the committees,
please contact us.
Movie Night is open to everyone! Come over and sit back,
relax, and watch a movie with us.
• Queer HangOUT: Game Night
Come OUT with your game face on and meet some
awesome people through board game fun.
Team Edmonton
• Badminton (Mixed)
St. Thomas Moore School, 9610 165 Street

[email protected]
New group seeking male & female players.
• Badminton (Women’s)

Oliver School, 10227 - 118 Street

780-465-3620

[email protected]
Women’s Drop-In Recreational Badminton. $40.00 season
or $5.00 per drop in.
•Ballroom Dancing

Foot Notes Dance Studio, 9708-45 Avenue NW

Cynthia: 780-469-3281
• Blazin’ Bootcamp

Garneau Elementary School
10925 - 87 Ave

[email protected]
• Bowling (Northern Titans)

Ed’s Rec Room (West Edmonton Mall)

[email protected]
$15.00 per person.
• Cross Country Skiing

[email protected]
www.gaycalgary.com
Directory & Events
Red Deer Events
Lethbridge Events
Wednesdays
Friday, June 7th
LGBT Coffee Night------------------------  7pm
Queerioke
See
CAANS
 1st
Pride in the Park-------------------------  1pm
Sunday, June 16th
Pride Week-----------------------------  All Day
By Lethbridge Pride at Galt Gardens
Saturday, June 22nd
By Lethbridge Pride at Cultural Arts Centre
By Lethbridge Pride
By Lethbridge Pride at Back Draft
Jun22
Pride Dance-------------------------------  8pm
Pride Parade----------------------------- 12pm
By Lethbridge Pride
 Edmonton Contd.
• Curling with Pride

Granite Curling Club, 8620 107 Street NW

[email protected]
• Cycling (Edmonton Prideriders)

Dawson Park, picnic shelter

[email protected]
• Dragon Boat (Flaming Dragons)

[email protected]
• Volleyball, Intermediate
• Volleyball, Recreational

Mother Teresa School (9008 - 105 Ave)

[email protected]
• Women’s Lacrosse
• Golf

[email protected]

Sharon: 780-461-0017

Pam: 780-436-7374
Open to women 21+, experienced or not, all are welcome.
Call for info.
• Gymnastics, Drop-in
• Yoga

Ortona Gymnastics Club, 8755 - 50 Avenue

[email protected]
Have the whole gym to yourselves and an instructor to
help you achieve your individual goals. Cost is $5.00
per session.
• Hockey

[email protected]
• Martial Arts

15450 - 105 Ave (daycare entrance)
780-328-6414

[email protected]

[email protected]
Drop-ins welcome.
• Outdoor Pursuits

[email protected]
• Running (Arctic Frontrunners)

Kinsmen Sports Centre

[email protected]
All genders and levels of runners and walkers are invited to
join this free activity.
• Slo Pitch

Parkallen Field, 111 st and 68 ave

[email protected]
Season fee is $30.00 per person. $10 discount for players
from the 2008 season.
• Snowballs V

January 27-29, 2012

[email protected]
Skiing and Snowboarding Weekend.
• Soccer

[email protected]
• Spin

MacEwan Centre for Sport and Wellness
109 St. and 104 Ave

Wednesdays, 5:45-6:45pm
Season has ended.

[email protected]
7 classes, $28.00 per registrant.
• Swimming (Making Waves)

NAIT Pool (11762 - 106 Street)

[email protected]
www.makingwavesswimclub.ca
• Tennis

Kinsmen Sports Centre

Sundays, 12pm-3pm

[email protected]
• Ultimate Frisbee

Sundays
Summer Season starts July 12th

[email protected]
E-mail if interested.
Theatre & Fine Arts

Amiskiwacy Academy (101 Airport Road)

[email protected]

Lion's Breath Yoga Studio (10350-124 Street)

[email protected]
Exposure Festival

http://www.exposurefestival.ca
Edmonton’s Queer Arts and Culture Festival.

780-248-1971
 www.yuyedm.ca
A support and social group for queer youth 12-25.
• Sports and Recreation
The Roxy Theatre
BANFF
Community Groups
Bow Valley Cares Centre
302 Buffalo Street, Banff, AB

PO Box 3160, Banff, AB T1L 1C8

403-762-0690
 1-877-440-2437

[email protected]
LETHBRIDGE
Community Groups

Brendan: 780-488-3234

[email protected]
GALA/LA
Restaurants
The Junction (Closed)----------------------

10242 106th St
 780-756-5667
12 Woody’s------------------------------------ ✰

11725 Jasper Ave
 780-488-6557
Retail Stores
Passion Vault

15239 - 111 Ave

780-930-1169

[email protected]
“Edmonton’s Classiest Adult Store”
Products & Services
Cruiseline

780-413-7122 trial code 3500

http://www.cruiseline.ca
Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY.

403-308-2893

http://www.galalethbridge.ca
Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Lethbridge and Area.
• Monthly Dances

Henotic (402 - 2 Ave S)
Bring your membership card and photo ID.
• Monthly Potluck Dinners
• Soul OUTing

Second Sunday every month, 7pm
An LGBT-focused alternative worship.
• Film Night

Bi-monthly, contact us for exact dates.
• Book Club

Monthly, contact us for exact dates.

Sunnybrook United Church

403-347-6073

2nd Tuesday of the month, 7pm
Composed of LGBTQ people, their friends, family and
allies. No religious affiliation necessary. Activities include
support, faith and social justice discussions, film nights,
and potlucks!
Central Alberta AIDS Network Society

4611-50 Avenue, Red Deer, AB

http://www.caans.org
The Central Alberta AIDS Network Society is the local
charity responsible for HIV prevention and support in
Central Alberta.
LGBTQ Education

[email protected]

http://LGBTQeducation.webs.com
Red Deer (and area) now has a website designed to bring
various LGBTQ friendly groups/individuals together for fun,
and to promote acceptance in our communities.
Pride on Campus

[email protected]
A group of LGBTQ persons and Allies at Red Deer College.
MEDICINE HAT
Community Groups
Medicine Hat Cares Centre

McKillop United Church, 2329 - 15 Ave S
GALA/LA will provide the turkey...you bring the rest. Please
bring a dish to share that will serve 4-6 people, and your
own beverage.
356 - 2 Street SE, Medicine Hat, AB

403-527-5882
 1-877-440-2437

[email protected]
• Support Line

M-F, 8:30am - 11:30pm

403-308-2893

Monday OR Wednesday, 7pm-11pm
Leave a message any other time.
• Friday Mixer
• Telephone Support
• In-person Support

M-T: 1:30pm - 4:30pm  W-F: 8:30am - 4:30pm
ALBERTA

The Mix (green water tower)
103 Mayor Magrath Dr S

Every Friday at 10pm
Robertson-Wesley United Church

10209 - 123 St. NW
 780-482-1587

[email protected]
 www.rwuc.org

Worship: Sunday mornings at 10:30am
People of all sexual orientations welcome. Other LGBT
events include a monthly book club and a bi-monthly film
night. As a caring spiritual community, we’d love to have
you join us!
Community Groups
Affirm

10708 124th Street, Edmonton AB

780-453-2440

www.theatrenetwork.ca
Womonspace

780-482-1794

[email protected]

www.womonspace.ca
Women’s social group, but all welcome at events.
RED DEER
Gay & Lesbian Integrity Assoc. (GALIA)

University of Lethbridge
GBLTTQQ club on campus.
• Movie Night

Room C610, University of Lethbridge
Gay Youth Alliance Group

Betty, 403-381-5260

Every second Wednesday, 3:30pm-5pm
Lethbridge HIV Connection

1206 - 6 Ave S
Community Groups
Alberta Trans Support/Activities Group

http://www.albertatrans.org
A nexus for transgendered persons, regardless of where they
may be on the continuum.
Theatre & Fine Arts
Alberta Ballet

http://www.albertaballet.com
Frequent productions in Calgary and Edmonton.
PFLAG Canada

1-888-530-6777

[email protected]

www.pflagcanada.ca
Pride Lethbridge

[email protected]
Continued on Page 61 
www.gaycalgary.com
59
Classifieds
Event
140
The Fetish Slosh at the Backlot!
Come on down to the Backlot the 2nd Tuesday
of every month for a no-cover Fetish party.
Upcoming dates are November 13, December
11th, etc. You can dress up in Leather, Latex,
cuffs, collars, or just your skivvies. Have the
conversation you like without offending a
vanilla in sight. The Backlot supports and
promotes the alternative lifestyles of Calgary so
feel free to express your KINK!
Sale
372
Porta-sling stand/sling for sale. Stand is used,
sling, stirrups, chain kit, springs, floor mat &
bag are NEW. Free delivery in Calgary. $500
cash only.
Models/Escorts
460
Alberta Escort Listings
Erotic Massage
Mark Massage
New Improved Features. Free to Post and
Browse. Videos, Pics, and Reviews. Join Now!
Code: GCEE
Gay Talent Wanted
Bar / Restaurant
220
Crazy Pasta
Crazy Pasta was born out of a passion
for Italian Food, brought on through
the years by working in the family
run restaurant in rural Quebec. We
offer both eat in or take home Italian
food all made from scratch. We do not
compromise on taste. Crazy Pasta is
located at the Calgary Farmers Market:
510 – 77th Avenue SE, Open: Thursdays
to Sundays 9 AM to 5 PM.
Help Wanted
240
GET A LIFE! STOP CLEANING!
420
215
Beauty & Mayhem Production Agency is are
looking for Gay Talent to perform in Adult
entertainment Productions. Call Pj @ 403 826
2670 E-mail: [email protected]
www.xxxbmpa.com
517
 1016
Check out www.Squirt.org for the Hot Escorts in
Calgary, Edmonton, and the rest of Alberta.
Audition
Cleaning
Relaxation, Therapeutic, Foot Massage, Erotic
Massage. Hot Asian Male Age:24 Swimmer
Build YOU’LL KEEP COMING BACK FOR MORE,
the BEST MASSEUSE. 4036308048 www.
markmassage.ca 12pm to Midnight (24hrs
optional)
Products/Services 500
Marriage Ceremonies
UltimateMaleMassage.com
Rork Hilford MC, Commissioner for Oaths.
[email protected] | 403246-4134
Does your home or business need a
professional cleaner? Steve is bonded/Insured.
Flexible prices and brings all his own supplies.
Steve is apart of the LGBT Community and
has been cleaning for over 5 years in Calgary.
[email protected] http://www.
getalifecleaner.com (403)200-7384 www.
facebook.com/getalifecleaner
Clothing/Fashion
Twice Trendy!
Used Quality Clothing
Most clothing $3! New style? New family?
Broke as a joke? We have a great selection
of gently used clothing for men, women,
children and babies. We also keep a selection
of furniture and housewares too! Twice trendy
makes it easy to get quality style without
destroying your wallet. Come check us out!
#14, 3434 - 34 Ave NE.
Consulting
Best Erotic Male Massage In Calgary •
Studio with free parking• Deep Tissue and
Relaxation • Licensed, Professional • Video
on website
403-680-0533
[email protected]
Writers Wanted
GayCalgary Magazine is looking for freelance
writers in Calgary and Edmonton. Writing
sample is required. Must be willing to take
article assignments and conduct/transcribe
interviews. Contact Steve at:
[email protected]
Adult Depot
Large selection of gay DVDs from $9.95,
aromas and toys. Open Mon-Fri 12-11pm, Sat
12-6pm, closed Sundays and holidays.
520
527
Want to attract the LGBT local
or traveler to your business?
403-258-2777
It’s not about special treatment. You can’t
assume the LGBT person, or the straight
person will follow the pack anymore. The LGBT
market is becoming more and more aware of
what organizations support them, and which
ones don’t, ultimately sending them away
from businesses and communities that do not
recognize them or their lifestyle. Does your
staff need LGBT sensitivity training? Want to
attract the market but unsure how to proceed?
Local, Domestic, International, We can assist.
Check us out at http://blueflameventures.ca,
Email us at [email protected], Call
us at 604-369-1472. Based in Alberta.
Ads starting at $10/mo. for the first 20 words. Submit yours at http://www.gaycalgary.com/classifieds
60
www.gaycalgary.com
Health
550
Sick and Tired of
Being Sick and Tired?
Prescriptions not helping? Health and Natural
Lifestyles Inc. is the number #1 Alternative
Health Clinic in Calgary for the last 4 years.
Why not try Alternative Health fixing your
body naturally and without side effects. Lets
get energized, sexy and healthy, boosting your
immune system and getting the healing sleep
you deserve! Special on Blood Analysis 2 for 1
for new clients, $75.00 savings. Check us out at
www.healthy-option.com or phone 403-2126077. Be vibrant, be healthy, be happy!
Premium organic medical marihuana shipped
quickly, discreetly to your door. www.mycm.ca
 Mail Forwarding
To reply by post, mail to:
Box # c/o GayCalgary
2136 17th Ave SW
Calgary, AB, T2T 0G3
To reply by E-mail:
box#@gaycalgary.com
 Find Out - From Page 59
CANADA
Community Groups
Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition

P..O. Box 3043, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 3S9

(306) 955-5135

1-800-955-5129

http://www.rainbowhealth.ca
Egale Canada

8 Wellington St E, Third Floor
Toronto, Ontario, M5E 1C5

1-888-204-7777
 www.egale.ca
Egale Canada is the national advocacy and lobby
organization for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transidentified people and our families.
www.gaycalgary.com
Products & Services
Squirt

http://www.squirt.org
Website for dating and hook-ups. 18+ ONLY!
Theatre & Fine Arts
Broadway Across Canada

http://www.broadwayacrosscanada.ca
OUTtv

http://www.outtv.ca
GLBT Television Station.
61
62
www.gaycalgary.com
www.gaycalgary.com
63

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