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February 2009
ISSUE 64
The Only Magazine Dedicated
to Alberta’s GLBT+ Community
FREE
LUSH
Purveyors of Hand
Made Cosmetics
So You Think You Can
Dance Canada
Shopping for Love
Miles and Allie Make Calgary Proud
COMMUNITY DIRECTORY • MAP AND EVENTS • TOURISM INFO
>> STARTING ON PAGE 17
GLBT RESOURCE • CALGARY • EDMONTON • ALBERTA
www.gaycalgary.com
2
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #64, February 2009
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Publisher’s Column
8 So You Think You Can
Dance Canada
Miles and Allie make Calgary Proud
12 LUSH
Purveyors of Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
13 Chelsea Boys
Photography
14 Out of Town
Videography
17 Directory and Events
Printers
23 Polygamous Parallels
Distribution
25 Q Scopes
Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, and
contributors.
Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino
North Hill News/Central Web
Calgary: ........................Gallant Distribution
......................................GayCalgary Staff
Edmonton: .....................Clark’s Distribution
Other: .......................................Canada Post
Legal Council
Courtney Aarbo, Barristers and Solicitors
Asheville, North Carolina
“Skip the arguments, Gemini!”
26 Adult Film Review
Power, Bars, Bears, and Blue
Sales & General Inquiries
28 Deep Inside Hollywood
Office Hours:............. By appointment ONLY
29 Whole Lesbian Sex
Phone: ................................ (403) 543-6960
Toll Free:............................ 1-888-543-6960
Fax:..................................... (403) 703-0685
E-Mail: ............magazine@gaycalgary.com
30 Rest In Peace
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine
#403, 215 14th Avenue SW
Calgary, AB, Canada T2R 0M2
PAGE 8
Mercedes Allen, Keith Andony, Dave
Brousseau, Amanda Chapman, Jason
Clevett, Andrew Collins, James S.M.
Demers, Rob Diaz-Marino, Jack Fertig,
Glen Hanson, Benjamin Hawkcliffe, Joan
Hilty, Karen Hoffman, Evan Kayne, Stephen
Lock, Allan Neuwirth, Felice Newman,
Brian Pawlak, Steve Polyak, Mark Randall,
Matt Salton, Romeo San Vicente, Will
Sutherland, Jerome Voltero, and the GLBT
Community of Calgary, Edmonton, and
Alberta.
A Lesson in Life
PAGE 12
Writers and Contributors
5
New Projects for Mo’Nique and Michelle Rodriguez
Spray It Out: Female Ejaculation
PAGE 14
Publisher: ................................ Steve Polyak
Editor:............................... Rob Diaz-Marino
Graphic Design: ................ Rob Diaz-Marino
Sales: ....................................... Steve Polyak
Sandra Casey
This Month's Cover
Allie Bertram (left), Miles Faber (right).
Photo courtesy of CTV.
31 A Plea for Help
Continued on Next Page ii
32 See You At The Movies!
Special February Screenings for You and the Ones You Love
www.gaycalgary.com
PAGE 30
Pride Centre of Edmonton Urgently in Need of Greater Community
Support
Continued on Next Page f
3
Table of Contents
f Continued From Previous Page
Proud members of:
33 Team Edmonton Mixes It Up
34 The Good Egg
playRites Show Addresses New Concept of “Family”
PAGE 43
35 A Couple of Guys
36 Bitter Girl
37 “You don’t need an HIV test.”
Dealing with Dismissive Doctors
38 Beers for Queers
Queer Night at the Empress Ale House
PAGE 47
38 Letters to the Editor
39 Annie
Adorable Orphan is Alberta Bound
40 Trans Expression in Ancient Times
A History of Gender Variance in Expression and Identity, Part 1
43 Fundraising Photos
45 GBLT Rights in Alberta
The Government’s Feedback
PAGE 55
46 Peer Based Connections
March 2009
Print Deadlines
Ad Booking
Friday, February 27th, 2008
Ad Submission
Monday, March 2nd, 2009
In Circulation
Thursday, March 5th, 2009
Please contact us immediately if you think
you may have missed the booking or
submission deadline.
4
Providing Support for Those Living With HIV
47 Daughter of the Regiment
48 Classified Ads
ii Continued from Previous Page
Magazine
Print Circulation: ................. ~10,000 copies
Pickup Density: ...................~3 readers/copy
Online Circulation: ............ ~60,000 readers
Total Readership: .............. ~90,000 readers
Frequency: ................................Every Month
Proof of monthly figures can be requested.
Distribution Locations
Alberta: ..................... ~300 Drop-off Points
Please call us if your establishment would
like to become a distribution point.
History
Originally established in January 1992 as
Men for Men BBS by MFM Communications.
Name changed to GayCalgary.com in 1998.
Independent company as of January 2004.
First edition of GayCalgary.com Magazine
published November 2003. Name adjusted
in November 2006 to GayCalgary and
Edmonton Magazine.
Disclaimer and Copyright
Opinions expressed in this magazine
are specific to the author, and do not
necessarily reflect those of GayCalgary staff
and contributors.
52 Music Review
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. GayCalgary
also includes straight allies and those who
are gay friendly.
55 Shopping for Love
No part of this publication may be
reprinted or modified without the
expressed written permission of the editor
or publisher.
57 Queer Eye - Community Events
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
GayCalgary is a registered trademark.
50 Travel Packages from Hell
DVDs That Might Make You 2nd Guess That Cheap Vacation Package
Dido, Enrique, Duff, and Control
Editorial
A Lesson in Life
Publisher’s Column
By Rob Diaz-Marino, MSc.
January 17th was a terrible day.
Steve was away in Edmonton and I had a busy itinerary
of events to cover here in Calgary. I started the evening off
at Money Pennies for the ISCCA’s Investitures III. The show
was scheduled to start at 7pm, and I arrived a good hour
early with the hopes of having dinner. I noticed that there
was someone different working in the kitchen, and she appeared to be having a rough time. I was told she was helping
out because the regular cook was sick, and that there was
going to be a significant delay if I ordered. So I decided not
to push my luck, and popped out to the nearest fast food
place I could find. I returned and hung around until the
show started.
As I turned on my camera, I quickly discovered that something was wrong. Though the display was working, there was
no image coming through the aperture. I slunk off upstairs to
try and muck around with it, hoping changing the batteries or
memory card may get it to snap back into working order. Frustratingly, no. This was identical to the problem that we had
encountered with our newer camera last year, which required
us to send it off for repairs and wait for nearly a month until it
came back. That camera was under warranty, while mine, we
have had since the closing night of Detours – in other words, no
longer under warranty. But all that aside, I had three events
to photograph that night and Steve had our only other working
camera.
Steve G. was kind enough to whisk me home while the show
was going on, so that I could try to get one of our older cameras
working. I soon remembered that they had their own problems
that had caused us to abandon them...useless. So we returned
to Money Pennies and at the risk of feeling completely ridiculous, I went to work taking photographs with my cell phone.
I had no flash, just a white LED light on the phone, and the
house lights were turned low. The shots were murky, and required significant adjustments to prepare them for the magazine, but I was at least able to get some shots of Onyx stepping
up as princess, and candids of several out-of-town queens that
I didn’t recognize. I’m sure that left a great first impression of
GayCalgary!
I caught the 1:30am train back downtown and headed over
to the Calgary Eagle for Bear Night, but by that time the bears
had cleared out and it was pointless to take photos. I decided
to just hang out, explaining to people what I had gone through.
As the night went on and my head stopped spinning, I sat down
at the bar to properly reflect on, and appreciate, the many
people who had come to my rescue - and even the ones who
bared with me as I struggled to take their photo. A few people
commented that I looked a little sad, and perhaps I was still
having trouble shaking a bad vibe.
I didn’t find out until the next morning that someone had
died in a hit-and-run accident out front of Money Pennies,
round about the time I was catching my breath at the Eagle.
All of a sudden, my problems that night seemed so inconsequential. I didn’t recognize the name, and at first the picture on facebook of the middle-aged woman in a yellow shirt,
sticking out her tongue, didn’t ring a bell for me. But out of
curiosity I perused some of the other photos and came to the
realization that this was the woman who had been working
the kitchen the night before. She was someone we have likely
photographed on a number of occasions, but like many others,
we had never gotten (or taken) the opportunity to know her. I
learned that Sandra Casey was her name.
There was a massive outpour of community support in the
wake of this tragedy, and I witnessed how much she meant to
so many people. From discussions to follow, it was clear that
even complete strangers had been affected profoundly by her
death. It was a wakeup call that anyone can be taken away
without warning or reason. There is a simple truth that becomes so obvious at times like these, but is something so tricky
to master in practice: the time we squander worrying about
some of the minor details of life could be better spent enriching the lives of those around us, now, while it’s still possible. I
doubt that many of us can claim to be completely free of this
regret, and so we mourn.
January 2009
Last month was our first edition of the magazine with the
color pages on glossy paper, and as you can see, this was not
a one-time thing. It’s one thing to see an example of someone
else’s magazine on the gloss, but last month we were biting our
The ARGRA Dance was next on my list, and Steve G. went
further out of his way to drop me off at the Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Centre. My first stop for photos was at coat
check where they at least had a desk lamp to help me out with
lighting. Floyd and his partner were doing the job to fundraise
for SHARP Foundation, and Floyd was kind enough to offer to
lend me his digital camera. We ran out to pick it up from his
house, but discovered that the battery was dead and there was
no time to charge it. It was a special type of battery, so buying
a replacement was also out of the question.
On the way back to the dance we stopped at a gas station
and I bought their last disposable camera for $13. I had never
used one before, but it was simple enough to figure out. This
sufficed for most of my ARGRA photos, but Rob Beade came to
the rescue with a fully charged digital camera that helped me
finish.
5
Editorial
fingers in anticipation to see our own product in this new form.
Reader Survey 2009
You our readers expressed that you were thoroughly pleased
with the change. We were thoroughly pleased as well. It brings
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine to a new level – as some of
you put it, we’re finally a “real magazine” instead of, I suppose,
just a paper. The photo section, which seemed to be the most
susceptible to color shifts on the old newspaper stock, was
perhaps the most noticeable improvement.
If you haven’t filled one out yet, you still have until February
25th to get your survey in, and be eligible for our prize draw
for the $300 Universal Music Gift Basket. Lucky for you, the
chances of winning something just got a little better, as we add
two gift packages from Lush. Read the product review on page
12 to learn more.
Unfortunately because of the changeover, we did run into a
scheduling conflict at the printers, which meant we were a little
late out of the gates with the January edition. However, that
was a corner case that isn’t likely to happen again. This edition
should be on the shelves according to our regular schedule.
But enough about us...
• The Edmonton Queen: The Final Voyage, which wrapped
up on February 1st, was a very moving experience. It was a
chance for the newer generation to get a glimpse into the secret
lives of Drag Queens, one of the legendary bars of old, and the
highs and lows of some individuals no longer alive today.
• The January ARGRA Dance was a coming together of community that involved a number of other local non-profit groups.
The event packed the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Hall,
and the crowd kept dancing well into the night.
• The fundraiser to help get Sandra Casey’s body back
home to Ireland, held at Money Pennies, reported a whopping
$20,000 raised. See the full story on page 30.
• The HEAT party at the Calgary Eagle on the 31st was not
only a great deal of fun, but it raised a grand total of $2000
toward the continued operation of HEAT: HIV Education and
Awareness Today, an outreach program offered through AIDS
Calgary. There was a silent auction that included some hotly
sought-after hockey memorabilia, and fun activities such as a
cock-ring toss and HIV-related trivia questions to win prizes.
This Month
• If you are planning on running for Emperor or Empress of
the ISCCA, applications are now available. They can be picked
up at the Backlot, Money Pennies, Texas Lounge, Calgary
Eagle, and Priape. Applications must be turned in to Neal at
the Calgary Eagle before Midnight on February 21st, along with
a $50 non-refundable application fee, and a $100 bond, which
will be refunded to any unsuccessful candidates.
• The February 14th ARGRA Dance was cancelled to make
way for something a little different. ARGRA is holding a special
Sleigh Ride on Saturday, February 7th, at the Griffin Valley
Ranch. Also, Two-Step Lessons are underway, with the remaining 3 lessons happening on February 3rd, 10th, and 17th.
More information is available at www.argra.org.
• The Calgary Eagle is celebrating their 7th Anniversary this
month - congratulations guys! Join them for their party on
Saturday, February 21st. John Finlayson wrote in a special
letter to the publisher regarding the Calgary Eagle’s continued
devotion to community. Read it on page 38.
• The Edmonton Bears are holding their next Bearbash
Bar Night at Boots on Saturday February 28th. The more the
hairier!
• Pride Calgary Planning Committee is holding their first
annual “Bottle Jive” bottle drive and party all day at Money
Pennies. Bring in your recyclable bottles and cans, and stay for
a night of drink and dance.
6
Please remember that you MUST fill in the Personal Information section with at the very least your first name, a last initial,
and a phone number. Unfortunately if you leave these fields
blank, not only are you ineligible for the prize draw, but we are
also required to discard your survey answers! This is a precaution to keep things fair, and maintain the validity of our survey
results – if you can’t put your name to a survey, we can’t be
certain that your answers are only counted once, or that you
are answering seriously. At this point we have only needed to
toss one survey out because of this – however the individual is
welcome to resubmit with these considerations in mind.
Surveys can be submitted by mail, or you can save the cost
of postage by faxing your entry in. As we are in the process of
moving our fax line to a different service provider, if you are unable to get through to our (403) 703-0685 number then please
use this temporary alternate number: (403) 452-6979.
To save postage and paper, you can fill out your survey
securely online. Visit www.gaycalgary.com and click on the
“Reader Survey 2009” link directly below the current edition of
the magazine.
Pocket Guide 2009
ATTENTION ALL ADVERTISERS! Only a month and a half
remaining to stake your claim in this new Alberta community
resource before it starts hitting brochure racks across North
America; March 15th, 2009 is the last day to submit files for
the GayCalgary and Edmonton Pocket Guide 2009.
It is fine and dandy for an Alberta business to advertise to a
national audience, but isn’t that like using a wrecking ball to
drive in a nail? How many of those readers from other cities
are likely to come all the way to you? In contrast, the GayCalgary and Edmonton Pocket Guide specifically targets travelers
in, or on their way to Alberta, so you know that your advertising money is spent effectively toward an audience that can
bring you real business.
The Pocket Guide comes out only once a year, so we recommend general or time-insensitive information about your
business. If you have event dates planned in advance, then by
all means advertise them! But if not, you can still plant a reference for visitors to find more timely information. If you don’t
have a website of your own, then we will host information about
your business or upcoming events in our online Events Calendar, and place the information appropriately into our monthly
magazine as a free service to all Pocket Guide advertisers.
More information on the Pocket Guide, including ad sizes
and pricing, is available for download at www.gaycalgary.com/
Advertise. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any
questions, at (403) 543-6960 or toll free at 1-888-543-6960.
We want to hear what YOU have to say about the topics in this article, and
any other articles in GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine. Visit our chat
forums at www.gaycalgary.com/forum and write your heart out! Or write
us a letter to the publisher by post or by E-mailing publisher@gaycalgary.
com, and we may publish or respond to it in the magazine!
7
Photo courtesy of CTV
So You Think You
Can Dance Canada
Miles and Allie make Calgary Proud
By Jason Clevett
Many Calgarians watched with pride, the finale of
the hit show So You Think You Can Dance Canada,
as local kids Miles Faber and Allie Bertram stood on
stage among the top four contestants. In the end,
Nico Archambault was the winner, but both Faber
and Bertram earned fame and respect from their
performances over the course of the series.
The result? A near sold-out cross-Canada tour. We caught up
with Miles and Allie over the phone while they were in Edmonton. Having watched the show, it seemed like there was definite chemistry between the two – perhaps being from Calgary
helped them to bond so quickly.
“We definitely had an instant connection because of that. It
turns out that her older brother hung out with the same group
of friends I did in high
school, so there was
also a connection
there. We are both
very proud of where
we come from and
love Calgary. We find
that a lot of people
say that the people of
Calgary are so nice;
we hear that from
around Canada. When
we started dancing
together it was instant
chemistry for sure,”
recalled Faber.
8
”Everyone on the
show is like family
now. We lived together, went through the
experience together
and now we are living
on a tour bus together. You get really close to everyone and it
is a really great, supportive environment,” added Bertram. “I
think the people of Calgary are amazing and I am so happy that
there were two of us from Calgary left in the final four. It speaks
volumes.”
Coming home to play a sold out show at the Stampede Corral
on February 5th was something both were anticipating.
“I am super excited to come home, it is going to be so amazing. It is so wonderful to see how much people appreciated the
show and how gracious they are towards us. I can’t wait to give
a great show to the people in Calgary that voted for me,” said
Allie. Miles agreed, saying “I can’t wait. I am so excited to see
and perform for everyone. We are here because of the support
that Calgary gave us. We can’t wait to show why people put us
there.”
The touring experience is a new and exciting thing for both
participants. Miles stocked up on socks and underwear and,
after taking three days off, went back to the grind to keep in
shape. Meanwhile Allie took Christmas break, but focused on
her cardio. The two had polar opposite views on the difference
between touring and the TV show.
“For me it is easier to be on the stage,” said Miles. “You have
10,000 people in the arena screaming compared to a couple of
hundred in the theatre. On the show you have to focus on the
competition, looking in the cameras, so you aren’t performing
to the crowd and it is a lot more difficult. When you have the
big crowd out there you have their energy to feed off of, which
fuels your drive on stage.”
“Being on a tour is scarier for me,” said Allie. “I know there
is no competition involved but there are maybe 500 people in
the studio, you don’t realize how many people are watching on
TV. When you are dancing in front of a live crowd there is so
much energy. In Vancouver we danced in front of more than
10,000 people.”
“It is amazing to have that many fans paying to see us dance
and screaming for you, it is unbelievable. I am really happy
with how I danced in the last few shows. As the show goes
along we are the ones introducing the numbers and I haven’t
Television
messed up my lines yet, and I hope I don’t
because that would be really embarrassing for me. I didn’t realize how much fun it
would be. I have never had a job like this before, there isn’t an experience like this one.”
be entertained. As long as you are entertaining them, you are doing your job as a
performer. As long as they are having fun
and enjoying it, for whatever reason, it is
all good for me.”
The life of a professional dancer isn’t
always easy. It is a long, hard road to even
attempt to reach a professional level. One
of the difficulties male dancers face is the
presumption that all are gay. Miles says he
hasn’t had to deal with a lot of negativity
from others who assume he is gay because of
his chosen profession.
Something both take seriously is being
a role model. There are now likely many
young children in dance, or who now want
to enroll in dance because they were inspired by the talent seen on the show.
“The funny part is that it is so the opposite. It is an untapped resource; if you
are the only guy in dance class you are
surrounded by girls and get the attention.
It works in our favor,” he quipped, before
opening up on his beliefs. “You just have
to be true to yourself. You know what you
want to do and love to do. Whatever some
people think, in the end it doesn’t matter. You are the one who
has to wake up in the morning and live your life, and if you
are unhappy it is because of you. I have never really encountered much negativity as a male dancer. I have been lucky
enough to grow up with a great support system in my friends
and family. For people who do experience a problem, I think
they need to surround themselves with those they are dancing
with and those that are showing the support. It can be hard
to not let that get you down, but just remember …it goes by
and then suddenly you are on this show, or Broadway, and
people change their minds. Unfortunately that is the way the
world works sometimes; it takes something huge to change
peoples minds. But if you stay true to yourself you will make it
through.”
Whether a gay guy or straight girl, you can’t deny that Miles
Faber is a good-looker. It seemed that during his performances,
the shrieks became a bit louder and more excited when he and
other male contestants would remove their shirts. He laughed
at his newfound “sexy” status.
“I never really thought of myself as a sex symbol. Whatever
labels or stereotypes or whatever come along with something I
did, that is just part of the ride. I don’t really let that get to me
or even think about it
that much. When you
dance with your shirt
off, it is for a purpose.
It represents a certain
style. It is entertainment
and if people enjoy it,
that is all that really
matters.”
The concern that
people are more interested in his looks than
his dancing isn’t an
issue. “Of course we do
think about that, and
we do hope that people
are voting us based on
our dancing and not
just what we look like.
But as a performer
and entertainer you
are performing for the
public. They aren’t
dancers; they just go to
Said Bertram, “It is really amazing how
many young girls have come up to me and
said they admire and look up to me. I am
so happy I can be a role model because I
think I am a good one. At my age there are
a lot of people you don’t want your kids to
look up to, and I am one of those people
that you can. I am dedicated, hard working, and I am happy that girls admire me
especially in the dance world.”
The classically trained ballet dancer said that her training
helped give her a basis for the other dances she performed
on the show, and hopes it influences the next generation of
dancers. “Ballet isn’t the favorite thing to do and if you have
someone you can look up to in ballet it will help you with all
your dance styles. Growing up I also did jazz and tap and at
one point I almost quit ballet, and I am so glad that I didn’t. It
is a great foundation for these other styles of dance - you can
branch out from it. It helped with every style that I did on the
show. I hope that young girls realize that ballet is a foundation
to things it helps so much.”
“I have always liked working with kids and people my age,”
added Faber. “Now that I am in that role model position, I feel I
have had a lot of great guidance from my own role models. I am
honored to have people look up to me in that way, but it is a big
responsibility as well. I have to make sure I represent myself
in a way that I would like people to look at and say, ‘I want to
be like that’ in a good way. I want people to be respectful and
humble because that is how I feel I am. There is always someone better than you. Don’t go out and try to be the best there
is, be the best you can be. As clichéd as that sounds I believe it
is true because that is what I did on the show. I never believed
I was the best dancer I just tried my hardest. That is the message I want to get out, and hope I can be a good role model to
those who look up to me.”
Both performers come across as genuinely nice people who
truly appreciate what they have received so far, and will work
hard to build from here onward. Both promise not to forget
those who voted to get them to this point. Miles summed it up
for both of them.
“I definitely want
to say thank you
for all the support
because I wouldn’t
be here without
it. A huge, huge
thank you. It is
really overwhelming that I was put
here and I know
it is through all
the support I
have gotten, and
I can’t thank you
enough.”
9
10
11
Product Review
LUSH
Purveyors of Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
By Rob Diaz-Marino
LUSH prides themselves on their extensive selection
of skin care, hair care, bath and body products. For
one, their entire product line is handmade. Even
more interesting is their philosophy of “ethics and
having the least impact on the environment while
still producing effective and innovative beauty products.” Part of this commitment denotes absolutely
no animal testing, and otherwise they claim their
products to be 100% vegetarian, 74% vegan, 65%
preservative-free, and 60% free of wasteful packaging.
With prominent Alberta mall locations in Calgary, Edmonton,
and Banff, (not to mention many others across Canada) you
have probably seen them before, or at least caught a whiff of
their many aromas on the way past. In many cases, one almost
wants to EAT their wares because they look and smell so good!
It’s so fun to say it with your mock-gay accent! This gift
is perfect for that someone who really floats your boat. The
package contains two shower sensations: sea salt shower scrub
“Rub, Rub, Rub”, and peppermint-infused “Too Drunk Emotibomb” to re-energize you after a hangover (or not). They even
throw in a temporary tattoo for fun!
Strawberry Feels Forever Massage Bar ($8.95)
Even in its wrapping, this product exudes a wonderful aroma
that stimulates the senses. Massage your sweetheart with
this sensual solid oil, made with crushed strawberries and an
infusion of hibiscus flowers. Simply rub the bar between your
warm palms to release this fragrant oil and massage firmly, but
gently into a willing body.
As part of this line, LUSH
also offers the “True Love Gift”
for $42.95, which consists of
their own brands of massage
bar, soap, bath bomb, lip balm,
bath melt, and their best selling aphrodisiac “Sex Bomb”.
LUSH recently launched a new line of limited edition
Valentine’s Day products, available in stores and online. So
if you’re lucky enough to be celebrating Valentine’s Day with
that special someone, then you may want to consider one of the
following:
Happy Valentines Gift ($19.95)
Spread the love! This gift is filled with three tempting treats
best shared with others. There’s a sensual and sticky “Soft
Coeur Massage Bar”, a matched pair of soul mate soaps called
“You Wash My Back”, and a delectable “Melting Marshmallow
Moments Bath Melt”.
Hello Sailor Gift ($12.95)
12
LUSH
In Banff: Cascade Plaza
In Calgary: Sunridge Mall, Market Mall
In Edmonton: Whyte Ave, West Edmonton Mall
www.lush.ca
13
Out of Town
Asheville, North Carolina
The sunset view of Asheville from the upper terrace of the
Grove Park Inn (Photo by Andrew Collins)
By Andrew Collins
A mountain city of about 75,000 residents, Asheville is still something of an undiscovered gem
among many lesbian and gay travelers, although
with its relative proximity to Atlanta, Charlotte, and
Nashville, it’s definitely becoming more and more
well-known as a progressive place to live and visit.
This lively university community supports a sizable
crop of stellar restaurants and cafes (many of them
emphasizing organic and sustainable foods), several
cool and welcoming gay bars and live music clubs,
and dozens of engaging antiques shops, crafts boutiques, and art galleries. It’s also an excellent destination for hiking and outdoor recreation - it has a
moderate climate that produces a bit of snow in the
winter but seldom severely low temperatures, and
the summer weather is several degrees cooler than
in the rest of the South.
Downtown Asheville sits like a saucer balanced precariously amid the slopes of numerous and verdant mountains.
It’s historically well preserved, with many great old buildings
- including numerous examples of Art Deco architecture. In the
city’s residential neighborhoods, finely restored Victorian and
Arts and Crafts houses abound - many of them are romantic,
upscale inns.
The surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains account for much
14
of the region’s appeal - it’s an hour’s drive west to reach Great
Smoky Mountains National Park. You can also navigate a
stretch of the winding, scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, which
passes right through the center of Asheville on its way north
toward Virginia. Many other state parks and forests are within
a short drive, and right in the city you can appreciate nature
with a stroll through the 10-acre Botanical Gardens at Asheville
or the 434-acre North Carolina Arboretum.
Downtown is great for walking around - it’s also quite hilly,
though, so expect to get some exercise. Be sure to stop by the
Asheville Art Museum, which has an esteemed collection of
contemporary American works, and if you’re a fan of modern
American literature, check out the Thomas Wolfe Memorial,
which includes a visitor center and the boarding house in
which the author of You Can’t Go Home Again grew up.
Almost every visitor to Asheville pays a visit to the Biltmore Estate, one of America’s few true castles. The 250-room
mansion and resplendent grounds were commissioned by the
phenomenally wealthy railroad tycoon George Vanderbilt and
executed by Richard Morris Hunt in 1895; right on property,
the luxurious, 213-room Inn on Biltmore Estate offers swank
accommodations, and nearby Biltmore Village is rife with upscale shopping. You could easily spend a full day here.
Asheville has dozens of both funky and fine eateries, and
you’ll often see GLBT residents and visitors at many of the city’s
leading culinary venues. Set inside one of Asheville’s landmark
1920s buildings, the Grove Arcade, you’ll find a wonderful wine
bar (and retail shop) called Sante. The outstanding selection
of moderately priced, hard-to-find vintages and simple but
flavorful food make this a winner, and the staff is extremely fun
and friendly. On the other side of the Grove Arcade, Carmel’s
Travel
Restaurant and Bar specializes in contemporary seafood and
American fare and has a handsome little dining room plus plenty of seating outside along the sidewalk.
that’s a hit with bears and the over-40 set. And women-owned
Tressa’s - with live jazz and blues, comedy, and dancing - has a
loyal following in the GLBT community.
Flying Frog Wine Bar and Cafe, a smartly decorated but
informal spot along busy Haywood Street, presents a varied
menu that includes German, Indian, and American dishes. At
Vincenzo’s you can dine on exceptionally good Northern Italian
fare in the dining room and listen to live jazz and piano in a bistro on the lower level. Savoy serves excellent modern American
fare, such as pan-roasted lobster with rosemary cream. Trendy
and darkly inviting Zambra presents a frequently changing
menu of tasty Spanish tapas, including pomegranate-braised
pork spring rolls and grilled scallops with parsnip-potato gratin.
Asheville has several inviting, gay-friendly inns, from upscale
historic mansions to cozy Arts and Crafts cottages. The city’s
most renowned accommodation is the Grove Park Inn Resort
and Spa, one of the nation’s foremost historic resort hotels,
which has been fully restored to its original 1913 Arts and
Crafts design. You’ll find one of the South’s most impressive
spas on the lower level, and restaurants and bars affording
panoramic views of the city skyline and surrounding mountains.
Gay-popular Early Girl Eatery has a tremendous following for
its fresh yet somewhat decadent creative Southern fare, including a knockout fried-chicken salad with grits-croutons, and
some of the heartiest breakfast food in town. Another Southernstyle eatery that’s become legendary for its delicious food using
mostly local ingredients is Tupelo Honey - try the breakfast of
Eggs Crawley (two eggs cooked any way over crab cakes with
asparagus). Laughing Seed serves creative vegetarian fare, and
Green Sage Coffee House is an eco-conscious spot with a wideselection of fine teas and fair-trade coffees, plus local organic
beer, leafy salads, egg-and-cheddar biscuits, and delectable
sweets.
Consider stopping by Malaprops Bookstore and Cafe, a terrific and gay-popular independent bookstore, for a flavored latte
or a light bite. Malaprops is along a busy stretch of cool shops
that include a superb artisan candy-maker, Chocolate Fetish;
a hip men’s and women’s clothier, Union; and several excellent
art galleries. Be sure to stop inside the old five-and-dime store,
Woolworth Walk, which has been converted into a two-floor coop showing the wares of more than 150 artists who live within
the region (there’s also a soda fountain serving sandwiches, ice
cream, and root-beer floats).
For nightlife, check out Hairspray bar and disco, which is
named for outrageous indie film director John Waters and has
a kitschy interior designed in his honor. The crowd is eclectic and fun, with more of a lesbian presence than other gay
hangouts in Asheville, and campy drag shows keep the crowds
entertained. Scandals is a popular gay dance club that draws
an all-ages crowd, including quite a few straights - it’s the best
place to dance in town, and it tends to be absolutely packed on
weekends.
Head to the downtown neighborhood tavern Smokey’s After
Dark to shoot pool, drink inexpensive cocktails, and mingle
with locals before heading out to one of the larger clubs.
O’Henry’s is a cruisy locals bar on the edge of downtown
One of North Carolina’s finest small hotels, the Richmond
Hill Inn comprises an impeccably restored 1889 mansion and
several newer outbuildings offering some of the most gorgeous
accommodations in the Southeast, many of them with twoperson whirlpool tubs and most with fireplaces. The inn is surrounded by 8 acres of Victorian gardens, and many rooms view
the surrounding mountains. The staff is friendly, attentive, yet
refreshingly unpretentious. The restaurant, Gabrielle, is topnotch and a perfect place to celebrate a special occasion.
The stunning shingle-style Inn on Montford dates to 1900
and sits on beautifully landscaped grounds that include the
largest Norway maple tree in North Carolina. Rooms contain a
priceless mix of 18th- and 19th-century English and American
pieces. Herb and rose gardens surround the 1889 shingle-style
White Gate Inn & Cottage, one of the city’s gay-owned properties - commitment ceremonies are frequently held here. The
romantic, antiques-filled rooms have Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs
with DVD and CD players - they’re
named for poets (Whitman, Wilde,
Sandburg, etc.), and one cottage has
a gas fireplace and full kitchen. A
stay at any of these first-rate properties may have you understanding
why gays and lesbians are steadily
becoming enamored of Asheville’s
many charms.
Andrew Collins is the author of Fodor’s
Gay Guide to the USA and eight additional
travel guides.
The Little Black Book
Asheville Tourism (828-258-6101, www.exploreasheville.
com). Carmel’s Restaurant and Bar (828-252-8730, www.carmelsofasheville.com). Early Girl Eatery (828-259-9292, www.earlygirleatery.com). Flying Frog Wine Bar & Cafe (828-254-9411, www.
flyingfrogcafe.com). Green Sage Coffee House (828-252-4450, www.
thegreensage.net). Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa (828-252-2711
or 800-438-5800, www.groveparkinn.com). Hairspray (828-2582027, www.clubhairspray.com). Inn on Montford (828-254-9569 or
800/254-9569, www.innonmontford.com). Laughing Seed (828252-3445, www.laughingseed.com). Malaprops Bookstore and Cafe
(828-254-6734, www.malaprops.com). O’Henry’s (828-254-1891).
Richmond Hill Inn (828-252-7313 or 800-545-9238, www.richmondhillinn.com). Sante (828-254-8188, www.santewinebar.com).
Savoy (828-253-1077, www.savoyasheville.com). Scandals (828-2522838, www.clubscandals.net). Smokey’s After Dark (828-253-2155).
Tressa’s (828-254-7072, www.tressasdowntownjazzandblues.com).
Tupelo Honey (828-255-4863, www.tupelohoneycafe.com). Vincenzo’s
(828-254-4698, www.vincenzos.com). White Gate Inn (828-253-2553
or 800-485-3045, www.whitegate.net). Zambra (828-232-1060, www.
zambratapas.com).
15
16
Directory and Events
Legend
Our Magazine Available Here --------------- 3
Wheelchair Accessible Venue -----------------
CALGARY
Bars and Clubs
3 Backlot ---------------------------------
3
209 - 10th Ave SW
℡ (403) 265-5211
Open 7 days a week, 4pm-close
4 Calgary Eagle Inc. --------------------- 3
424a - 8th Ave SE
℡ (403) 263-5847
http://www.calgaryeagle.com
Open Wed-Sun, 5pm-close
Leather/Denim/Fetish bar.
55 Marquee Room --------------------------- 3
612 - 8th Avenue SW
http://www.marqueeroom.com
Alternative night every Wednesday.
9 MPs (Money Pennies) ----------------- 3
1742 - 10th Ave SW
℡ (403) 263-7411
http://www.money-pennies.com
Closed Mondays.
Bar and restaurant.
6 Texas Lounge ----------------------------- 3
308 - 17 Ave SW
℡ (403) 229-0911
http://www.goliaths.ca
Open 7 days a week, 11am-close
33 Twisted Element
1006 - 11th Ave SW
℡ (403) 802-0230
http://www.twistedelement.ca
Dance Club and Lounge.
Bathhouses/Saunas
6 Goliath’s ---------------------------------- 3
308 - 17 Ave SW
℡ (403) 229-0911
http://www.goliaths.ca
Open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
Community Groups
2 Aids Calgary ---------------------------
3
110, 1603 10th Avenue SW
℡ (403) 508-2500
http://www.aidscalgary.org
Alberta Society for Kink
℡ (403) 398-9968
albetasocietyforkink@hotmail.com
ca.groups.yahoo.com/
group.albertasocietyforkink
Meet and Greets: Mondays, 7pm-9:30pm
• Kinky Flea Market
Forest Heights Community Centre
4909 Forego Ave SE
℡ Info: (403) 398-9968
Sat. April 4th, 12pm-5pm
Admission: $3.00
Apollo Calgary Friends in Sports
http://www.apollocalgary.com
Apollo Friends In Sports is a volunteer-operated,
non-profit organization serving primarily members
of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgendered
communities but open to members of all
communities. We currently have more than 400
members and are growing fast! The primary focus
of Apollo is to provide our membership with well
organized and fun sporting events and other
activities to allow them to participate and interact in
a positive social framework.
• Badminton (Absolutely Smashing)
St. Martha School (6020 4th Avenue NE)
Wednesdays, 7pm-9pm
Oct 8 to Dec 10, Jan 7 to Apr 1.
Fees Per session: $4 for Apollo member, $5 for nonmembers. Season’s pass $75.
• Bowling (Rainbow Riders League)
Let’s 10 Pin Bowlerama, 2916 - 5 Ave NE
Wednesdays, 7pm, until March 4th
COST: Nightly - $17.00/night ($12.50 for lineage;
$4.50 in prize money) and shoe rental is $2.50.
• Curling
North Hill Curling Club (1201 - 2 Street NW)
Saturdays: 2:20pm and 4:30pm
Season starts October 18, 2008
• Golf
golf@apollocalgary.com
• Lawn Bowling
lawnbowling@apollocalgary.com.
• Outdoor Pursuits
If it’s done outdoors, we do it! This winter we
will be downhill and crosscountry skiing, skating
and snowshoeing and a whole bunch more. If
you’re interested in any of these or something
else completely, get in touch with us. All events
are organized by the members so if you’re tired
of playing alone outdoors and want to meet other
outdoorsy people, go to myapollo.org to create a
profile and get added to the mailing list.
• Running (Calgary Frontrunners)
Coffee Junkies, 7th Street and 1st Ave SW
℡ Tim (403) 660-6125
calgaryfrontrunners@shaw.ca
Saturdays at 9am
Distance varies. 8km-15km. Runners from 6
minute/mile to 9+ minute miles. During the
summer we attempt to have evening runs during
the week.
• Slow Pitch
Summer sport - not currently active.
• Tennis
Summer sport - not currently active.
• Volleyball (Intermediate/Competitive)
YWCA, 320 - 5th Avenue SE
www.apollocalgary.com/apollo/volleyball
Every Sunday, 4:15pm-6:30pm, until April 5th
This is for seasoned players. You can sign up for the
season or drop-in.
• Volleyball (Recreational)
Langevin School, 107 - 6A Street NE
www.apollocalgary.com/apollo/volleyball
Every Friday, 7pm-9pm, until April 24th
All are welcome. This is for all skill levels, including
recreational players and beginners. You can sign up
for the season or drop-in.
• Western Cup 2009
www.westerncup.com
DOWNTOWN CALGARY
N
17
April 10th-12th
Annual GLBT sporting tournament.
1 Calgary Outlink--------------------------- 3
• Yoga
No information available.
Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association
℡ (403) 541-8140
www.argra.org
• Monthly Dances ----------------------------Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Association
1320 5th Avenue NW
February Dance Cancelled
• Sleigh Ride
Griffin Valley Ranch
Rob Somers, vicepresident@argra.org
February 7th, 1pm
$20 per person-includes sleigh ride, hotdogs,
beverages and cozy bon fire. Book online.
• Two Step Lessons
The Calgary Eagle
Rob Somers, vicepresident@argra.org
Jan 27, Feb 3, 10, 17, 7pm-8:30pm
Session of 4 Lessons - $48.00. Book online.
Artists for the Quality of Life
℡ (403) 890-1261
www.afqol.com
Cabin Fever
Calgary Eagle, 424a 8th Ave SW
3RD THURSDAY every month
Women’s dance and social night.
Calgary Gay Fathers
calgaryfathers@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/calgaryfathers
Peer support group for gay, bisexual and
questioning fathers. Meeting twice a month.
Calgary Men’s Chorus
http://www.calgarymenschorus.org
• Rehearsals
Old Y Centre, 223 - 12 Avenue SW
Tuesday nights, Sept-Jun, 7pm-9:30pm
• Eclipse Concert
Rozsa Centre, University of Calgary
Sat June 20th, 8:00pm
Tickets $20. To purchase, please visit website.
Calgary Sexual Health Centre -------- 3
304, 301 14th Street NW
℡ (403) 283-5580
http://www.calgarysexualhealth.ca
Calgary Sexual Health Centre is 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
Sexual Health Centre started as a volunteer based,
grassroots organization and has been providing
comprehensive sexuality education and counselling
programs to the Calgary community since 1972.
#4, 1230A 17th Avenue SW
℡ (403) 234-8973
http://www.calgaryoutlink.com
Formerly know as the Gay And Lesbian Community
Services Association (GLCSA).
• Peer Support and Crisis Line
Front-line help service for GLBT individuals and
their family and friends, or anyone questioning
their sexuality.
• Library
A great selection of resource books, fiction, nonfiction, videos and everything in between, all with a
queer perspective.
• Drop-In Center
A safe and supportive environment for one-to-one
peer counseling for many issues surrounding family,
coming out, homosexuality, loneliness and other
issues.
• Between Men and Between Men Online
Tuesdays 7pm-9pm
Peer support, sexual health education for gay
or bisexual men, as well as those who may be
uncertain or questioning their sexuality. Discussions
range from personal relationship or life issues, to
sexual health and well-being.
• Calgary Networking Club
MPs, 1742 - 10th Ave SW
First Tuesday of every month, 5pm-7pm
The networking meetings are open to all individuals
who would like to promote their businesses or
who would like to meet new people - no business
affiliation is necessary.
• Heading Out
2nd and 4th Friday of every month, 7pm-9pm
Peer group for men who are looking for an
alternative social activity to the bar. Activities vary
and are fun and entertaining.
• Illusions Calgary
Social group for Calgary and area transgender
community members (cross dressers, transvestites,
drag kings and queens). Illusions provides a safe,
discrete and welcoming atmosphere, in which
transgendered people can meet others of like mind.
Illusions offers discretion, acceptance, compassion
and a safe place to express your gender. Crossdressing is the purpose of the group, but is not
mandatory.
• Inside Out
Every Monday, 7pm-9pm
Peer-facilitated youth group for GLBTQ ages 15-25.
The group aims to let youth know they are not
alone, and to connect them with their peers. It is
a funky and safe environment with a variety of
resources and activities.
Looking for Something?
Browse over 450 listings in our Online GLBT Business Directory, and our
complete Online GLBT Community Events Calendar.
www.gaycalgary.com
18
• New Directions
Every 3rd Friday of the month, 7pm-9pm
Drop in peer-support group to provide support and
resources for individuals who identify as transsexual
or inter-sexed. If you are transsexual, or know
of someone who is, please contact our office for
information and assistance. You are not alone!
There is support!
• DVD Resource Library
Over a hundred titles to choose from. Annual
membership is $10.
• SHEQ Soulful Healing Ego Quest
℡ Trudy or Krista, (403) 585-7437
Runs for a ten week period on Thursdays, 7pm
A workshop for women that want to be themselves
in a supportive, safe environment. It is a chance
to grow and share their experiences related to
women’s sexuality. To participate, please call the
exclusive SHEQ line or leave your name and a
contact time/number with Calgary Outlink.
• Annual Film Festival
May 28th - June 6th, 2009
• Womynspace
Every first and third Friday, 7pm-9pm
Peer social/support group for women providing an
evening of fun, bonding, discussion and activities.
Deer Park United Church/Wholeness Centre
77 Deerpoint Road SE ℡ (403) 278-8263
http://www.dpuc.ca
Worship Time - 10am Sundays
Different Strokes
http://www.differentstrokescalgary.org
• Swim Practice
SAIT Pool, 1301 - 16th Ave NW
Sundays and Thursdays, 6-7pm
Different Strokes Calgary accommodates both
recreational and competitive swimmers. Coaching
is offered to assist with technique and fitness
development. After swim practice is a nice cool
down in the hot tub where announcements will be
made. Usually team members will go for dinner
after practice and everyone is welcome.
• Mardi Gras Dance
Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Centre
1320 5th Avenue NW
Saturday, February 28th
This is great fun! Get decked out in your best Mardi
Gras attire and come and join the swim team for a
night of Mardi Gras dancing and entertainment. The
venue will be unrecognizable when it’s transformed
to New Orleans Mardi Gras.
• Annual Western Cup Swim Meet
Talisman Recreation Cntr, 2225 Macleod Tr SW
Fri April 10th, 2009, 10am-2pm
A fun sprint meet. Although this is a Swim Alberta
sanctioned meet, we emphasize fun! You don’t
have to be an expert swimmer to come out and
compete and have fun!
Don’t Buy In Project
http://www.dontbuyin.ca
This Calgary Police Service Initiative aims to
encourage youth to working towards an inclusive
environment in which diversity is embraced in their
schools and community.
FairyTales Presentation Society
#4 - 1230A 17th Avenue SW
℡ (403) 244-1956
reelpublicity@yahoo.ca
http://www.fairytalesfilmfest.com
Alberta Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.
• Monthly Screenings
The Plaza Theatre, Kensington
Feb 18, Feb 25, 7pm
Feb 18: The Times of Harvey Milk, Feb 25: The
Color Purple (1985). Tickets: $11.
Miscellaneous Youth Network
http://www.miscyouth.com
• Fake Mustache -----------------------------The Soda, 211 - 12th Ave SW
First Thursday of every month
Calgary’s ONLY Drag King Show. $5 cover. $2
cover under 18. Advance tickets available at Barbies
Shop. All Ages show starts at 7:30. 18+ show
starts at 10:15.
• Money Pennies Show
Money Pennies
Saturday March 14th, 7:30pm-10:30pm
$5.00 at the door.
Girl Friends
members.shaw.ca/girlfriends
• Taste Buds Monthly Dinner
The Regency Palace Seafood Restaurant
3rd floor, 328 Centre Street SE
Saturday, February 7th, 6:30pm
RSVP by Wednesday, February 4th
Cost: $25/person (includes GST & gratuity)
Girlsgroove
http://www.girlsgroove.ca
HIV Peer Support Group
℡ (403) 230-5832
hivpeergroup@yahoo.ca
ISCCA Social Association
http://www.iscca.ca
Imperial Sovereign Court of the Chinook Arch.
• Shooters at Texas Lounge
Tuesdays and Saturdays, 8pm-11:30pm
• Shooters at Calgary Eagle
Sat Feb 14, Feb 28, Mar 14, Mar 28
• Shooters at the Backlot
Friday Feb 20, Mar 20, Apr 10
• Drag Shows at Calgary Eagle
Feb 15, March 29, 9pm
• Drag Shows at Money Pennies
Hell-On Heels B-Day Show, Feb 21, 9pm
Candidate Show, Mar 21, 9pm
Farewell Show, Apr 11, 9pm
• Imperial Roast
The Texas Lounge
Tuesday, April 14th, 7:30pm-11:30pm
• In-Town Show
MPs Eatery & Bar
Thursday, April 16th, 7pm
• Emperor’s Pub Crawl
Friday, April 17th, 6pm-8:30pm
• Out of Town Show
Calgary Eagle
Friday, April 17th, 9pm
• Coronation 33
The Westin Hotel, Grand Ball Room
Saturday, April 18th, 6pm
• Alaskan Bird Water Party
Calgary Eagle
Sunday, April 19th, 3pm-7pm
• Tough Drag Show
Calgary Eagle
Sunday, April 19th, 11am
All monies raised go to Charity: Agape Manor,
Beswick House, HIV Peer Support, Artists for Quality
of Life, Children’s Wish Foundation
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.
• Worship Services
Wednesdays - Communion Service 12:10pm.
Sundays - 11am. September to June.
Sundays - 10:30am in July and August.
Mystique
mystiquesocialclub@yahoo.com
Mystique is primarily a Lesbian group for women 30
and up but all are welcome.
• Coffee Night
Good Earth Cafe, 1502 11th Street SW
Last Saturday of every month, 7:30pm-10ish.
NETWORKS
℡ (403) 293-3356
knowsponge@hotmail.com
A social, cultural, and service organization for
the mature minded and “Plus 40” gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgendered individuals seeking to
meet with others at age-appropriate activities within
apositive, safe, non-threatening and nurturing
environment.
• February Brunch
Money Pennies
February 8th, 11am-3pm
E-mail RSVP by February 5th please.
Toni Vere will be jamming with other musicians at
3:00 pm. Stay and enjoy some live music.
Parents for Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
℡ Sean: (403) 695-5791
http://www.pflagcanada.ca
PFLAG Canada is 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.
• Meetings
Wild Rose United Church, 1317 - 1st street NW
Wed February 25th, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Positive Space Committee
4825 Mount Royal Gate SW
℡ (403) 440-6383
stavcer@mtroyal.ca
http://www.mtroyal.ca/positivespace
The Positive Space Committee at Mount Royal
College works to raise awareness and challenge
the patterns of silence that continue to marginalize
lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gendered, two-spirited
and queer (LGBTTQ) individuals.
Pride Calgary Planning Committee
℡ (403) 262-3410
www.pridecalgary.ca
• Bottle Jive
Money Pennies
Sat February 28, 11:00am-1am (all day)
Bottle drive, bar night and dance.
• Pride 2009 - Dance
Sat September 5th
• Pride 2009 - Parade and Street Gala
Sunday September 6th
Pride Rainbow Project
prp@planet-save.com
http://www.priderainbowproject.com
Youth run project designed to show support for
same-sex marriage in Canada and elsewhere. A
fabric rainbow banner approximately 5 feet wide
- goal is to make it 3.2km (2 miles) long, in order
to break the world record.
Primetimers Calgary
primetimerscalgary@gmail.com
http://www.primetimerscalgary.com
Prime Timers Calgary is designed to foster social
interaction for its members through a variety of
social, educational and recreational activities. It is
open to all gay and bisexual men of any age and
respects whatever degree of anonymity that each
member desires.
• Free Pool at the Calgary Eagle
Every Wednesday
• Saturday Coffee
Midtown Co-op, 1130 - 11th Ave SW
Every Saturday, 10am
• Monthly Gathering at MoneyPennies
Please check the website.
• Theatre Night
Please check the website.
Queers on Campus -------------------- 3
279R Student Union Club Spaces, U of C
℡ (403) 220-6394
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~glass
Formerly GLASS - Gay/Lesbian Association of
Students and Staff.
• Coffee Night
2nd Cup, Kensington.
Every Tuesday, 7pm.
Rainbow Community Church
Hillhurst United, 1227 Kensington Close NW
roneberly@shaw.ca
http://www.rainbowcommunitychurch.ca
Services: every Sunday afternoon at 4:00pm
The Rainbow Community Church is an all-inclusive
church; everyone is welcome.
Rocky Mountain Bears
bearcoltr@shaw.ca
http://www.rockymountainbears.com
• Coat Check at Calgary Eagle
February 7th, February 20th
1-866-411-BONG
• Bear Night
Calgary Eagle
Sat, February 20th
Erotic Xxes Boutique----------------------4823 Macleod Trail SW ℡ (403) 243-4196
4008 - 26th Street SE ℡ (403) 207-5542
http://www.eroticxxesboutique.ca
Open 7 days a week and holidays
• Bears Dine Out
Fiore Cantina, 638 - 17th Ave SW
RSVP: gerrynbrad@shaw.ca
February 9th
RSVP by February 7th
41 La Fleur ------------------------------------
103 - 100 7th Avenue SW
• Bears Do Banff
January 31st
Meeting place for car pooling + other details will
follow closer to event.
Sharp Foundation
℡ (403) 272-2912
sharpfoundation@nucleus.com
http://www.thesharpfoundation.com
Urban Sex Radio Show
CJSW 90.9 FM
http://www.cjsw.com
Every Wednesday from 9-10pm
Focus on sexuality; gay bisexual lesbian trans
gendered and straight issues here in Calgary and
around the web.
Western Canada Bigmen and Admirers
groups.yahoo.com/group/
WesternCanadaBigmenGroup/
bigpaul41@yahoo.com
The Naked Leaf---------------------------305 10th Street NW
℡ (403) 283-3555
http://www.thenakedleaf.ca
Organic teas and tea ware.
http://www.priape.com
Clothing and accessories. Adult toys, leather wear,
movies and magazines. Gifts.
Wares & Wear Ventures Inc.
See Canada - Retail Stores.
Services
54 Battistella
192 15th Avenue SW ℡ (403) 290-1664
www.battistella.ca
Condo developer, real estate.
57 BRAZILya
#3, 1114 - 11th Street SW
℡ (403) 457-2955
www.brazilyalaser.com
Vigor Calgary
℡ (403) 255-7004
www.vigorcalgary.ca
Violence in Gay Male Relationships (VIGOR) is a
committee of professionals dedicated to increasing
the awareness of gay men’s domestic violence and
the services available to them.
“Yeah... What She Said!” Radio Show
CJSW 90.9 FM
yeahwhatshesaid@gmail.com
Every Monday evening, 8:30-9pm
24 Courtney Aarbo (Barristers & Solicitors)
1138 Kensington Road NW
℡ (403) 571-5120
http://www.csalaw.ca
GLBT legal services.
Cruiseline
℡ (403) 777-9494 trial code 3500
http://www.cruiseline.ca
Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY.
Lorne Doucette (CIR Realtors)
℡ (403) 461-9195
Restaurants
http://www.lornedoucette.com
3
See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.
9 MPs (Money Pennies) -----------------
Florist and Flower Shop.
16 Priape Calgary ------------------------ 3
1322 - 17 Ave SW
℡ (403) 215-1800
• Volunteer for SHARP Bingo
Five Star Bingo Hall
℡ Jaclyn: (403) 272-2912
info@thesharpfoundation.com
February 25th, 2008 (5:00 pm to 9:30 pm)
4 Calgary Eagle Inc. ---------------------
℡ (403) 266-1707
3
See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.
Retail Stores
51 A Little More Interesting ----------------- 3
1501B, 17th Avenue SW ℡ (403) 475-7775
http://wwww.alittlemoreinteresting.com
Marnie Campbell (Maxwell Realtors)
℡ (403) 479-8619
http://www.marniecambell.ca
MFM Communications
℡ (403) 543-6970
1-877-543-6970
http://www.mfmcommunications.com
Web site hosting and development. Computer
hardware and software.
Rev. Nadene Rogers
℡ (403) 247-0602
Adult Depot ---------------------------- 3
140, 58th Ave SW
℡ (403) 258-2777
Gay, bi, straight video rentals and sex toys.
http://www.weddingsmyway.com
Marriage Commissioner.
48 Barbies Shop -------------------------- 3
1313 16th Avenue SW ℡ (403) 262-8265
℡ (403) 862-1162
Rick Grenier (Invis)
http://www.barbiesshop.com
Mortgage solutions.
Bongs and Such---------------------------214, 2066 18th Ave NE ℡ (403) 250-7004
4829 Macleod Tr. SW ℡ (403) 243-5251
Hair salon and esthetics.
rickgrenier@invis.ca
45 R. Cobalt ------------------------------- 3
735 12th Avenue SW ℡ (403) 228-7822
19
DOWNTOWN EDMONTON
N
56 Sacred Balance Piercing
1528 - 17th Avenue SW ℡ (403) 277-4449
www.sacredbalancetattoo.com
Tattos and body piercing.
SafeWorks
Free and confidential HIV/AIDS and STI testing.
• Calgary Drop-in Centre
Room 117, 423 - 4th Ave SE
℡ (403) 699-8216
Mon-Fri: 9am-12pm, Sat: 12:15pm-3:15pm
• Centre of Hope
Room 201, 420 - 9th Ave SE
℡ (403) 410-1180
Mon-Fri: 1pm-5pm
• Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre
1213 - 4th Str SW
℡ (403) 955-6014
Sat-Thu: 4:15pm-7:45pm, Fri: Closed
• Safeworks Van
℡ (403) 850-3755
Sat-Thu: 8pm-12am, Fri: 4pm-12am
Sol Sourced Weddings
℡ (403) 270-9480
http://www.solsourcedweddings.com
Soleiha B. Mahrcell, Wedding Commissioner.
Theatre and Fine Arts
36 ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects
℡ (403) 294-7402
http://www.ATPlive.com
AXIS Contemporary Art ------------------107, 100 - 7 Ave SW ℡ (403) 262-3356
rob@axisart.ca
www.axisart.ca
Fairytales
See Calgary - Community Groups.
20
43 Lisa Heinricks (Artist) ---------------------
Art Central, 100 7th Ave SW, lower level
http://www.creamydreamy.com
35 One Yellow Rabbit -------------------------
Big Secret Theatre - EPCOR CENTRE
www.oyr.org
℡ (403) 299-8888
37 Pumphouse Theatre-------------------
3
2140 Pumphouse Avenue SW
℡ (403) 263-0079
http://www.pumphousetheatres.ca
Stagewest ------------------------------ 3
727 - 42 Avenue SE
℡ (403) 243-6642
http://www.stagewestcalgary.com
58 Theatre Junction --------------------------
Theatre Junction GRAND, 608 1st St. SW
℡ (403) 205-2922
info@theatrejunction.com
http://www.theatrejunction.com
34 Vertigo Mystery Theatre -----------------161, 115 - 9 Ave SE
℡ (403) 221-3708
http://www.vertigomysterytheatre.com
EDMONTON
Bars and Clubs
5 Boots Bar and Lounge ---------------- 3
10242 106th St
℡ (780) 423-5014
http://www.bootsbar.ca/
6 Buddy’s Nite Club ------------------------ 3
11725 Jasper Ave
℡ (780) 488-6636
13 PLAY Nightclub --------------------------- 3
10220 103 Street
℡ (780) 497-7529
info@playnightclub.ca
http://www.playnightclub.ca
8 Prism Bar & Grill ---------------------- 3
10524 101st St
℡ (780) 990-0038
http://www.prismbar.ca
12 Woody’s ----------------------------------- 3
11725 Jasper Ave
℡ (780) 488-6557
Bathhouses/Saunas
7 Down Under Baths ----------------------- 3
12224 Jasper Ave
℡ (780) 482-7960
http://www.gayedmonton.com
11 Steamworks ------------------------------ 3
11745 Jasper Ave
℡ (780) 451-5554
http://www.steamworksedmonton.com
Community Groups
BEEF Bear Bash
Boots Bar and Lounge
www.bearbeef.org
February 28, 8pm-3am
Bar night for hairy men and admirers.
Buck Naked Boys Club
℡ (780) 471-6993
http://www.bucknakedboys.ca
2nd Saturday of every month
Naturism club for men. Our club has been meeting
continuously for over 10 years. The similar club in
Calgary ceased to exist several years ago. Naturism
is being social while everyone is naked, and it does
not include sexual activity. Therefore participants
do not need to be gay, only male, but almost all
participants over the years do self-describe as being
gay or bisexual.
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
• Gala Fundraiser
deVine Wines & Spirits, 10111 - 104 Street
℡ (780) 421-9463
info@devinewines.ca
Saturday, March 7th, 8pm
$100 includes a $60 contribution to Camp
fYreflyand a $60 Charitable Donation Receipt.
Space is limited to the first 80 registrants.
Edmonton Pride Week Society
http://www.prideedmonton.org
• Pride Week 2009 - Age of Aqueerius
June 12 to 21, 2009
Edmonton Rainbow Business Association
3379, 11215 Jasper Ave ℡ (780) 429-5014
http://www.edmontonrba.org
ERBA’s primary focus is the provision of networking
opportunities for gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgendered (GLBT) owned or operated and
GLBT-friendly businesses in the Edmonton region.
Membership is open to all kinds of entrepreneurs,
from tradespeople to professionals to commission
salespeople.
• After Business Mixers
2nd Wednesday of every month 5:30–7:30pm
Edmonton Illusions Social Club
Boots Bar & Grill
℡ (780) 387-3343
groups.yahoo.com/group/edmonton_illusions
2nd Thursday of each month
• Men’s HIV Support Group
2nd Monday of the month, 7-9pm
4 Edmonton STD
11111 Jasper Ave
Edmonton Vocal Minority
sing@evmchoir.com
www.evmchoir.com
℡ (780) 479-2038
• Valentine Fever
Hellenic Hall, 10450 - 116 St.
℡ (780) 488-1498
Saturday, February 14, 7pm
Doors at 7pm, Concert at 7:30pm, Dance at 9pm.
Dance is 18+ only. Dance Only Tickets available
at the door after 8:30 PM. $10 for Womonspace
Members, $15 Non-Members.
3 HIV Network Of Edmonton Society ---
11456 Jasper Ave
3
www.hivedmonton.com
Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose
http://www.gayedmonton.org
• Love, Pain and the Whole Damn Thing!
PLAY Nightclub
Friday, February 13th, 9pm-2am
Join Mr. and Mz. Gay Edmonton XXI for a night
of song and dance, kissing booth, chocolates and
fundraising!
• Turnabout 2009
Saturday, February 21st, 10pm-12am
• Dinner with the Imperial House
Sun February 22nd, 6pm-8pm
All you can eat perogy dinner for $10.00/person.
Northern Chaps
http://www.northernchaps.com
Edmonton’s original leather, latex, fetish, uniform
club. Everyone is welcome to join or attend events.
• 22nd Anniversary Get Together
Saturday, February 7th, 10pm-12pm
OUTreach
University of Alberta, basement of SUB
outreach@ualberta.ca
http://www.ualberta.ca/~outreach
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender/transsexual,
Queer, Questioning and Straight-but-not-Narrow
student group.
1 Pride Centre of Edmonton ------------ 3
95A Street, 111 Ave
℡ (780) 488-3234
• Bears Movie Night
TV room, Pride Centre of Edmonton
Last Sunday of the month, 1-6pm
• GLBT Seniors Drop-In
Every Tuesday & Thursday, 1-4pm
Program serving our GLBT seniors. Hosted by Jeff
Bovee.
• Trans Education/Support Group
1st & 3rd Sundays of each month, 2-4pm
Support and education for all transsexual,
transgendered, intersexed, two-spirited and
questioning individuals.
• Men’s Discussion Group
robwells780@hotmail.com
Every Sunday, 7pm
Mens social and discussion group.
• Prime Timers
Unitarian Church, 10804 - 119th Street
edmontonpt@yahoo.ca
www.primetimersww.org/edmonton
2nd Sunday of most months, 2:30pm
EPT is a group of older gay men and their admirers
who come from diverse backgrounds but have
common social interests. Meetings include a social
period, a short business meeting and then either
a guest speaker, discussion panel, or a potluck
supper. Special interest groups meet for other social
activities throughout the month. In July and August
we have a BBQ or picnic in lieu of a meeting and in
December it’s replaced with a Christmas party. EPT
is affiliated with Prime Timers World Wide.
• Queer Youth Sport & Recreation night
Alex Taylor School Gym, 9321 Jasper Ave
℡ Brendan, (780) 488-3234
brendan@pridecentreofedmonton.org
First Tuesday of every month, 4:30pm
• Suit Up and Show Up Group
Every Saturday, 12 noon
Big Book Study of Alcoholics Anonymous.
• Sick and tired of being sick and tired?
Every Thursday, 7pm-8pm
Escape Cocaine.
• YouthSpace
brendan@pridecentreofedmonton.org
Tuesday to Friday, 3pm-7pm
Saturday 2pm-7pm
An after-school drop-in program for gay, lesbian,
bisexual, trans-identified, queer, questioning and
allied (GLBTQQ&A) youth under 25.
• Youth Understanding Youth
yuy@shaw.ca www.members.shaw.ca/yuy
Every Saturday, 7pm-9pm
Youth support and social group.
Team Edmonton
president@teamedmonton.ca
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.
• Mixer and Silent Auction
Amber’s Brewing, 9926 - 78 Ave
Saturday February 21, 7pm-11pm
• Athlete Delegate Meeting
Second Cup at Mountain Equipment Co-Op
Tuesday February 17th, 6:30pm
Outgames@teamedmonton.ca
Assess who will be participating in the 2009
Outgames in Copenhagen, and if there is
opportunity to assist participants.
• Badminton
Oliver School, 10227 - 118 Street
badminton@teamedmonton.ca
Wednesdays, 6pm-7:30pm
Season starts March 8th
Women’s Drop-In Recreational Badminton.
•Ballroom Dancing
Foot Notes Dance Studio, 9708-45 Avenue NW
℡ (780) 469-3281
Sundays, 7:30-8:30pm
Beginner Ballroom program is designed for people
who have no previous dance instruction and have
the desire to gain confidence on the social dance
floor. *Students may take level 2 upon completion
of the beginner course. *All gender combinations of
dancers are welcome. *Partners are not required.
Absolute Beginner Session Dates: September 21st
- November 30th, January 18th - March 29th, April
19th - July 5th. $149.00 +GST / 10 weeks. Call
to register.
• Blazin’ Bootcamp
Lynnwood Elementary School, 15451- 84 Ave
bootcamp@teamedmonton.ca
Every Monday, 7pm-8:15pm
Indoor season resumes January 5th
• Bowling (Northern Titans)
Gateway Lanes, 100 - 3414 Gateway Blvd
bowling@teamedmonton.ca
Every Saturday, 5pm-7pm
Resumes Saturday January 3rd
$15.00 per person.
• Cross-Country Skiing
Gold Bar Park
Saturday January 10th, 1pm
• Curling with Pride
Granite Curling Club, 8620 107 Street NW
℡ (780) 463-5942
curling@teamedmonton.ca
Every Monday, 7:15pm-9:15pm
16 games - Oct 27 to March 2nd.
Opening Night Funspiel (October 27). St Paddy’s
Day Spiel and Awards (March 2). $250/person.
Early bird registration draw (2 prizes of $50 off
fees) register by 1 October 2008. Final registration
date: 10 October, 2008.
• Cycling
Various locations in Edmonton
cycling@teamedmonton.ca
Every Wednesday, 6:30pm
• Dragon Boat
dragonboat@teamedmonton.ca
We are exploring the option of setting up a dragon
boat team for 2009. Please send your name and
contact information.
• Gymnastics, Drop-in
Ortona Gymnastics Club, 8755 - 50 Avenue
gymnastics@teamedmonton.ca
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8pm-10pm
Have the whole gym to yourselves and an instructor
to help you achieve your individual goals. Cost is
$5.00 per session.
• Outdoor Pursuits - Silver Skate Festival
outdoorpursuits@teamedmonton.ca
Hawrelak Park
February 20th-22nd
Winter triathlon, skate marathon, among other
activities. E-mail if interested.
• Running (Arctic Frontrunners)
Kinsmen Sports Centre
running@teamedmonton.ca
Every Sunday, 10am-11am
All genders and levels of runners and walkers are
invited to join this free activity.
• Swimming (Making Waves)
NAIT Swimming Pool
swimming@teamedmonton.ca
Every Tuesday, 8am-9pm
Every Thursday, 7:30pm-8:30pm
• Swim Meet, Annual
Boonie Doon Pool
February 7th, 3pm-7pm
Willing volunteers, please contact by E-mail.
• Roller Derby (Practices)
eville@teamedmonton.ca
Mondays & Thursdays, 6:30-8:30pm
E-Ville Roller Derby is a community-wise sports
initiative for adult females. Their purpose is for fun,
friendly sports competition among like-minded
women. You need no prior experience in roller
derby. They’ll teach you everything you need to
know, including how to skate!
• Samsara Yoga
Korezone Fitness, #203, 10575 -115 Street
yoga@teamedmonton.ca
Every Sunday, 2pm-3:30pm
• Soccer
soccer@teamedmonton.ca
• Tennis
tennis@teamedmonton.ca
• Volleyball, Free To Be Intermediate
Amiskiwaciy Academy, 101 Airport Road
volleyball@teamedmonton.ca
Thursday nights from 8pm-10pm
Indoor season resumes on January 8th
• Volleyball, Free To Be Recreational
Mother Teresa School, 9008 - 105A Ave
Tuesday Nights, 8pm-10pm
Indoor season resumes January 6th
Drop-In $4.00, Full Season $60.00 ($2.50/game),
Half Season $35.00 ($2.91/game)
Womonspace
℡ (780) 482-1794
womonspace@gmail.com
www.womonspace.ca
Women’s social group, but all welcome at events.
• Valentine’s Dance
Hellenic Canadian Community Hall
February 14th, 9pm
Join us prior to dance at EVM concert, 7:30pm.
Members $10, guests $15.
Restaurants
5 Garage Burger Bar & Grill --------------10242 106th St
℡ (780) 423-5014
8 Prism Bar & Grill ----------------------
3
See Edmonton - Bars and Clubs.
Retail Stores
Rodéo Drive
11528 - 89th Street
℡ (780) 474-0413
brendalee@rodeodrive.ca
http://www.rodeodrive.ca
His and hers fetish wear, toys, jewelry, etc.
See Canada - Retail Stores.
21
Services
Cruiseline
℡ (780) 413-7122 trial code 3500
http://www.cruiseline.ca
Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY.
Robertson-Wesley United Church
10209 - 123 St. NW ℡ (780) 482-1587
jravenscroft@rwuc.org
www.rwuc.org
Worship: Sunday mornings at 10:30am
People of all sexual orientations welcome. Other
LGBT events include a monthly book club and
a bi-monthly film night. As a caring spiritual
community, we’d love to have you join us!
• Soul OUTing
Second Sunday every month, 7pm
An LGBT-focused alternative worship.
• Film Night
Bi-monthly, contact us for exact dates.
• Book Club
Monthly, contact us for exact dates.
Exposure Festival
http://www.exposurefestival.ca
Edmonton’s Queer Arts and Culture Festival.
BANFF/CANMORE
Community Groups
Mountain Pride
℡ Brian, (403) 431-2569
mountainpride@gaybanff.com
www.gaybanff.com
Serving the GLBTQS community in Banff, Canmore,
Lake Louise and Area.
• Queer Cinema Night
The Living Room, the Hub, 302 Buffalo Street
Monday, February 9th 2009 at 8PM
February movie will be “Adam & Steve”.
• Coffee Night
The Hub, 302 Buffalo Street
Tuesday, February 24th, 7pm
22
LETHBRIDGE
RED DEER
Community Groups
Community Groups
GALA/LA
℡ (403) 308-2893
www.newgaylethbridge.ca
Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Lethbridge and Area.
• Monthly Dances
Airforce Veterans Hall, 517 - 5 Ave S
2nd or 3rd Saturday every month, 9pm-2am
Feb 14, Mar 21, Apr 18, and May 23
Next dance: Valentine’s Such a Drag. Bring your
membership card and photo ID.
• Monthly Potluck Dinners
McKillop United Church, 2329 - 15 Ave S
3rd or Last Sat. every month, 5:30pm-8pm
Feb 22, Mar TBA , Apr 26, May 31
Members/family/friends, and children are all
welcome to attend. Please bring dish that will serve
4-6 people and own beverage (no-alcohol). Plates,
utensils, and coffee provided.
• Board Meeting
1206 - 6th Ave S
Tues February 24th, 7:30pm
Mar 24, Apr 28, May (Annual Meeting)
• Support Line
℡ (403) 308-2893
Monday OR Wednesday, 7pm-11pm
Leave a message any other time.
• Parents & Friends for Lesbians & Gays
Call us for information.
Affirm
Sunnybrook United Church
℡ (403) 347-6073
2nd Tuesday of the month, 7pm
Composed of LGBTQ people, their friends, family
and allies. No religious affiliation necessary.
Activities include support, faith and social justice
discussions, film nights, and potlucks!
ALBERTA
Community Groups
Alberta Positive Voices Conference
Camp Horizon, Bragg Creek
March 13-15th
A conference held by and for people living with
HIV/AIDS.
YouthSafe
http://www.youthsafe.net
Alberta’s website for youth with sex-and-gender
differences. Youthsafe.net lists the resources,
information and services to help youth find safe and
caring spaces in Alberta.
Alberta Ballet
http://www.albertaballet.com
Frequent productions in Calgary and Edmonton.
• Gay Youth Alliance Group
℡ Betty, (403) 381-5260
bneil@chr.ab.ca
Every second Wednesday, 3:30pm-5pm
CANADA
• Friday Mixer
The Mix (green water tower)
103 Mayor Magrath Dr S
Every Friday at 10pm
Community Groups
Gay & Lesbian Integrity Assoc. (GALIA)
University of Lethbridge
galia@uleth.ca
GBLTTQQ club on campus.
Alberta Trans Support/Activities Group
http://www.albertatrans.org
A nexus for transgendered persons, regardless of
where they may be on the continuum.
Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition
P.O. Box 3043, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 3S9
℡ (306) 955-5135
1-800-955-5129
http://www.rainbowhealth.ca
Egale Canada
8 Wellington St E, Third Floor
Toronto, Ontario, M5E 1C5
1-888-204-7777
www.egale.ca
Egale Canada is the national advocacy and lobby
organization for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals,
trans-identified people and our families.
Membership fees are pay-what-you-can, although
pre-authorized monthly donors are encouraged (and
get a free Egale Canada t-shirt). Egale has several
committees that meet by teleconference on a
regular basis; membership on these is national with
members from every region of Canada.
Retail Stores
www.wwlatex.com
Fetish wear and toys.
℡ (780) 980-1977
Services
ATM Service Solutions
1-866-640-8830
admin@minibanks.net
http://www.minibanks.net
Squirt
http://www.squirt.org
Website for dating and hook-ups. 18+ ONLY!
Broadway Across Canada
http://www.broadwayacrosscanada.ca
OUTtv
http://www.outtv.ca
GLBT Television Station.
Add Your Listing!
Find out how to have your business listed in our
monthly magazine directory:
℡ (403) 543-6960
1-888-543-6960
magazine@gaycalgary.com.
Add your listing to our online directory for free:
http://www.gaycalgary.com
GayCalgary endeavors to keep our directory and
events information accurate and up to date. If
you notice anything incorrect or out of date,
please contact us.
Non-profit groups receive free listings.
Politics
Polygamous Parallels
By Stephen Lock
When the push for equal marriage was happening
here in Canada, I remember those opposed coming
up with all sorts of, shall we say, “creative” reasons
why it should not be allowed to happen. Amongst
those was the idea that if the institution of marriage was altered to include same-sex couples, then
it would be a short skip and a jump to legalizing
polygamy. The idea was dismissed as ludicrous by
many of us advocating same-sex marriage.
It now seems given the case involving Winston Blackmore and
James Oler, two of the leaders of the polygamous sect of Fundamentalist Mormons based in Bountiful, BC, that equal marriage
critics weren’t too far off.
I don’t know if the case will lead to legalization or at least a
political-legal tolerance of pluralistic marriage. Blackmore et al
are certainly planning on arguing their case on constitutional
grounds, freedom of religion. Blackmore, who has a certain
media savvy going for him, has been recently quoted as saying
that if the State can allow “gay marriage” he sees no reason why
it cannot allow pluralistic marriage.
I am not 100 percent sure how or what I feel about polygamy.
I absolutely recognize the issues attached to it; underage girls
being married off to much older men, the subjugation of women
under an “alpha male,” the strict adherence to gender roles,
the requirement that females (girls, especially, but also older
women) remain “sweet,” which is to say demure, modest, and
obedient. I have an issue with the underage-girls-being-married-off situation and I have an issue, if indeed it is what is actually happening, of women subjugating themselves to the male
head of the household.
However, while the former issue is pretty clear cut for me,
the latter issue is not as clear cut. Here I see a conflict between
what might be the reality and what the rest of society’s perception of the reality is.
Certainly those of us involved in general society look at the
women involved in polygamous marriages, or at least those
involved in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (which it must be noted, is distinct from the
mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or the
Mormons), with their long braided hair, their plain cotton gingham dresses with collars tightly buttoned up and long sleeves
and long skirts - and we see women who we perceive as not just
anachronisms, but as women held down by the men in their
lives. Perhaps they are, but then perhaps they’re not. Perceptions are, quite literally, all in the eye of the beholder and rarely
reveal the whole truth. As gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and
transfolk, we of all groups should be able to grasp that concept.
Certainly any of the women interviewed in recent years who
are involved in polygamous marriages seemed quite capable of
expressing their opinion. They came across as strong women,
sure of what they want, and prepared to defend it.
Now that polygamy has filtered into the common consciousness and is the cause de jour, all sorts of opinions about it are
finding their way into editorial pages, letters to the editor, and
other media. The opinions, by and large, are opposed to allowing pluralistic marriages any sort of legal standing in Canada
whatsoever - and, again, I am of two-minds on that. However,
what I find interesting is much of the “anti-” opinions mirror
arguments made against same-sex marriage. There is a very
similar sort of reaction (as opposed to response) to the whole
idea of polygamy (or polyandry for that matter - one woman,
two or more husbands) that is very similar to reactions against
same-sex marriage or against homosexuality in general. And,
it would appear, founded on about the same amount of fact
- which is to say, very little.
Still, I am torn. First off, I don’t think - separate from the
abuse of minors issue - that it is anybody’s business how
consenting adults choose to organize their lives. How does
polygamy harm you or me? It doesn’t. Whether it harms those
involved or their children...well, that’s the crux, isn’t it? Does it
or doesn’t it?
Secondly, many of us are quite aware of individuals within
our own community who, while not “polygamous” are most
certainly polyamourous. Off the top of my head I can think of
at least four or five triads (3-some relationships) that existed for
several years. A couple of them continue to exist. Is it something I’d consider? No. While I am in an open relationship of
many years duration, I found having a partner and a boyfriend
- which I did a couple of times over the years - to be just plain
emotionally confusing. I eventually made a conscious choice to
not involve myself in “outside romantic relationships” anymore.
Outside sexual relationships are a different breed of cat....
When I was involved in the Leather/SM/BDSM community
it was not uncommon to encounter polyamourous relationships
of various configurations, usually involving a dominant partner, his or her life-partner who may or may not have also been
involved in Leather/BDSM, and at least one bottom/submissive
if not a couple of them. Complicated? You betcha. Workable?
Sure, if one was prepared to spend the time and energy to make
it work.
I suspect, then, that the relationships Winston Blackmore
and James Oler have with their wives, as well as the relationships each woman has with her sister-wives, involves similar ongoing negotiations and paying attention to the emotional needs
of everyone involved. To not do so invites disaster. Several of
the wives have noted in interviews that while jealousy can be
an issue, especially in the early years after a new wife joins the
household, the need to negotiate and take everyone’s feelings
and well-being into account is something that has taken them
“out of themselves,” allowed them to perceive the world not just
from their own perhaps selfish perspective, but from within a
broader more “macro” view. I think there is something to be
said for that.
Blackmore has now revealed that he intends to use what he
calls “gay marriage” (equal or same-sex marriage) as part of his
defense. Certainly the main thrust of his arguments will be centered around freedom of religion. Blackmore claims pluralistic
or “celestial” marriage is central to his spiritual beliefs; he cannot enter Heaven otherwise. He may well have a point. If the
Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canada’s constitution, upholds
freedom of religion - meaning not only the freedom to believe
what one’s religion teaches but to practice that religion openly -
23
Politics
then if his religion maintains that pluralistic/celestial marriages
are holy and central to the faith an argument can be made, and
will be made, he should be allowed to practice his religion as his
religion dictates.
Of course, the other aspect of all this is the fear of the Islamization of Canada. If the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints can openly and, let’s say for the
sake of argument, legally practice polygamy then so, too, can a
devout Muslim since the Qu’ran allows him to have up to four
wives, as long as he treats them all equally.
If a Muslim can legally be married to more than one wife in
Canada, does that then open the door another crack to having
Sharia law in Canada? It might. There have already been attempts to institute Sharia law in areas of family law in Ontario,
with the support of some Member of Provincial Parliament.
Those attempts failed.
This is where it gets a bit dodgy for me...if polygamy is legalized, or at least legally tolerated (which is to say not actually
“legal” but not “criminal” or prosecuted) where does it end? And
that, as I alluded to earlier, sounds far too much like what some
of those opposed to equal marriage came out with. If you allow
two men or two women to marry, where does it end? It’s against
natural law. It’s morally wrong. It’s this, it’s that.
It concerns me when I read some of the vitriol published as
opinion in letters to the editor, for instance. It is the same crap
people wrote about us when equal marriage was being debated.
Agree or disagree with polygamy (or equal marriage, for that
matter), but at least base the arguments against it on sound
fact. An opinion not grounded in fact is not opinion, it’s just
prejudice.
24
Astrology
Q Scopes
“Skip the arguments, Gemini!”
By Jack Fertig
Stop! Think slowly and carefully before you act,
perhaps discussing it with a friend and working it
through. The Sun is lined up with Neptune, promoting artistic visions, fuzzy-headed idealism, and
(co)dependent behaviors, while Mars in Aquarius is
semi-square Uranus, provoking rash impulses - or
brilliant inspiration.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22):
Accidents are more likely now, especially sporting
accidents, and that includes “bedroom sports.” Try to
apply your creative energy in new directions, but still be
careful with the glue gun and stapler!
SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21):
ARIES (March 20 - April 19): Your instincts
Artistic or playful self-expression can reveal family secrets
you’ve long forgotten or overlooked. That revelation may
not be comfortable, but facing it and getting past it can be
very liberating.
and hunches are liable to get you into trouble, but if
you discuss them with some friends you may find some
valuable insights behind them. Getting high with your pals
can be fun, but do you want the buzz or the insights?
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December
20): Conversations with your family of origin, or trying
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Conflicts between
your political ideals and your career goals may suddenly
become obvious and very uncomfortable. Re-examine both,
but this is the time for reflection, not action. Stick to your
usual slow-and-careful mode. Blow off steam with friends,
not at work!
GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Nobody can be
right all the time, but the best way to be right more often
is to admit forthrightly when you’re wrong. Ideals and
aesthetics are clouding your facts and logic. Skip the
arguments and go to an art show!
CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Your erotic dreams
can come true, but will you be fully awake when they do?
Drugs and booze can open up too many bad possibilities
right along with the delicious ones. Keep a clear head and
prophylaxis handy, the better to enjoy the fun!
LEO (July 23 - August 22): Sexual problems
with your partner (or in the way you use sex to find one)
are suddenly painfully apparent. You can work it out with
some willingness to adapt. Don’t lose track of your needs
in your eagerness to satisfy your darling.
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): Inspired
notions at work will run into opposition. Resist the
temptation to argue, and see how your opponent’s critique
can improve your inspiration. None of it is likely to work
anyway, but out of the wreckage can come better ideas
later.
to figure out community politics, can cause confusion.
Arguments over “right” and “wrong” will only explode in
your face. Try an empathetic approach, and forget logic for
now.
CAPRICORN (December 21 - January 19):
Everybody’s worried about money these days. Avoid
useless fretting and look at the more constructive steps
you can take. Any ideas you have now probably are crazy,
but may lead to more sensible thoughts later.
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): Still
struggling with those shopaholic impulses? There is a 12step program for that. Meditation may be a better answer.
Exercise is also good. Go swimming, running, hiking, or
biking, but be very careful of traffic!
PISCES (February 19 - March 19): Acting
on sudden impulses is sure to get you into trouble. The
inspirations sparking those disastrous urges can also
be seeds of reflection. You may not be able to restrain
yourself entirely, but at least try to think twice before
acting.
Jack Fertig, a professional astrologer since
1977 teaches at the Online College of
Astrology : http://www.astrocollege.com.
He can be reached for personal or business
consultations at 415-864-8302 or through
his website at http://www.starjack.com
25
Review
Adult Film Review
Power, Bars, Bears, and Blue
By Jerome Voltero
“Abuse of Power” by
Stud Mall/Keep it
Dirty
Courtesy of Adult Depot
This European import
features some interesting power struggles with
authority figures – sometimes they dominate, and
sometimes they lose their
control. Personally, I love it
when they don’t offer a cast
list – it means I get to make
up names for people!
In the first scene, a doctor molests his “young”
athlete patient. I think
something was lost in the
translation because this patient is definitely not young; more
like in his forties, as evidenced by his salt and pepper stubble.
The doctor is a scrawny, bald-headed man with a mustache
that screams “perv”.
They talk to one another in French so I didn’t understand
what they were saying, aside from “soixante neuf” which means
69 – see, I can pull out the important details! Dr. Pervy ‘Stache
gives the athlete a thorough breast exam, tweaking his particularly perky nipples, and then moves on to the abdomen which
requires some reaching into the underwear. Dr. Pervenstein
continues into some very pervasive procedures under the guise
of an examination – including sounding, fingering, douching,
and using duck-lips on the poor patient. Frankly the whole
scene was kinda hot – errr, I mean, terribly disturbing!
My personal favorite was scene 3, with the burly security
guard doling out “punishment” to a shoplifter in a mall washroom. The security guard
is a hot muscle guy, the
shoplifter a moderately sexy
shaved Latino, and a third,
a not particularly attractive
man joins in on the action
in a manner where we only
see his cock through a glory
hole – it’s probably for the
best.
“BarBACK” by
Raging Stallion
Studios
Courtesy of Adult Depot
Cast: Scott Tanner,
Matthieu Paris, Tamas
26
Eszterhazy, Antonio Biaggi*, Vic Rocco, Maximo De Leon, Virgil
Hawkins*, Ricky Sinz, Max Schutler, Clint Wolf, Logan McCree*, Justin Jameson
Last time I saw Logan McCree and Tamas Eszterhazy in
a porno together was Ink Storm - if you remember, Eszterhazy was the one who got off after having a tattoo done on his
cock. However it’s obvious that this porno was filmed prior to
Ink Storm, for the simple fact that Eszterhazy’s penis tattoo
is missing. Antonio Biaggi is also looking oddly young and
scrawny – I suppose he has been working out lately.
So it may not be particularly fresh, relatively speaking, but
it’s not bad either. The extensive cast offers a variety of plain,
everyday guys, the kind you might see out at the bar on any
given night. There are none of the superstar porn actors, but
then you get to see them everywhere else.
The film starts out with Scott Tanner taking a stroking
break in the liquor cellar, but things get more serious when his
buddy Matthieu Paris joins him. A later scene pairs up Virgil
Hawkins, the token black guy, and Maximo De Leon, the token
tattooed oriental. Hawkins is a pretty big guy, and what De
Leon lacks in height he makes up for in muscle mass. At the
outset, Hawkins’ facial expressions get a bit comical, but the
scene culminates to a pretty hot finish.
If you like tattoos and hairy legs then Ricky Sinz is your
man. He is inked across his chest, belly, and arms; his legs
are covered in a layer of coarse ginger hair that makes him
look half-man-half-animal (no hooves though). Mr. Ink Storm
himself, Logan McCree doesn’t appear until the very last scene.
You might not recognize him until he takes his clothes off. He
dresses like a cowboy and sports a scruffy full beard, stripping
down to reveal his extensive body tattoos, and a leather jock
strap. Justin Jameson is in for a treat.
“Bearing Leather”
by CyberBears
Courtesy of Priape
Cast: Eric Bear*, Mikey,
Allan, Kj Behr, Goatee
Dude, Kowboy Bear*, Kowboy Kub*, AJ Harwood*
Be prepared for a couple
of things that are just plain
bizarre…like in the first
scene, where Eric Bear
stands in the middle of his
play dungeon awkwardly
rubbing himself all over,
and Mikey materializes in
and out a couple of times
like he isn’t really there.
Damnit Scotty, fix the
fracking transporter!! Finally the two start to interact, and
Eric’s first order of business is to deliver a spanking. He starts
by rubbings the paddle across Mikey’s ass like he’s buttering
toast, and then smacks the big guy until his cheeks are rosy
red. That’s just the foreplay…or FURplay, as it were.
Review
Later comes a super hot combination of Kowboy Bear,
Kowboy Kub, and AJ Harwood, all decked out in their leather
chaps, jackets and harnesses to look like a threesome of sexcrazed biker buddies. Kowboy Kub is probably the hottest of
the bunch, though his beard style is a little peculiar.
In the final scene we get to see the not-so-attractive side of
beardom. Allan is an older bear with a long, scruffy, graying
beard and greasy shoulder-length hair. Basically, he looks like
a homeless bum. Goatee Dude is a creepy little submissive
that one hardly notices throughout the scene. The only saving
grace, just barely, is Kj Behr…I’m not a fan of the long chin
beard, but the rest of him isn’t bad.
This is definitely a porno that would only appeal to bears,
cubs, and chasers. If a bulging belly turns you off, then better
sniff around elsewhere.
“Blue Movie” by
Mustang
Courtesy of Priape
Cast: Zak Spears*, Dillon
Buck*, CJ Madison*, Nick
Moretti, Nick Piston, Scott
Campbell, Adam Herst,
Colton Steele*
So here’s the scoop in
case you were wondering:
a “blue movie” refers to
an adult film, or one with
significant sexual content.
Thanks Wikipedia, you’re
my hero! But these guys
take the term very literally,
using blue backdrops and
lighting. Strangely, in the
middle of some scenes, stage crew walk through and drop off
or pick up props…I guess they’re going for an old-school, badly
edited look.
The cast of this movie consists of real men – I’m sure sex god
Zak Spears wouldn’t be present under any other circumstance!
All are reasonably hairy, many have tattoos, and some are considerably more muscled than others.
Dillon Buck has a pretty steamy first scene with Colton
Steele, where the two otters mess around on a bed. Buck returns for the final scene with Zak Spears and some other guy…I
didn’t even care. The moment Spears walked into the room, all
eyes were on him.
The leather scene between Nick Moretti and Nick Piston was
interesting. For one it takes place on a motorbike (stationary
of course), and secondly, I don’t recall ever seeing a penis quite
like Piston’s. That’s probably how he got his porn name, although if he were a twink, he might get called “chubby chicken”. Naturally someone that ample and clad with a PA has to
be a bottom, it’s just the way things go.
Blue Movie is manly and sexy, with a hint of fetish. Expect
cock-play, ass-play, and even a bit of shadow play!
Priape Calgary
Canada’s Favourite Gay Store
1322 17th Avenue SW - (403) 215-1800
Adult Depot
Over 3000 Gay Title for Sale or Rent
140 58th Avenue SW - (403) 258-2777
27
Celebrity Gossip
Deep Inside Hollywood
New Projects for Mo’Nique and Michelle Rodriguez
By Romeo San Vicente
Mo’Nique, Mariah Team Up to Push
One of the big hits of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
resulted from a collaboration between gay director Lee Daniels (Shadowboxer) and lesbian novelist Sapphire (American
Dreams). Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire- that’s what
they were calling it at Sundance, probably to distinguish it
from that other Push, about a mutant Dakota Fanning - tells
the moving story of overweight, illiterate, sexually abused
teenager Precious Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) whose life is
changed thanks to the guidance of a lesbian teacher. Daniels has assembled an exceedingly eclectic African-American
cast for this drama, including comic Mo’Nique (as Precious’
toxic mother), Paula Patton, Sherri Shepherd, Mariah Carey,
and Lenny Kravitz. At press time, Push was garnering lots of
attention from distributors, so look for it to make its way to
theaters before the end of the year.
friend of the now-married Kristanna Loken, actor Michelle
Rodriguez may have gotten voted off Lost’s island, but the
Girlfight-er maintains a full dance card. In addition to her
work in the upcoming Fast & Furious sequel, Rodriguez
plays a different kind of warrior in Tropico de Sangre, where
she stars as real-life Dominican heroine Minerva Mirabal.
Mirabal and her sisters stood up to dictator Rafael Trujillo
and were executed in 1960 for their efforts to take down his
corrupt government. You can also look for Rodriguez in the
much-anticipated Avatar, director James Cameron’s first
narrative feature film since his smash success Titanic in
1997. The CGI-heavy sci-fi adventure pits a band of humans
against an alien race on a distant planet, and will co-star
even more tough-gal actresses, including Sigourney Weaver,
Zoe Saldana, and CCH Pounder. Both films are slated to hit
screens this year.
Margaret Cho Meets a Drop Dead Diva
Polymorphously perverse comedy goddess Margaret Cho
used to do a stand-up routine based on her experiences of
having her own sitcom and being told that she was too fat
to be on television, so she must be enjoying the irony of being cast on Drop Dead Diva, a new Lifetime show from gay
executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. The series
revolves around a shallow model wannabe who dies in an
accident only to find her soul returning in the form of a brilliant, plus-size attorney. Of course, “plus-size” in Hollywood
often translates to “Miss Zellweger has taken to eating one
donut per day,” but it will be interesting to see how far
actress Brooke Elliott (Broadway’s The Pirate Queen) takes
the concept as she plays the lead role. Diva premieres on the
network for women (and gay men) this summer.
Romeo San Vicente’s personal diva is whichever woman (or womanly man)
wants to buy him lunch.
Humpday: Zak and Zak Make a Porno
Joshua Leonard was the toast of Sundance 10 years ago
when he was one of the three stars of The Blair Witch Project;
in 2009, he’s found himself the center of attention once
again as the co-lead of Humpday, from “mumblecore” filmmaker Lynn Shelton (Baghead). Leonard and Mark Duplass
star as old college buddies reunited a decade after graduation. One became a bohemian drifter while the other one
settled down and got married; meeting again reignites their
competitive one-upmanship, until they finally dare each
other to make an amateur porn movie. Together. With each
other. This look at straight guys taking the buddy-movie
genre - not to mention the trendy dare-game of “gay chicken”
- to its logical conclusion has garnered massive critical buzz,
so chances are good that you’ll find out whether the characters in Humpday actually got their hump on.
More Michelle Rodriguez Than Ever
Tough girl sex symbol, lesbian fave, and possible ex-girl28
Lesbian Sexuality
Whole Lesbian Sex
Spray It Out: Female Ejaculation
By Felice Newman
I heard from a woman who was freaking out because
of the puddle she left after sex. (“Sometimes, not every time, when she puts her fingers in me and hits a
certain area, it feels good but it makes me urinate...I
am too embarrassed to ask my OB/GYN about it; do
you know what it is and what I can do to stop it?”) I
didn’t think it was possible that there was a woman
left on the planet who hadn’t heard of G-spot stimulation and female ejaculation.
That’s not a comment on the woman who wrote to me - she
was sincere in her desire for reassurance and brave to write
me. After all, public discussion of G-spot stimulation and female ejaculation is relatively recent. One can only wonder how
many women have worried in silence that they were peeing in
bed.
Still, a lot of women I hear from are thrilled by their ability
to leave their mark. “I like to ejaculate,” wrote one woman. “I
mean, I can really flood the bed.”
How can you learn to ejaculate? You can explore your
urethral sponge or G-spot with a firm, curved dildo or your
fingers (particularly if you have long arms or a short torso or
are particularly flexible). Make sure you’re well aroused. Insert
your fingers or dildo, aiming for the front (anterior) wall of the
vagina. Stroke this area with a “come hither” motion. If you
use your fingers, you’ll feel the difference in texture between
this area, which is rough, and the rest of the vaginal walls,
which are smooth. Some women like to stimulate the opening of the vagina just below the urethra. You can also press
down on your pelvis with your free hand, applying pressure
just above the pubic bone. Stimulate your G-spot until you
feel intensely turned on and like you’re about to pee. As you
approach orgasm, push out.
Once you’ve tried it, you might feel like the woman who
wrote, “Trust me, it’s damn hot! And, when I first helped my
girlfriend to do it, I felt like I won the Olympic gold medal in
Girl Sex!”
Felice Newman is a founding publisher of Cleis Press and the author of
“The Whole Lesbian Sex Book: A Passionate Guide for All of Us.” Visit her
at www.cleispress.com. Her book is also available in Calgary at A Little
More Interesting.
For many of us, it’s really hot to feel a woman come all over
your hand, or to find her spray dripping down your chest. “My
lover is a kick-ass ejaculator,” wrote another woman. “Not all
the time, but on demand. If I ask her to squirt for me, it usually happens. It’s quick and quiet, and quite arousing. Just at
the point of orgasm, she gets very wet, but not normal wet...
more like water, and my hand gets kinda prune-ish, like when
I’ve been in the bath too long, and then it’s a sudden O, after
which there’s a big ol’ wet spot on the sheets. Love it.”
Here’s the 411 on female ejaculation:
Female ejaculate is produced in the paraurethral glands.
Ejaculate isn’t urine, though it may contain small traces of it.
The clear fluid may also contain vaginal lubrication, cervical
mucus, and fluid from the uterus, and it has a similar chemical composition to male ejaculate (minus the sperm).
How much fluid is ejaculated varies from woman to woman.
Some women spurt streams of ejaculate into the air. Others
leave a pie-sized puddle on the sheets. The amount of lubrication we produce is quite individual and is affected by menstrual cycle, age, health conditions, and even medications like
antihistamines. You can reassure yourself that you really are
ejaculating by urinating just before sex.
Some women experience a gush of wetness right before
orgasm. For others, ejaculation and orgasm are separate phenomena. Ejaculation may bring with it a pleasurable feeling of
release with that nice big spray - but not the same level of intensity as other orgasms. This may or may not feel satisfying.
Much has been written lately about “G-spot orgasms” - orgasms resulting from G-spot stimulation and accompanied by
ejaculation. Some women ejaculate with G-spot stimulation.
Some ejaculate without any penetration at all. Others simply
don’t ejaculate.
29
People
Rest In Peace
Sandra Casey
By Evan Kayne
To quote from the song “Everything Possible” by
Fred Small, “the only measure of your words and
your deeds, Will be the love you leave behind when
you’re done.”
And Sandra Casey was very much loved.
She had just finished helping out at Money Pennies bar
and restaurant, and was leaving for home when she became a
victim of a hit and run early Sunday, January 18th. She leaves
behind friends, family, and wife, Deb Boniface.
The driver fled the scene, but police eventually made an arrest: 43-year-old Stavros Steve Costoulas is charged with hit
and run causing death.
All who knew Sandra were shocked by this event. They described her as charismatic, and someone who loved by anyone
she met – which is evidenced by the outpouring of support on
the various Facebook pages set up after her passing, the turnout at the fundraiser, and by Deb’s recounting (below) of the
funeral in Ireland.
The arrest was some small consolation to her friends and
loved ones; of more comfort was when they held a fundraiser at
Money Pennies Pub on January 24th to help pay funeral costs.
The event was not only to raise money but also to celebrate
Sandra Casey’s life. The reception for this event, pulled together
in such a short time, was amazing; organizers said support and
donations came from customers, friends, small and large businesses who wanted to honor Sandra, or were touched by this
tragic accident. Over $20,000 was raised, even before a silent
auction began. This money was used to pay for the transportation of Sandra, Deb and Diana (Sandra’s friend and previous
partner) to Ireland. It was Sandra’s wish to be buried alongside
her mother in her native Ireland.
GayCalgary and
Edmonton Magazine
wishes to extend our
condolences to her
wife Deb, along with
Sandra’s family and
friends. Below, we
have included Deb’s
description of her time
in Ireland (with minor
corrections for spelling
and grammar):
Sandra arrived in
Ireland on Sunday,
January 25th at 6:55
their time. She was
met at the airport by
dozens of family that
escorted her back to
her sister Aine’s home.
They all wanted to see
her so badly but had to wait. Sandra’s cousin, Paul McEvoy,
then did what was needed to get Sandra ready for the three-day
wake that started that night. I traveled to Ireland with Diana,
who was Sandra’s partner for 6 years, and we were picked up
on the Monday by Sandra’s sister Aine and went straight to
her sister’s home. Diana and I were a wreck; here we were two
lesbians in the heartland of Irish Catholics going to her funeral
where I had already been warned that our marriage was not
accepted by everyone, meeting Sandra’s family for the first time,
and the finality of burying a wife. We were accepted with open
arms by Sandra’s immediate family, and to the older family we
were simply know as “the Canadians”.
On arrival at Aine’s home, we met her brother Damien, sisters Carol and Fiona and we went in the living room where Sandra was. We stayed for a few hours until jet lag and everything
else caught up and we went to a hotel to be back there the next
day. We then found a familiar face as our Eimer had made the
trip up from the south.
So, for the next few
days was the wake, where
Sandra’s family was awake
day and night to sit with
Sandra and greet the over
300 people that came to
the house. Everyone took
turns sitting with Sandra
including younger nephews,
cousins and nieces - some
not more than 10 years old.
After the end of the wake,
prayers were given and we
were all given our chance
to say our final goodbyes
before Sandra’s casket
was sealed. It was at this
point that the reality of the
past 10 days was starting
to sink in, to all of us as
during the wake itself, we
able to be close to Sandra,
to touch her, kiss her, play with her hair and spend that final
time. After the casket was closed, we all came outside, and
various members of Sandra’s family and friends took turns carrying her casket down the road about 50 meters where she was
placed in her cousin’s hearse.
Then, the 50+ people who were at the house started the walk
to Cloughoge Chapel which was about 5km away, all uphill. We
Continued on Page 31 f
30
Community
A Plea for Help
Pride Centre of Edmonton Urgently in Need of Greater Community Support
By Will Sutherland
The Pride Centre of Edmonton came to be in the
spring of 2004, when the board of GLCCE (Gay and
Lesbian Community Centre of Edmonton) opted to
cease operations and transfer all their assets to a
new organization to be known as the Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgendered Pride Centre of Edmonton. In the summer of 2006, due to reasons beyond
the control of the Centre, they were forced to move.
The Centre has played a large part in the history
of the GLBTQ community in Alberta by providing
resources, services and education.
The Pride Centre is open to everyone, including: gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer people (GLBTQ) as well
as questioning and straight-indentifying individuals who are
supportive of the GLBTQ community. The Centre provides a
non-judgmental and safe space where people can be themselves, find support, meet new people and be part of a community. The Centre provides services for everyone, but in turn
need everyone’s help to keep the Centre’s doors open.
In fact, recent developments have meant that the Pride
Centre is in desperate need of the community’s financial support.
The Pride Centre does not profit from anything that they
offer, however it costs them over $200 per day to stay up and
running. These funds come mainly from the care and generosity of our community. Monthly expenses include rent, phone,
electrical, gas, and salaries, totaling to $6,370 per month. The
nature of the Centre means they are a non-profit organization and therefore, the staff who are paid, are paid minimally
– mostly they do it out of care for the community.
I asked Brendan Van Alstine, the Youth Program Coordinator, why he thought the Centre was receiving little to no
donations. He believes it has more to do with a lack of awareness of how much it costs to run the Centre, and/or a lack of
awareness of the Centre in general. This past year the Centre
has been working on becoming more involved in the community by undertaking new outreach programs such as presentations to schools and organizations, as well as being actively
involved in the community by attending events to which they
are invited.
When speaking to members of the community as to why
they might not want to donate money to the Centre, the common issue is that people are afraid the money goes all into the
overhead and none of it is getting back to the community. In
actual fact, the highest percentage of the funds donated to the
Centre go to rent; this allows the Centre to have the drop in
area where everyone is welcome to come and access the public
computer terminals, areas for support groups to meet, the
extensive library, and an overall safe space to be themselves.
Centre would be a huge loss to the community, the city and
the province. Any amount will help make a difference! Let’s
show our community pride and help keep the Edmonton Pride
Centre open and continuing to provide much needed public
awareness and education, maintaining a safe place for all, and
providing a valuable resource for counseling, groups, services,
and information.
If you are willing to make a donation please visit www.pridecentreofedmonton.
org and click Make a Donation, contact the Centre administrator Will Sutherland
at Will@pridecentreofedmonton.org or by phone at 780-488-3234.
f Rest In Peace - From Page 30
all walked behind the hearse, with me, her brothers and sisters
being closest behind; Diana and I will never forget the clicking
of her cousin Paul McEoy’s umbrella on the street as he was
dressed in the traditional undertaker’s clothing of a top hat and
tails. He was the only person allowed to be next to the car.
As we walked up the road, Diana and I got a sense of the
respectfulness the Irish have, as every vehicle that the hearse
passed on the opposite side of the road stopped and did not
proceed till the hearse had passed. The traffic - consisting of
cars, lorries, buses and motorcycles - was backed up for miles
as the road itself was a main street into Newry.
When we got to the chapel, Sandra was taken in and we all
followed into where the priest gave the traditional Irish ceremony. This was followed by Holy Communion, and after it was
done, Sandra was taken behind the church where she was lowered into her mother’s grave by hand and the last prayers were
given. We then placed our flowers on the grave and everyone
offered a peaceful handshake to all that was there before we
made our way back to her sister Aine’s house for sandwiches
and tea.
If it wasn’t for the fund-raising efforts arranged by MoneyPennies, her closest friends and her cousin Paul McEvoy,
Sandra would likely not have been able to leave for Ireland as
quickly as she did - if at all; making it possible for her family
to see her for one last time and, to quote her family, give her “a
good send off.”
The people in Ireland were amazing and accepting to a point
where their way of life would permit it; it wasn’t until Diana
and I were able to actually experience it did we understand why
Sandra loved her heritage so much. To the priest in the church,
I was her Debs, which he stammered to get out, and to the
extended older family I was her friend from Canada, her partner
to others, but to most her wife. But even though the boundaries
were there, that Diana and I knew about before we arrived, it
was also the most important reason to have been there. To her
brothers PJ and Damien, sisters Carol, Aine and Fiona, I was
their sister in-law.
The Centre is very fortunate with all the support it receives
from volunteers, but without further financial support the
Centre faces the possibility of closing its doors. Closure of the
31
Arts & Culture
See You At The Movies!
Special February Screenings for You and the Ones You Love
By Matt Salton
Tuesday, February 10th, 7pm
Sofa Cinema
Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (Building J2
2711 Battleford Ave. SW)
If you’ve never caught one of the CSIF’s monthly classic film
screenings out at the Currie Barracks then you’re really missing out. This laid back, casual evening is set in one of their
screening rooms comprised of comfy, “lived-in” sofas and the
kids at CSIF rev up the projector for an evening of FREE cinematic entertainment based on a monthly theme. February’s
theme is Anti-Valentines Day! The CSIF and its staff are H-UG-E allies to the queer community so no probs cuddling up to
your date!
Monday, February 16th, 7pm
In A Dream
Engineered Air Theatre, Epcor Center for Performing Arts
Movies That Matter presents this documentary by Jeremiah
Zagar about a bohemian neighborhood in South Philadelphia;
50,000-square feet are covered with tile and mirrors-mosaics
that were created by Isaiah Zagar, an eccentric, tormented artist. The film has already garnered a truck-load of awards from
various film festivals, and Movies That Matter has never been
one to screen a craptastic movie, so chances are, you’re in for a
great film!
Wednesday, February 18th, 7pm
The Times of Harvey Milk
The Plaza Theatre (1133 Kensington Road NW)
Arusha Action Series and FairyTales Presentation Society
team up for the first time to present this Oscar winning film on
the life of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in the States. After the film, special guest speaker Michael Phair, the first openly gay man elected to public office in
Alberta (Edmonton City Council) will be in attendance to share
his experiences and to get audiences pumped to run themselves
for office in 2010.
32
Wednesday, February 25th, 7pm
The Color Purple
The Plaza Theatre (1133 Kensington Road NW)
FairyTales Presentation Society presents Steven Speilberg’s
epic of love, loss, friendship and redemption among the lives of
three African-American women in the deep South. Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg and Margaret Avery play the three female
leads and Danny Glover plays the reprehensible husband to
Goldberg. Perhaps one of the toughest movies to watch due to
each character’s trials and tribulations, but trust me, you will
be singing Hallelujah to the lord by the end credits.
March 5th to 7th
The 17th Annual $100 Film Festival
The Plaza Theatre (1133 Kesington Road NW)
Originally, the catch to the Calgary Society of Independent
Filmmakers’ lovechild festival was that every submission had
to have been made for under $100. However, with inflation it’s
pretty near impossible to get lunch at Wendy’s for under $100.
Instead, the catch is that every film selected must have been
created on “film” not video and will be projected as such. The
festival also boasts “Film Music Explosion” which involves local
bands playing live music on stage while an experimental film
based on their song plays in the background. I’ve seen this
done in the past, and it’s actually quite enjoyable, and lovely to
blend artistic disciplines together!
Matt Salton is the festival director of the Fairy Tales International Gay
& Lesbian Film Festival in Calgary. He can be reached for comment at
reelpublicity@yahoo.ca
Community
Team Edmonton Mixes It Up
By Antonio Bavaro
When you ask someone outside our community
what they think queer people do for recreation, you’ll
probably hear one of the following: sex, drinking,
drugs, clubbing, shopping, makeup & hair, musical
theatre, using various power tools, and more sex.
Unfortunately, these stereotypes are also usually the first
thoughts GLBTQ people conjure up when thinking about fun
things we want to do. But we’re people with varied interests,
and we live in a province where healthy and active lifestyles
are common with all groups, regardless of age, colour, gender,
ability or orientation; and that’s why Team Edmonton started.
Once again, the social recreation group is uniting people with
diverse sports and fitness interests under one roof, in their
annual Mixer and Silent Auction. I asked Keith Andony, Vice
President of Team Edmonton and Co-Chair of the mixer, how
it all began and why it was time for Edmonton to finally have a
”league of their own.”
“The first mixer was organized in 2007 as a launch party
for Team Edmonton. At that time, most major cities in North
America and Europe had a GLBTQ sports association but
Edmonton did not. There was strong desire in the community
to create a central location for up to date and accurate information for all of the various groups and sports, and to help
promote all teams and groups. Team Edmonton took on the responsibility of maintaining a website and newsletter that would
ensure that role was fulfilled.”
“The mixer is a casual and comfortable environment in
which current and new participants can meet representatives
from the various GLBTQ sports and recreation community.
What has been noted from our previous mixers is how much
the attendees enjoy the diversity of the crowd as it has a full
spectrum of gender, age and ability....and the $3.00 microbrewery beers.”
Affordable, locally brewed beer, and also hot performances
and fun to be had all night? I know I’ll be there! In fact, I have
even heard that Mz. Connie Lingua and the girls from Personal
Fit are teaming up to perform a very aerobic “Single Ladies”
routine by none other than hot bodied Beyonce herself. Maybe
the mile-thigh-high goddess herself would join us for some volleyball?
Team Edmonton
Annual Mixer and Silent Auction
Saturday, February 21st, 7pm-11pm
Amber’s Brewing
9926 – 78th Avenue, Edmonton
www.teamedmonton.com
I heard there are athletes who will be representing Edmonton at the OutGames in Copenhagen in 2009, and asked if any
members from Team Edmonton had traveled for the Gay-lympics before?
“The inaugural OutGames in Montreal provided the impetus
to form an association that could help unify the GLBTQ sports
and recreation community in Edmonton. Team Edmonton
is looking at ways in which we can ensure that our athletes
are visible on the international stage and recognized for their
contributions.”
As well they should be, we have so much talent and drive in
our community. But how do they get people involved to come
out, in a manner of speaking? I know there are a lot of options
to choose from within their ranks.
“The key to involvement is to provide participants with well
organized and fun activities, whether they are team sports, like
volleyball or slo-pitch, or independent activities like cross country skiing or swimming. The combination of doing a healthy
activity and the social component of the groups is what drives
the success of groups. The various groups tend to emphasize
inclusion and support for participation. This means the competitive aspect of sports that often turns people off takes a back
seat to fair play and good sportsmanship.”
Now for those who are interested and want to know more
about which groups or teams there are, the Mixer is the best
place you can find out. And what exactly can you expect at
such an event as this?
33
Theatre Preview
The Good Egg
playRites Show Addresses New Concept of “Family”
By Jason Clevett
One of the highlights of the theatre season in Calgary is Alberta Theatre Project’s Enbridge playRites
festival of new plays. These unique works are being
performed for the first time ever, a unique experience for actor, playwright and audience alike. One
of the shows this year, The Good Egg deals with
something that many in the LGBT community now
contend with: sperm donation.
Brodie and Robin are desperate to start a family, but complications lead them to alternative treatments. They encounter a
young man named Wade who is yearning to make a connection.
“The script was originally commissioned for a theatre company in Toronto called Canadian Stage,” playwright Michael Lewis
MacLennan told GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine. “It was
inspired by my own experience in the whole fertility world. I
went through the process of being a donor
for one couple, and for negotiating another
situation with another couple. They were
both very different experiences, and not easy
ones. The play was a way for me to work out
that world a bit and do it with a lot of humor
and theatrical audacity. It is not based on
my experiences, but the story came to me
very quickly; how it would work and what it
would be saying. There had been a change
of guard at Canadian Stage and it was no
longer an option for me. I read it again and
thought it was strong so I sent it off to Bob
White and we got a call back. We did a
workshop in Calgary and the response was
phenomenal, I was blown away. So many
people came up to me and talked about
their experiences within the fertility world.
A couple of weeks after that, they decided to
program it into the festival.”
MacLennan, who has written for TV shows
such as Queer as Folk, said his TV experience has taught him a lot about writing
plays.
“This play is really formed by my television work in that a lot
happens. It really got a sense on how to tell a good story. In a
lot of plays, act 1 is getting people to make one decision and act
2 is the fallout of that decision. Things are much more gentle in
their approach to plotting. One of the things my work in TV has
done is bring out a much more audacious approach to storytelling. I really loved and missed the theatre and wanted the play
to revel in its theatricality. It is like a ride, amazing outrageous
things happen in each scene. It is celebrating the capacity for
theatre and these characters to get themselves into seemingly
insurmountable trouble, in a way you can only do in theatre. It
celebrates the power of theatre but does it in the ways that are
more akin to a movie. New things are constantly happening in
front of the audience.”
While the characters are straight, the LGBT community will
34
identify with its story of trying to define family.
“My own experiences with sperm donation were with lesbian
couples. It is kind of connected to the gay marriage debate. The
play doesn’t touch on it at all, this is kind of an aside. One of
the things - the most exciting thing I think – the gay community
is doing right now is shifting the lens of what a family is. The
play is really looking to do that.”
Although this is MacLennan’s first show with no gay characters in it, there are definite undertones.
“I would say there is a homo-erotic relationship between
the two men, and by erotic I don’t mean sexual. Brodie, the
older of the two men, sees himself in Wade. Wade is his stand
in and will be him biologically. Brodie is a total alpha male,
he builds bridges for a living and has it all and yet he doesn’t
make sperm - what does that say about his sense of masculinity? There is a real sly, playful examination of the relationship
between straight older and younger men. The young man is
extremely gorgeous. It isn’t like Brodie wants to tear his clothes
off and suck his dick or anything, but that ‘In a way I desire
you, for biological reasons, to in some way
connect with my wife.’”
Betty Mitchell award winner Tyrell Crews,
who plays Wade, says that from an actor’s
point of view, that aspect of the show stood
out.
“It is there for sure. Wade idolizes Brodie
but for him to allow someone to know him on
a personal level is very dangerous for him. So
it is a really strange love/hate relationship.
He sees himself in Brodie, as well as a father
figure, an uncle, cousin, brother. For that
to come out as pure love, it can definitely go
to that homoerotic place. That is what is so
interesting about it. Michael has succeeded
in penning three incredibly complex dynamic
characters. There is so much in the text that
you can draw from. So I think this play will
have a very long shelf life because of that.
Another director may have a completely different vision than Gina Wilkinson’s production here.”
“These three people get in way over their
head and fail to ask the good questions up
front and get into trouble. The solution is to reconceive what it
means to raise a child and be a family,” continued MacLennan.
“As gay people we are particularly good at that, whether it is by
being abandoned by our birth families and reconstructing chosen families to what is going on now, the idea of these unusual
assortments of people coming together with the same goal, to
create life and love it. That is one of the most sacred things
we can be doing as a species and I think gay people, we are
the cutting edge of showing ourselves how we might go about
doing that. A gay person is going to see so many coded things
in this play but I am doing it in a way that is still palatable for
straights.”
When Crews was last on the ATP stage, for Unity 1918 his
Continued on Page 37 f
35
36
Health Advice
“You don’t need an HIV test.”
Dealing with Dismissive Doctors
By Amanda Chapman, AIDS Calgary
Your reasons for requesting testing may vary greatly.
You might consider yourself at risk because of an
unsafe sexual encounter. You might be concerned
that your long-term partner has had an unsafe sexual encounter. You might have shared a needle with
a stranger at a party. The methods of transmission
of HIV and a whole host of STI’s are well known.
Most of us are aware that HIV can be transmitted
through such activities as unprotected sex or the
sharing of needles. Or perhaps you simply feel that
you are responsible for your own health - it is not
unreasonable to want to include routine HIV and
STI testing as part of your regular health maintenance plan.
But imagine going in to your family doctor’s office and requesting STI or HIV testing for your own reason, and being told, “You
don’t need an HIV test.”
Whether you are requesting a test because you believe that you
have engaged in a risky activity, or simply as part of your regular
health routine, you have a right to have access to testing. Unfortunately, in a province where there is a much-discussed shortage
of doctors, your family doctor may not always have the time to
spend with you to understand your risk factors. Or you may not
want to share that personal information at the time of requesting
a test.
“We are certainly seeing increasing rates of HIV across the
province as the statistics demonstrate. We’re also seeing huge
rates of STI’s,” comments Susan Cress, Executive Director for
AIDS Calgary, referring to current trends in Alberta. In 2007 there
was a 29% increase in newly reported cases over 2005, from 175
to 225. Between the period of 2000 and 2005, we had witnessed a
momentary drop and then a levelling off of newly reported cases.
Although the recent increase could be attributed to Alberta’s
booming population, we have also seen an increase in the rate of
cases (from 5.4 in 100,000 to 6.6 in 100,000).
Sheldon M Chumir Health Centre
5th Floor, 1213 – 4 Street SW, Calgary
℡ (403) 955-6700
Hours: Monday through Saturday
f The Good Egg - From Page 34
face was covered in bandages. The current show is the total
opposite – the character is one of male perfection. It’s a role the
handsome but humble Crews has had to adjust to.
“I am a sperm donor, so I am actually the ’perfect specimen‘
I guess. I am also a model, so the actual chemical make up and
build, fine genetic material at its best. It makes me feel pretty
good to be considered for a role like that. At the same time it
gets me thinking too. The character has all these great physical traits going on. But when you get deeper he is not a happy
man. It is funny that in Western Society body image runs
rampant in the media, and it makes you wonder if all these gorgeous people are really happy. It was really interesting to dive
into that, because it is one thing to have great pecs and another
to have a dark place in your heart.”
In speaking with MacLennan, it is evident that this play is
something he is very proud of. His and Cruise’s enthusiasm is
infectious and I can’t wait to see this show.
“Testing should be a part of routine health management. You
certainly don’t want to be finding out and looking at initial treatment for HIV that may have been living in your body for 10 years,”
remarks Cress.
“I wanted it to be fun for the audience, the actors, I just
wanted a good time at the theatre. I am generally known for
my humor but this is the funniest thing I have ever written. It
really came out of a place of pain with the storyline, but…you
would never know it. It is this kind of farcical romp. The first
act is a non-stop comic romp that begins to gain a little bit
more as things turn, and you learn more about things that go
on.”
So what do you do when a doctor tries talking you out of testing? You have a few options, and the first is to be insistent with
your doctor. Your health is your responsibility, and you have the
right to request HIV or any STI testing as you deem necessary. So
if your doctor resists your initial request, simply follow up with a
firm second request. Take this opportunity to become an ambassador and educator for sexual health and wellness by explaining to
your doctor the importance you see in testing.
“The primary goal of a writer is to entertain. You have 365
nights of your year to do something and most of them we stay
at home. When you are asking someone to get out in that cold
Calgary night and go and see a play, you really have to make
it the best experience you know how to do for them. Ultimately
you have to have fun and that was my primary goal in writing
this play.”
If that fails, if you are simply not comfortable pressing the issue,
or if you prefer your test to take place in a confidential environment, Calgarians can consider visiting the STD Clinic in the Sheldon M Chumir Health Centre.
Above all else, don’t allow yourself to be bullied out of taking
your sexual health and wellness into your own hands.
The Enbridge playRites Festival
of New Canadian Plays
February 4th – March 8th, 2009
www.atplive.com
37
Community
Beers for Queers
Queer Night at the Empress Ale House
By Will Sutherland
Edmonton’s Queer scene is slowly growing in its
number of clubs, bars, and community events, but
not all of them are commonly known - for example,
the Empress Ale House, located on Whyte Ave and
99th Street. On the last Thursday of the month, the
Empress holds a very well attended event called Beers
for Queers.
The Empress explains this event with a textbook definition of
the word Queer, followed by the statement, ”Gay, straight, bi,
trans, free spirited, tall, short, skinny, fat, cross-eyed, one eyed,
wooden legged, whatever…are ALL welcome!!!”
Beers for Queers started last June when owner Sue Kiernan
and her long time friend Sean Thompson saw a need for some
more Queer events in the City of Edmonton, following the closing of the Roost in December of 2007. Thompson stated that in
conversations with Sue they decided that the Empress should
try to get as involved in the community as possible. They did so
by being a visible entry in the 2008 Edmonton Pride Parade and
holding their first Beers for Queers night in tandem with Pride.
The Empress is very different from any other bar or club.
Straight or queer, they provide a relaxed atmosphere where you
can sit and enjoy yourself. There’s no shouting over obscenely
loud music, uncomfortable security searches, cover charge, or
shirtless folks attempting to garner extra tips. The crowd is
more relaxed, with an Indie feel. I asked Thompson how the
reception was, seeing how Whyte Ave has never really been seen
as a GLBTQ friendly area.
“It has taken a few nights for people to get comfortable with
the area,” he said, “however seeing familiar faces from the community helps build the comfort and reassures people that this is
a safe space.”
Beers for Queers has never had a real push for advertising,
other than by Facebook and word of mouth. When asked why,
Thompson stated that the Empress has a maximum capacity
of 100 people in the winter and 150 in the summer with the
patio open. With the little advertising they actually do, there is
normally a line formed from 9pm throughout the night. So extra
advertising was not needed. They are going at a steady pace and
hope to keep growing, soon planning to start a night specifically
for Women in the community.
One statement Thompson wanted to make clear was that
the Empress is not only open to the community on the Beer for
Queer nights, but that they pride themselves in being non judgmental and open to everyone, every day.
If you’re looking for somewhere to sit back, relax, and enjoy
a couple of drinks, I would highly recommend you try visiting
The Empress Ale House. What better time to visit than the next
Beers for Queers event, on February 26th.
Next Event: February 26th
The Empress Ale House
9912 – 82nd Avenue NW, Edmonton
38
Letters
Letters to the Editor
Re: 7 Years Is Just the Beginning
“While leather wear and fetish paraphernalia remain a constant at the Eagle, the bar was formed mainly as a safe haven
for those willing to dress without borders.”
- Excerpt from FFWD Magazine article Man Musk and a lot
of respect, The Eagle still at forefront of Calgary Leather article
published December 25, 2008.
Saturday February 21, 2009 marks the 7 year anniversary of
the Calgary Eagle Inc, Calgary’s Leather Bar.
How do you describe a seven year journey, one filled with
hope, challenge, emotion and ambition in simple words...it is
very difficult. At the very least you can say, without doubt, that
it has been an incredible experience, extremely fulfilling and
rewarding. Whether the leather lifestyle is at the forefront or
community involvement is the order of the day, the most important part of it all is remembering our patrons and why they keep
supporting the Eagle.
The Eagle, aka The Dirty Bird, has increased its commitment
to the community at large year by year, and this one upcoming
is no exception. Working with such great groups and organizations such as Priape, ISCCA, The SHARP Foundation, ARGRA,
Gay Calgary and Edmonton Magazine, Aids Calgary Awareness
Association, Calgary Eagle Rodeo Team, the Calgary Bears, and
Cabin Fever, had made this job easy and enjoyable.
We are looking forward to supporting and hosting, in partnership, this year’s main events such as HEAT, The Dirty Bird
Awards, Little Calf Faux Indoor Rodeo, Mr. Rubber, Mr. Leather
Sir, Leather Boy, BBQ’s, The Great Chili Contest, Mr.Calgary
Leather, Living Christmas Tree and the Eagle Christmas Dinner. In addition to these great events, and support to HIV/STI
awareness, we look forward to keeping things fresh with other
fun events such as An Evening with Ralph, Make Me Do It: A
Hypnosis Show, and a revision of Straight to Diva. The Bird also
boasts our new monthly DJ Rawkwulf who plays a wide mix of
music from the 70’s through to today, and we are also pleased to
have the return of DJ WCBD (West Coast Baby Daddy) to play at
our anniversary party.
Over the past seven years there have been many changes that
have made up this bar’s evolution. We are humbled time and
time again by the loyalty of our patrons, massive volunteer commitments, and the generosity of our community at every turn.
Though it may sound unreal, we continue to enjoy the success
of the Calgary Eagle due to the people who keep supporting our
humble establishment. We hope to keep making the Eagle a
warm environment where everyone feels safe and welcome - and
yes, at times we like to push your comfort zones so that we all
experience new things together.
We would like to sincerely thank everyone for their support and this incredible journey. On behalf of the gang at the
Calgary Eagle Inc and our staff, a big Thank You to the Calgary
GLBT Community for being there for us and each other. We
look forward to many years ahead working with and giving back
to this great community and city.
Johnathan Finlayson
Events & Promotions
Calgary Eagle Inc.
Arts & Culture
Annie
Adorable Orphan is Alberta Bound
By Jason Clevett
In 1977, a spunky red headed orphan took Broadway by storm. Thirty years, multiple broadway, community theatre, and school productions, and two
film versions later, Annie remains one of the
most loved musicals of all time. The
tour comes to Calgary February 16th – 22nd and Edmonton
March 10th – 15th.
We caught up with gay cast member
Ricky Pope, on the tour bus en route
to Eugene, Oregon. The Texas native
laughed when I questioned the sanity of
touring in the dead of winter.
“Touring is not glamorous at all. We
are on the bus most mornings around
8 or 9 on the way to another city. Our
winter hasn’t been too bad because we
have been working our way up the coast
of California. It has been really beautiful
so far. I am excited about coming to
Alberta! I like places that are colder
anyways, so we will see if I like it that
cold. I am originally from Texas so
it is going to be a little bit of weather
shock.”
Pope plays multiple characters in
the show, and mentioned the special
precautions that actors need to take
to protect themselves in cold, dryer
climates like the western prairies.
“I stay in(side) as much as I can. I am
fortunate that I seem to have steel vocal cords so
I don’t seem to lose my voice a lot,” he said. “I play Drake,
who is Daddy Warbuck’s butler. Very British and efficient. I
also play Burt Healy who is the radio host of the hour of smiles
program. He is very much in love with himself. I also play a
few other smaller roles. I love playing all sorts of things. It is a
whole range of emotions I get to play over the evening and that
is a nice thing as an actor.”
This is Pope’s second tour with Annie, and he
couldn’t wait to come back.
“I like it because it is very different from other
touring experiences. We have children and dogs in
the cast, and their chaperones. It is a really broad
rage of ages so it is more like touring with your
family. These dogs are really good. They are
really well trained. Humans do strange things
more than the dogs.”
While a lot of newer musicals are struggling,
whether touring or on Broadway, there is something about Annie that endures. The story of the
little orphan whose sun will come out tomorrow is
one that resonates in today’s world.
“By this day and age it is an institution. People
have grown up with Annie and are now bringing
their children to see it and have the same sort of
experience. I think that is what people respond
to in our show, it is an old school musical in
the Rogers and Hammerstein style, and I think
people respond to that. In some ways it is even
more pertinent today than it was when it opened
in 1977. Certainly with the economic crisis in the
States right now, it resonates with the same situation there was in the 1930’s. People are losing their
jobs and are uncertain of what is around the corner.
This wonderful, optimistic little girl is a symbol of
hope.“
One message that wasn’t likely intended in the original, but now certainly
rings true within the concept of the show,
is the redefinition of family. As gay couples
in
the States continue to fight for the rights to
marry, adopt or raise their own children, Annie’s message is
certainly familiar.
“The whole thing is really about the making of a non-traditional family. Annie doesn’t end up with the parents she
thought she would end up with. I don’t think anything is more
pertinent today, certainly to my own community, than talking about non-traditional families. Oliver Warbucks is a single
parent who takes on this girl who has transformed his life, and
that is very relatable to the gay community. It is a very wonderful production.”
Broadway Across Canada Presents
Annie
Calgary February 16th – 22nd
Edmonton March 10th – 15th
www.annieontour.com
39
Trans Identity
Trans Expression in Ancient Times
A History of Gender Variance in Expression and Identity, Part 1
By Mercedes Allen
History is written by the victors. Unfortunately,
this tends to mean that a lot of truth gets lost over
the eons; peaceful tribes can become demonized,
portrayals of nature reverence can be twisted into
“witchcraft” and a lot of the accurate documentation
becomes lost over the years in intellectual pogroms,
such as the burning of the library at Alexandria in
Egypt by the Romans.
History was never meant to be that “is there gonna be a test
on this” sort of dry reading, but it often becomes so, because it
becomes an onslaught of dates and peoples and events that we
don’t recognize. It doesn’t help that with histories written by victors, many of the lives
we might identify with, become obliterated
from memory. Such is the case with most
things transgender or homosexual, which
at one time were seen to be rooted in similar
human need. It was once said that there were
three facets to our existence: survival, reproduction, and everything else. To the person who
made the case, “everything else” - which tended to
encompass those things creative, imaginative and
ingenious - could be classified as “art.” If ancient
cultures bore understanding of this, then one wonders
if transgender and same-sex love were seen as an art of
their own...a creative exploration of love and affection.
It may sound far-fetched, but history (even if written by
victors) offers little glimpses of reality at times. Many of these
glimpses tend to indicate that the gender transgression and
gay/lesbian/bisexual love that is often vilified today was once
quite respected, and at times even encouraged. As a transgender and bisexual woman, I’m not personally inclined to think
of myself as better than anyone or to try to portray myself as
such, but a careful look at history does provide a rewarding
sense that I have something to offer, and am a being worthy of
respect.
It is impossible to know the motives of the early civilizations’
approach. We can only see history in modern light and with
our own experiences. Without the economic and socio-political backgrounds to some of these notations, we don’t know if
transgender behaviour was any result of coercion, conspiracy
or other motivations. I would like to think that much of the experience was genuine, although I’m not so naive to believe that
accounts of castrated boys raised as wives of Roman or Turkish
military leaders were always consensual. History, unfortunately, sometimes can only touch the surface, not revealing the
beauty or ugliness underneath.
Consequently, I can only construct a history that is dry and
vague at times, and intriguing at others. I also have to rely
heavily on a few selected texts at some points, as there is so little other information available on those periods of time. There
may be the occasional inaccuracy - I welcome verifiable corrections. However, I have found that the exercise has unearthed
some fascinating gems.
40
What we understand as transgender (in its many different
forms) has been understood quite differently at various periods
of time. In the earliest ages, people who were seen to bridge
the genders were quite often thought to possess wisdom that
traditionally-gendered people did not, and were venerated for
this. As civilizations transformed from matrilineal and communal societies into male-driven (patriarchal) societies with
rigid class divisions and emphasis on property ownership,
those male-driven cultures reduced the status of women... and
because they were threatened by a persistent belief that those
who blurred gender lines possessed some greater insight, they
set out to crush gender-transgressive people most of all. Into
the modern age, transfolk resurfaced, but it is a long climb
back just to restore any sense of equality.
In earliest civilizations, throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle
East and Northern Africa, tribes of different types venerated
what they often identified as “The Great
Mother.” In nearly all of these traditions,
MTF priestesses (often castrated or with
some form of eunuching, which included
a number of different body modifications of
the time) presided, and the cultures were primarily communal systems which held women
(venerated as a source of life) in high esteem.
Matriarchal in nature, the cultures often espoused
peace, but the realities of early civilization and tribal
existence did not always allow for this.
Greek historian Plutarch depicts “The Great Mother”
as an Intersex deity from whom the two sexes had not
yet split. Trans-gendered depictions of The Great Mother
and Her priestesses are found in ancient artifacts back to
the earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia, Assyria, Babylonia
and Akkad. Some historians portray MTF priestesses as being
recognized as something sacred, while others portray them as
undergoing castration in order to subvert matrilineal rule and
wrest religious direction from the control of women. David F.
Greenberg, however, concludes that records of trans priestesses
do date back “to the late Paleolithic (if not earlier),” suggesting
that the advent of transgender priestesses was not simply a
later reaction to feminine leadership and veneration. In some
regions, particularly the oldest European customs, it even
appears that some form of gender transgression was almost
considered one’s religious duty, at times (i.e. certain revelries).
Perhaps most telling, it seems as though the earliest ages of
trans motifs in culture were those in which the concept was
most venerated... as centuries passed, dual-gendered entities
or gender variant life became more thought of as “freakish” or
undesirable. Part of this was a result of the decline of matriarchal thinking and the evolution of the cultures that managed to
persist through those ages.
Also to be kept in mind, respect for gender variant culture
was not always wholly persistent in the instances discussed,
any more than any general religion today is able to maintain a
singular consensus view on complex issues.
Displaying the earliest records of trans existence chronologically is virtually impossible, so I will sort them primarily by
location.
In the Middle East (Cradle of Civilization), MTF priestesses
Trans Identity
were known to have served Astarte, Dea Syria, Atargatis and
Ashtoreth / Ishtar. Additional MTF “gallae” served Cybele, the
Phrygians’ embodiment of The Great Mother. Trans expression
was also present in the early genesis of the Kumbh Mela festival
in Allahbad (India).
For centuries, Muslim tradition differentiated between MTF
transsexuals who live as prostitutes or criminals, and those in
whom femininity was innate and who lived blamelessly. The
latter were called “mukhannathun,” and accepted within the
boundaries of Islam. Mukhannathun could have relationships with either men or women, but only those who had been
castrated or were exclusively attracted to men were allowed into
womens’ spaces. Later, it was ordered that all mukhannathun
undergo castration.
As Gnostic cultures developed, from the Far East to the
Mediterranean, many developed traditions about “eunuching,” something that would later be reinvented as the Christian
church’s concept of celibacy. In earliest times, however, (and
still persistent in India), the concept of eunuching covered a
vast range of practices, many of which involved cross-gender
behaviour and body modification, the latter element of which
seemed to persist more into Roman culture than elsewhere.
In Africa, intersexed deities and spritual beliefs in gender
transformation are recorded in Akan, Ambo-Kwanyama, Bobo,
Chokwe, Dahomean (Benin), Dogon, Bambara, Etik, Handa,
Humbe, Hunde, Ibo, Jukun, Kimbundu, Konso, Kunama, Lamba, Lango, Luba, Lugbara (where MTFs are called okule and
FTMs are called agule), Lulua, Musho, Nat, Nuba, Ovimbundu,
Rundi, Sakpota, Shona-Karonga, Venda, Vili-Kongo, and Zulu
tribes. Some of this tradition survives in West Africa, as well as
Brazilian and Haitian ceremonies (now demonized as Vodun/
Voodoo) that derive from West African religions. In Abomey,
the Heviosso maintain trans traditions, in an area renowned for
Amazon-like warrior women.
In seventh Century BC, King Ashurbanipal (Sardanapalus) of Assyria spent a great deal of time in womens’ clothing,
something that was later used to justify overthrowing him. In
Egypt, 1503 BC, Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut ascended to the
throne, the second Egyptian queen to rule (the first was Queen
Sobekneferu of the 12th Dynasty). Possibly learning from the
disfavor shown to her predecessor, she donned male clothing
and a false beard signifying kingship, and reigned until 1482
BC. She had one daughter, Neferure, who she groomed as
successor (male clothing, false beard and all), but Neferure did
not live into adulthood. After her death, her second husband
attempted to erase all record of her. And Nzinga ruled as King
of Angola from 1624 - 1653, cross-dressed and led several successful military battles against the Portuguese.
In Asia, Hijras persist even today, although their reverence is
often limited to the belief that their presence at weddings is a
good portent for the couple (in fact, the modern versions have
been reduced to portrayals as child-stealing beggars, thieves,
prostitutes and vandals). They do tend to suffer in the modern
Indian caste system, something that “eunuchs” of all types are
banding together to work to improve (i.e. only recently was a
Hijra able to vote, and now there have been Hijran elected officials). Historically, they have often worshipped the mother-goddess Bahuchara Mata, although some also worshipped Shiva in
his half-man, half-woman persona, Ardhanarisvara.
Many early Indonesian societies had transgender figures in
religious functions, including the basaja, from the island of
Sulawesi (The Celebes). In ancient China, the shih-niang wore
mixed-gender ceremonial clothing. In Okinawa, some shamans
underwent winagu nati, a process of “becoming female.” In
Korea, the mudang was a shaman or sorceress who was quite
often MTF. In February 1995, archaeologist Timothy Taylor
discovered evidence of transgender lives in the Iron Age graves
found in southern Russia.
Fanchuan was a name given to stage crossdressing, such as
male-to-female performances in Beijing opera, and female-tomale acting in Taiwanese Opera. Chui Chin, a cross-dressing
Chinese revolutionary and feminist was beheaded in 1907 for
organizing an uprising against the Manchu dynasty.
In Europe, MTF priestesses served Artemis, Hecate and Diana. Early traditions thrived longest in Greece, although sentiment evolved from reverence to farce, and the mythology of the
day incorporated tales of cross-dressing by Achilles, Heracles,
Athena and Dionysus, as well as literal and metaphorical
gender changes. The blind prophet Tiresias is often mentioned
as a figure that had lived many years of his life in each different gender, and was said to have possessed acute wisdom for
it. The tale of an FTM character, Kaineus (Caeneus), who was
viewed as a “scorner and rival of the gods” and was driven into
the earth by the Centaurs, is an example of Greek mythology
attempting to subvert earlier trans-oriented legends. And Cupid was a dual god/dess of love, originally portrayed as intersex. The child of Hermes and Aphrodite, Cupid, had a variant
name which provided the origin for the term, “hermaphrodite.”
Sometime between 6th Century and 1st Century BC, in the
Greek Hippocratic Corpus (collection of medical texts), physicians propose that both parents secrete male or female “bodies”
and that if the father’s secretion is female (rather than male)
and the mother’s is male, the result would either be a “manwoman” (effeminate male) or a “mannish” female.
In the later development of Europe, early alchemists borrowed from pre-Christian spirituality at times, and some of
these mystics created the concept of the “chemical wedding,” a
merger of male and female spiritual attributes to achieve perfection. Some alchemists saw this as a chemical concept that
would lead to the process of transmuting lead into gold, while
others touted that this was more of a personal, spiritual transformation. While much of this was later absorbed into secret
societies such as the Freemasons and Rosicrucians, the belief
hints at transformative and bi-gender conscious reverence.
Even the Bible has such “gender-wedding” imagery at times, in
allusions to the “Bride of Christ” found in the Book of Revelations and some comments by later epistle writers.
In later Greco-Roman culture, as antipathy began to grow,
the lot of gender-variant people descended to that of temple
prostitutes - again, initially venerated but ultimately scorned.
The Amazons, a group of warriors often in conflict with
Greeks and later mythologized, seem to have been thought of as
gender variant, and Pliny the Younger referred to them as the
Androgynae “who combine the two sexes.” They carried doubleedged axes which may have been symbols of intersexuality, as
were those carried by the South American tribe that inspired
the naming of the Amazon River.
In the Klementi tribe of Albania, if a virgin swore before
twelve witnesses that she would not marry, she was then recognized as male, carried weapons, and herded flocks.
Years later, Joan of Arc was said to have followed in the
traditions of Gentiles and heathen. In France, “gens” referred
to matrilineal farming communities, and the development of
“gentile” as a scriptural interpretation indicates a slightly more
specific pre-Christian tradition that she evidently had stirred
up, inspiring older values and explaining why she had become
such a potent threat to the church while alive (more later).
In North America, as late as 1930 (with the Klamath in the
Pacific Northwest), Two-Spirit Natives are noted among tribal
communities. Originally called “berdache,” a name of largely
insulting intent given by Europeans, Native culture far later
41
Trans Identity
adopted the term “Two-Spirit” as a blanket term (not all Natives accept the concept today) - though in reality, nearly every
tribe had at least one (often several) unique name for TwoSpirit peoples, with the names sometimes addressing different
aspects of those populations. Two-Spirit actually covers the
full range of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons,
as well as intersex and other gender-variant people. A rough
generalization of the tradition is that it was sometimes thought
that Two-Spirits had literally two spirits inhabiting the same
body, and consequently had added gifts. Jesuit priest Jacques
Marquette noted that in the Illinois and Nadouessi tribes, nothing is decided without their advice.
The sensational nature of reports of Two-Spirit peoples and
the hatred they contained were used to try to justify genocide,
theft of land and the dismantling of Native culture and religion.
In Panama, explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa threw a King and
forty others of a Native tribe to be eaten by his dogs, because
they crossdressed or had same-sex partners. Spaniards committed similar genocides in the Antilles and Louisiana. In those
areas where Two-Spirit traditions survived, they were later
driven underground or supplanted completely by missionary
teachings and residential schools, both of which were bent on
destroying Native culture and replacing it (usually with Catholicism).
Inuit FTMs serve White Whale Woman, who was believed to
have been transformed into a man or woman-man. Eastward
into Siberia, Chukchee Natives allowed male shamen known
as “yirka-laul-vairgin,” or “soft-man-being,” where they lived as
female and were considered transformed. The Chukchee had a
similar tradition for female-to-male persons (“qa cikcheca”), but
the incidence was much rarer.
In South America, MTF priestesses have been found among
the Araucanians (southern Chile and Argentina) and Mapuche, although after oppressive Spanish contact, they were
largely replaced by female priestesses. Some females in the
Tupinamba tribe lived as men, hunted and went to war. In
1576, explorer Pedro de Magalhaes recorded this, and recalling
the Greek legend of the Amazons, named the Amazon river for
these Tupinamba. For the Yoruba (Brazil), the deity Shango is
represented as all sexes. In Mexico, various traditions existed
(though many have been eradicated), and in Oaxaca, the Zapotec population still holds on to some veneration for “Muxes,”
who live traditional and occasionally celebratory cross-gender
roles - though the embrace of the concept is not unanimous.
Muxe tradition has been traced to pre-Columbian life among
the Aztec and Mayan cultures.
Today, Samoan culture, which has staunchly resisted dilution by European influence, still has a persistent population of
fa’afafines (biological males who assume female role and lifestyle - I haven’t encountered an FTM equivalent), who are alternately addressed with a combination of mockery or admiration.
Although it’s doubtful that all of these traditions had a common origin, and possible that some of these are trans only by
coincidence, there do seem to be a number of similar themes
tying them together. Sorting through them to find specific motives and beliefs is impossible though, because so little of the
original traditions was recorded or survived the various book
purges over time. It is only possible to speculate.
Alas, history is written by the victors, and the victors were
largely not transgender or homosexual / bisexual persons.
Next month: The Rise of Hatred.
Mercedes Allen is a writer who blogs at http://dentedbluemercedes.
wordpress.com/, has been featured on bilerico.com, PageOneQ and
others, and has also developed the website at AlbertaTrans.org as a
resource for transgender information and support.
42
Fundraising
Photography
Photos
ISCCA Investitures III Money-Pennies - Calgary
Aids Calgary Heat Fundraiser at the Calgary Eagle - Calgary
Sandra Casey Fundraiser Money-Pennies - Calgary
43
Fundraising Photos
Photography
ISCRW Amateur Drag Queen Show at Boots - Edmonton
44
ISCRW Beach Party at Prism - Edmonton
Politics
GBLT Rights in Alberta
The Government’s Feedback
By Evan Kayne
In December’s issue we discussed the Human Rights
legislation in Alberta. Specifically, while it has been
10 years since the Vriend decision was handed down
from the Supreme Court regarding sexual orientation,
the Alberta Government has yet to make any changes
to the Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism
Act. In practice the government is supportive of GLBT
rights, but there has been concern over the length of
time it has taken to update the Act; with some members of the Opposition suggesting the government is
dragging its heels. At the time, we were unable to
contact the minister responsible to get his side of the issue in time for press. Thus, GayCalgary and Edmonton
Magazine arranged a follow-up interview.
When Lindsay Blackett took on the role of Minister of Culture
and Community Spirit in March of 2008, he decided to take a
comprehensive review of the whole Human Rights Commission,
and from this review, create a list of potential legislative changes
to the Act. “This hasn’t been looked at in a long, long time and
it’s something I take very seriously,” Minister Blackett told GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine.
“I want to make sure that we have a chance to talk to as many
different groups – potential stakeholders with respect to the Human Rights Commission – and come up with some proposals for
some potential administrative process changes, and if I can get
approval from my caucus, potential legislative changes. Sexual
orientation is one of those (changes). The next time there is an
opening of the legislation, that (topic) should be included as a
consideration. I don’t think there’s anybody that would have any
issue with doing that. I understand the frustration from the Gay
and Lesbian community, from waiting ten years and nothing has
happened. I’m not trying to dodge them.”
The Minister added that they are looking at every aspect, from
“what happens when a person shows up and tries to lodge a
complaint with the Human Rights Commission – is it dealt with
in a timely manner, is there an efficient way we could be doing
things, are we dealing with respondents and complainants in an
equitable manner?” He hopes when changes are made to the Act
and the Commission, it’s done properly; there won’t be any worries about having to revisit it again several times down the road.
This omnibus versus piecemeal approach is important because
this act was last reviewed in 1996, and in the last 12 years there
have been major changes in society, let alone the GBLT community. Furthermore, the Act and the Commission doesn’t just deal
with GBLT rights alone: the majority of cases before the commission are employment issues; for example, issues with drug
testing, discrimination, and harassment. Doing a comprehensive
review, and then putting legislative changes to the House for its
approval would seem the better approach than just looking at
one or two items.
“I don’t expect I’d have much success just trying to say I want
to open it up once to do one thing, when we all know there’s a lot
to be done,” says Minister Blackett. “It will take a bit longer, but
hopefully we will get there.” The government has taken legal opin-
ions, opinions from community groups and other stakeholders,
and held hearings over the last couple of years. Minister Blackett
wants to make sure they are not missing anyone, “because I’d
hate to go through this and say, oh, we fixed this for 90% of the
people, but we left someone out.”
Some of the current problems of the Commission are also
detailed in a recent report from the Sheldon Chumir Foundation
for Ethics in Leadership. The report Toward Equal Opportunity for
all Albertans: Recommendations for the Improvement of the Alberta
Human Rights Commission is blunt in its criticism:
As matters stand today, the Alberta Human Rights Commission suffers from low-morale and an “under siege” mentality.
Combined with its inadequate resources and lack of political
support, this organizational “culture” prevents the Commission from doing its job properly. Many people at our community consultations gave examples of how user unfriendly the
Commission is…Many have detailed how difficult it was for
them to communicate with the Commission, either because
office hours were limited or inconvenient or because the distances required to travel to visit the Commission were too
great. Many reports from the public support the impression
of the Commission not as a resource to which people can
turn for help and sympathy when they feel their dignity has
been wounded by discrimination, but as an almost adversarial agency looking for reasons to refuse assistance.
This and other problems listed in the report certainly speak
of an organization in need of improvement. Kelly Ernst, Senior
Program Director of the Sheldon Chumir Foundation for Ethics
in Leadership says that besides including sexual orientation
(something of which Minister Blackett is on record stating he
wants in the legislation), “…the real big thing is to ensure its
independence. …The report recommends that the Commission
reports to the legislature as opposed to the minister” – or, if not
the legislature, at least the Justice Minister. The report also
recommends including Aboriginal heritage, and making access to
the Commission easier. “We also know that the Minister has been
on record saying that 80-90% of the recommendations that are in
the report, he supports.”
In the meantime, Minister Blackett welcomes any feedback: “I
am always open for suggestions – if people have any suggestions
we might have overlooked or that we should keep in mind, they
can certainly contact our office and send a letter or email in, and
we’ll take a look at it.” Mr. Ernst concurs that doing so will speed
up the whole process, and make the government aware that this
is urgently important to Albertans.
While we hold our breath and wait, I’d advise we take Minister Blackett on his word, send him any suggestions, thank him,
encourage him, and maybe silently hope we return to the spirit
of the Lougheed years when Alberta took the lead on Human
Rights.
Lindsay Blackett
Minister of Culture and Community Spirit
Phone: (403) 216-5444
Fax: (403) 216-5442
calgary.northwest@assembly.ab.ca
The Sheldon Chumir Foundation Report on the Web:
http://www.chumirethicsfoundation.ca/main/page.php?page_id=175
45
Health Advice
Peer Based Connections
Providing Support for Those Living With HIV
By Mark Randall
Over this past year - more so since I began writing
articles for GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine - I
have noticed a trend. It is something has never really left persons living with HIV and AIDS, their partners, families and friends. It is the feeling of isolation, loneliness, being the only one(s) going through
this: “How do I tell people?”, “I am so ashamed it
happened to me!”, “Who do I have to tell?” The same
list of fears that I went through 20 years ago are being brought to me time and time again in so many
different areas of my HIV work and volunteering.
Those newly diagnosed have a number serious questions and
concerns, such as the fear of exposing potential partners, current partners or spouses to HIV infection; telling friends, family
and others that may need or not need to know about their
infection. So there arises a need to find support, direction, or
just a friendly ear from someone who has been through similar
things. This is what I call “Peer Based Support”; where the
support comes from within a safe place, to share emotional and
life changing issues that come with living with a new diagnosis,
long term living with HIV, the impact on life, friends and family.
It is a place where persons living with HIV/AIDS can safely get
together to share, learn, support and empower each other to live
well and healthy.
I have for some time now been part of the HIV Peer Support
Group, a group of HIV positive individuals trained in counseling and support, who assist the newly diagnosed to deal with
some of the complexities of living with HIV. This group was
my first true connection to other people living with HIV – they
sought to help not only those in the same situation, but also
their family, partners, friends, and even co workers. I wish this
group had existed when I was first diagnosed, to have someone
there to help me go through all the chaos that began in my life
after finding out I was HIV positive. My diagnosis came at a time
when treatment options were limited and life expectancy was a
maximum of 5 years.
It was difficult having a life without others to talk to about
the things that affected me emotionally and spiritually. At the
time, I could not bring myself to share my fears with my partner
or my friends, and most especially my family, who I should
have felt most able to talk to. Oh the time I wasted bottling my
anxiety - I am sure it was a catalyst for my declining health before I recovered and reformed to a better way of living these 12
years later. I believe it was also in that recovery and disclosure
to family and friends about my illness that I was lead into this
ongoing “Peer Based Volunteerism” and able to discover my own
voice.
In this last year I have put myself forward in areas where I
can be involved with other persons living with HIV, to let them
know that there are supports out there for them to take advantage of, so that they do not have to do it alone. There are the
HIV Peer Support Group, AIDS Calgary Lunch and Coffee Connection Programs, Southern Alberta Clinic Programs, and many
more. I have also made new connections with an online group
46
for people living with HIV, and a group for sero-discordant
couples (where one is HIV positive, and the other is not). This
will become a growing population as the rates of HIV infection in
Alberta continue to rise (along with other STIs, at twice national
rates).
The Alberta Positive Voices Conference, happening March
13th to 15th, is an opportunity for HIV positive Albertans to get
together for workshop presentations, skill building opportunities and a chance to get to share our knowledge and learn from
others living with HIV from all over Alberta. This is an all inclusive scholarship weekend, with the application deadline now
extended to February 15th, 2009. We will continue to review
applications until the conference has filled and we will also be
keeping a cancelation list for last minute changes. If you are
interested in attending, send your applications in now!
This Biannual Conference is presented by the Alberta Positive
Voices Conference Advisory Committee in a partnership with
AIDS Calgary, the Alberta Community Council on HIV (ACCH),
The ACCH HIV Committee and the Alberta Community HIV Fund
(ACHF).
For more information on this conference and how to get your scholarship
application in for consideration by the deadline, contact one of the
following committee members, your local community AIDS Service
Organization or visit AIDS Calgary’s website at www.aidscalgary.org.
Please include “APVC” in your email subject lines to assist in processing all
applications.
Calgary:
Mark Randall: bakrboy@hotmail.com
Patty Fraser: pmfraser@hotmail.com
Edmonton:
Dolan Badger: dolanbadger@yahoo.com
Curtis Brandston: curtispeersupport@gmail.com
Lethbridge:
Brent Lewandowski: blewandoski@hotmail.com
If you have questions or concerns about living with HIV/AIDS, assisting
those living with HIV/AIDS or you have ideas and suggestions for future
articles related to HIV/AIDS please forward them to m.randall@gaycalgary.
com.
Theatre Preview
Daughter of the Regiment
By Antonio Bavaro
If you know someone who needs a fantasy, an
escape from all the monotony of life and the horrendous white cold, Edmonton Opera has just the
prescription for that case of gloom! Their second
production this season comes from a completely
different realm than their season opener, The Flying
Dutchman, which was itself perfect for Halloween
with the dark, German-expressionistic style and
tragic storyline.
This February look out for Gaetano Donizetti’s La Fille du
Régiment (The Daughter of the Regiment), an opéra comique
written in 2 acts. It is known for making the late and great
Luciano Pavarotti famous with its celebrated aria, “Ah! mes
amis, quel jour de fête” (Oh, my friends, what a day of celebration!), with an incredible 9 high Cs - a high note, even for a
tenor male! The show opened almost 169 years ago to the
date in gay Paris, but the plot line full of comedic moments
and romantic drama reminds one of an episode of Gossip
Girl…
Marie is the mascot, or “daughter,” of the 21st regiment led
by Sulpice, who rescued her as an orphaned child. She loves
her life as a canteen girl and her military family. Troops arrive with a prisoner: Tonio, who says he has been looking for
Marie, his sweetheart, but unfortunately she may only marry
a soldier in the regiment. The Marquise of Berkenfield arrives,
stating that she is the long lost aunt of Marie and wishes to
whisk her away to educate and refine her tomboyish ways.
How will Marie unite with her lover while holding on to her
beloved regiment, and discover the family and life of prestige
she never knew?
This production has toured all over the world, and lovers of
Canadian art will delight in the fact that the entire cast and
crew hails from the Great White North! Director Robert Herriot and Conductor Peter Dala, the duo who led the Sterling
Award-winning production of H.M.S. PINAFORE, are joined
by Andriana Chuchman as Marie, Colin Ainsworth as Tonio,
Theodore Baerg as Sulpice, Sonya Gosse as the Marquise, and
Chad Louwerse as Hortensio. They are all supported by the
fantastic talents of the Edmonton Opera Chorus and Edmonton Symphony orchestra.
Although the production is sung in French, patrons don’t
need to be francophone to get in on the fun. Regular dialogue
is conducted in English, and English supertitles are projected
above the stage during musical numbers.
“This one celebrates the ladies,” says Brian Deedrick,
Edmonton Opera’s Artistic Director. “It’s a rare feat and a
rare treat: an opera about a woman who finds love and life
satisfaction while, quite literally, marching to the beat of her
own drum. We’re delighted to be bringing this laugh and a half
back to the Jubilee Auditorium: the jokes will be rowdy, the
story convoluted, and the singing spectacular. If ever there
was a night to grab your girlfriends, pull on your best duds
and head to the opera, this is it!”
Even if your girlfriends are actually boys, or if you are looking for an early Valentine’s present, this would be the perfect
choice for that cultured special someone. If you’ve never witnessed the awe of the opera before, this is the perfect opportunity, because the songs are joyous and light, nothing too
serious (except for those 9 High Cs)!
Edmonton Opera Present
Daughter of the Regiment
February 7, 10 and 12 @ 7:30pm
Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
℡ (780) 451-8000
www.ticketmaster.ca
47
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Help Wanted
240
Call for Talent &
Entertainers!
The Edmonton Pride Week Society is
looking for talent and entertainers
for this years Pride Celebrations:
Pride 2009 The Age of Aqueerius!
All interested acts can apply
at the E.P.W.S. web site. www.
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Audio/Video
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THE PLEASURE DOME - DVD, and
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49
Movie Review
Travel Packages from Hell
DVDs That Might Make You 2nd Guess That Cheap Vacation Package
By Matt Salton
It’s crazy even to consider spending money on a
cheap getaway in February what with an uncertain economy and credit card statements sagging
after the Christmas season. But that doesn’t stop
us from taking advantage of those ridiculously low
travel packages offered immediately after Baby New
Year toots his little horn. Might I suggest saving the
money this year and renting some cinematic travel
packages with a suspiciously low price instead?
Travel Option
A: The Poseidon
Adventure (1972)
The Deets: Set sail on
a luxury cruise on the
S.S Poseidon (actually the
Queen Mary for those who
know our queens but I
digress) from NYC (current
mecca for said queens) to
Greece (birthplace of said
queens).
Your Ship’s Crew: Leslie Nielson plays the stern
Captain, Roddy McDowall
plays a helpful porter, and
leggy Carol Lynley plays
Nonnie the ship’s folksinger who will regale you with the Oscar winning song ‘The
Morning After” to her hearts content.
Your All-Star Travelling Companions: Catch a sermon by
controversial Rev. Scott (Gene Hackman), laugh at the matrimonial mishaps between police Officer Rogo (Ernest Borgnine) and his ex-hooker wife Linda (Stella Stevens), cringe
and sympathize with Miss. Nancy Drew herself (Pamela
Sue Martin) who is travelling with her red faced- obnoxious
over-acting little brother (Eric Shea, if you care). But the
one lady you’ll want to share most of your time with is Belle
Rosen (Shelly Winters) who, along with her devoted husband
Manny (Jack Albertson) are going to visit their grandson for
the first time in Israel. Belle is a fat, matchmaking Jew with
a heart of gold (yet deep fried in cholesterol, but more on
that later).
Why it’s Cheap: Because my dear traveler, you will never
make it to Greece as an undersea earthquake will cause a
giant tsunami that will capsize your boat. You will have to
decide whether you and the other survivors should stay with
the purser in the dining room, or join Gene Hackman and
the other star-studded cruisers by climbing your way up
through the ship to the bottom of the hull that is still above
water.
Why it’s Worth It: Nonetheless, it’s thoroughly entertaining! Once you get past the awful introductory scenes of the
various characters, the film becomes oddly engaging as you
really are unsure who will make it out alive and that you
actually give a shit. Perhaps it’s because of characters like
Stella Stevens who, although she has reformed her hooker
ways, still manages to slip in and out of good old fashioned
trashy whore bitchery especially when it comes to lugging around chubby Mrs. Rosen ( I won’t ruin anything but
let’s just say, “In the water, I’m a very skinny lady”). Stella
bitches and moans like everyone knows she’s seen her share
of tight holes and steamy, dripping shafts floating with sea
men; Borgnine and Hackman play the “my penis is bigger
than your penis” game routinely, and lonely, vitamin-popping “bachelor” Red Buttons tenderly guides shell-shocked
Nonnie (hey Nonnie Nonnie, not singing now) through the
wreckage, as if we’re supposed to believe if they make it out
alive, she’ll cure him of his homosexual desires.
Why it’s Not: The annoying little brother doesn’t suffer an
agonizing demise.
Travel Package 2:
The Towering Inferno (1974)
The Deets: Visit beautiful San Francisco and
once you’re done cruising
the Castro, you are invited
to the grand opening of the
world’s largest skyscraper,
the 135 storey “Glass
Tower”. You will dine
and dance the night away
in the opulent ballroom
penthouse far, far above
the pesky annoyances of
life like traffic, screaming
children and fire hoses.
Your Hosts: Handsome
blue-eyed, salad-dressing
magnate Paul Newman as the building’s architect Doug Roberts, his comely wife Susan (Faye Dunaway), and Billionaire
industrialist Jim Duncan (William Holden) the Trump-style
backer of the project. And don’t worry about personal welfare as the chief of security is played none other than by OJ
Simpson. (Shit. Girlfriend, you is doomed!)
Your All-Star Companions: The Mayor of San Francisco
(Jack Collins), Senator Gary Parker (Robert Vaughn), shady
50
Movie Review
investment broker Harlee Claiborne (Fred Astaire), kind and
generous new tenant Lisolette Muller (Jennifer Jones) who
loves her cat and babysits children of single deaf mothers
(too sweet characters are the kiss of death in disaster movies
so don’t be putting money down on her chances). And of
course there is the lovely Patty Simmons (Susan Blakely),
daughter to Holden’s character and wife to the slimeball
Roger Simmons (Richard Chamberlain) who may have cut
corners on the building’s wiring and infrastructure to save
on money.
Why it’s Cheap: Just when the party gets underway and
you are regaled with the lovely Oscar-winning song “We May
Never Live Like This Again” by Maureen McGovern you may
get an eerie sense that you’ve heard that melodic voice before
(she dubbed the singing voice for Poseidon Adventure’s Nonnie) and you may detect a hint of irony in the song’s title,
just like the one that hippy sang on that ill-fated cruise
you took last week. And why has rugged top-daddy Steve
McQueen as Fire Chief Mike O’Hallorhan just arrived at the
party in all his gear looking like he means business? Yes
it turns out that the cheap electrical wiring has caused a
fire that had been left undetected and now is burning out of
control like a … well, like a fire! The winds are too high for
a helicopter rescue, the elevators are out of order, and the
staircases are blocked. But did I mention the view? It’s to
die for!
Why it’s worth it: You get to see Fred Astaire cut a rug
with Jennifer Jones, OJ doesn’t kill anyone, Faye Dunaway’s
cleavage, a shot of not only the world’s tallest building but
also the world’s largest pair of headphones and some incredibly tense action set pieces, including one that deals with
the majority of the film’s leading ladies and the exterior glass
elevator.
Why it’s Not: Like The Poseidon Adventure, the film indulges in too much character development before the pyrotechnics go off.
Cheap Travel Package 3: Airport 1975
The Deets: Fly Columbia (no relation to the space shuttle,
er hehe) Airlines flight 409 from Washington to Los Angeles
and party like it’s 1975!
The Flight Crew: Efrem Zimbalist Jr as Captain Stacey,
Flight attendant Karen “cookie monster eyes” Black as Nancy
and Erik “C.H.I.P.S” Estrada as the navigator.
Fags” t-shirt and gaudy
jewelry.
Your All-Star Companions: Holy crap! I don’t
think I’ve ever witnessed
the most bizarre group of
“stars” in one area since
Battle of the Network
Stars. You’ve got Helen
Reddy as a nun who
sings a little ditty to organ
transplant patient Linda
Blair (don’t get too close
Sister Reddy, Catholics
don’t fair too well around
Linda Blair).
Helen looks chipper
and bright eyed as if she
knows that she’ll have a
long acting career ahead
of her, but little does she
know that other than Disney’s Pete’s Dragon, she might as
well retire her wimple and go down with the plane. Other
passengers include Gloria “I’m ready for my close-up” Swanson playing herself: a verbal–diarrhea-infected, pompous,
windbag version of herself. Susan “Webster” Clark plays
the wife of George Kennedy (yeah right!), Myrna Loy plays a
boiler-maker swilling granny, and Norman “Mr. Roeper” Fell
and Jerry Stiller play boozey executives. (The screenwriters
really think alcoholism is hilarious!)
Why it’s Cheap: Uh, yeah, about that…. Your plane is
schmucked mid-flight by a private plane piloted by Dana
Andrews, who has a heart attack that causes him to lose
control and fly directly into the cockpit of Flight 409!
Why it’s Worth It: Because it’s up to Karen Black to fly the
plane to safety! And she thought being chased by a demonized zuni-festish doll was scary! Now she has to land a
plane, and act like she’d be attracted to Charlton Heston!
Why it’s Not: Despite the fun premise and ridiculous Hollywood Stars cast, the film loses its edge when it appears that
no one is actually going to die and that Moses err Heston
will save the day. At least Estrada, as a sexist womanizing
navigator gets the suck job he so badly desired, just not the
kind he had in mind. See ya Ponch!
Apparently Sharon “Queer as Folk” Gless is credited as
a stewardess but I didn’t recognize her without her “I love
51
Review
Music Review
Dido, Enrique, Duff, and Control
that made
his career.
By Rob Diaz-Marino
“Safe Trip
Home” by
Dido
It’s amazing to hear
the humble
intentions
behind Dido’s
first album,
“No Angel”.
She says, “As
far as I was
concerned
I was making this little
underground
record for
me to listen
to and then,
suddenly, eight years later I was getting off this incredible
speeding train.” Little did she know that it would become the
planet’s biggest seller of 2001!
Her softly-expressed thoughts, parables, feelings, hopes
and concerns flow unfettered from “Safe Trip Home”. It is
a record of love and loss, strength and surrender, highs
and lows. She continues to show an astonishing knack for
extracting life’s universals from its little details. In a sea full
of self-indulgent artists, by far Dido is one of the most sincere
and earnest voices that you will hear.
My absolute favorite song was the quirky “Let’s Do the
Things We Normally Do”, which weaves between eccentric
wonderment, blissful happiness, and back again. Of course I
also gravitated toward the tracks with a brisker pace, such as
“Don’t Believe in Love”, “Never Want to Say It’s Love”, and “Us
2 Little Gods”.
A few of the slower tracks can get quite melancholy, however ones like “Quiet Times”, “Look No Further” and “Northern Skies” still had a certain appeal that captivated me.
If you are used to more lively music, it may take a few listens before you appreciate her calm, almost comatose energy.
On my first listen, I wasn’t sure I would like any of the tracks,
but now I can easily enjoy listening to the album start to finish. It feels like detox from all the loud voices, exaggerated
emotions, and inflated egos of today’s music scene.
“Enrique Iglesias - Greatest Hits”
And now, for the man dripping with Latino swagger and
machismo. With my heritage and upbringing, I still tend
to crave the sound of a guitar, and he delivers that cultural
flavour in a manner appealing to my generation. Enrique has
mastered the fusion of pop, R&B, Latin and rock, and this
album takes you through a long list (17 tracks) of the songs
52
Enrique
was born
in Madrid,
Spain and
raised in
Miami. He
discovered
his musical talent
early, but he
was determined not to
coast on his
father’s fame.
A then teenaged Enrique
shopped his
first demo
using the name Enrique Martinez: only reverting to his true
surname after signing with a small Mexican label. Today he
is one of the decades’ biggest stars with worldwide sales of
over 40 million copies, 9 platinum or multi-platinum CDs,
19 #1 Billboard Latin hits (more than any other artist in the
chart’s history) and over half a dozen top 10 singles on the
Billboard Top 100.
One track that jumped out at me was “Takin’ Back My
Love”. Not only was it an instant favorite, but it comes with
some intrigue, bearing a striking resemblance to Lady Gaga’s
“Just Dance”…there must have been some artistic cross-pollination because this is no coincidence. This song is one of
two future hit singles that the album introduces. The other is
a mid-tempo ballad entitled “Away” - not bad, but there were
plenty of other tracks that I liked more.
“Do You Know?” makes interesting use of the sound of a
ping pong ball being volleyed back and forth, perhaps symbolic as Enrique sings “Do you know what it feels like loving
someone that’s in a rush to throw you away.” I recognized
the well known “Bailamos”, “Rhythm Divine”, and “Hero”, and
I finally got a proper introduction to the newer “Escape” and
“Tired of Being Sorry”. There are so many good songs that
there’s little point in naming them all!
“The Best of Hilary Duff”
To be 21 and have released a successful CD is impressive
enough, but at 21 Hilary Duff already has a “Best Of” album!
Says the down-to-earth Texas girl, “I feel really overwhelmingly grateful to my fans for supporting me in the first place and
growing with me. It’s tough growing up anyway, so to have
such a strong fan base supporting me means so much.”
A few years ago I sought out Hilary Duff’s song “Come
Clean”, and once I found it, I pretty much listened it to death.
That was my only real foray into this perky little pop star’s
work – I didn’t look any further because frankly I didn’t think
Duff, then only 16 or 17 years old, had much more to offer a
Review
person of my
tastes. By this
selection of
songs, I guess
I was wrong.
“Come Clean”
does appear on
the album, but
with a serious
techno makeover.
This album
brings a great
deal of new
material to the
table. For one,
it starts off with
a glimpse into
Duff’s bold new
musical direction, and offers an ample helping of remixes
from older work. The debut single “Reach Out” is a hip-hop/
rock flavoured song that combines Hilary’s edgy vocals with
guest rapper Prophet, and a sample from the 1989 Depeche
Mode classic “Personal Jesus”. Another newly recorded track
is “Holiday”, that Duff co-wrote with her sister Haylie. Both
of these new songs are easy favorites.
“Stranger” has a serious and troubled air to it, and I especially like the chorus where she sings, “there’s no kindness in
your eyes / the way you look at me is just not right.” Later
on, “Play With Fire” is a sassy number where she sings about
an ex that wants her back, and when you expect her to tell
him to get lost, she instead taunts him with an invitation to
try!
deep, almost animalistic voice, and all the bold vampire bravado that he can muster. He makes it clear that he doesn’t
want you to like him, which I guess means you can dislike,
hate, or love him. He indiscriminately propositions the entire
female population, with an assurance to the male population that they can enjoy the same sexual benefits. Well, now
I know why GayCalgary came to mind when mailing out the
promo discs!
As you might expect, his songs takes anger, depression,
self-loathing, death, lost love and rough sexual gratification
to an extreme. Nonetheless, his music is quite mesmerizing,
rebellious, and perhaps a bit numbing at times. It’s nothing
to be scoffed at; it just resonates with a different corner of our
emotional spectrum. The lyrics make use of harsh language
and evoke some disturbing imagery to appeal to that dark
side we all possess, whether we are willing to admit it or not.
Since I’m not allowed to say that I liked anything, I’ll just
talk about the couple of tracks that got my attention. The
fast-paced “Beautiful Loser” is a hard-hitter, as are “Tranquilizer” and “Cemetery”. The title track is a little more moody,
along with “Strangers”. Meanwhile “Whipping Haus” is
downright intense, with female voices that mix pleasure and
torture.
Even if you don’t consider yourself a “Goth”, the music may
still resonate with you if you are in the right mood. I can’t
say I would listen to this sort of music on a regular basis, but
I definitely appreciate William Control’s daring to go against
the grain. I’ll be digging this album out the next time I need
to brood for a while.
Surprisingly there were only a few songs from her overly
sweet teenager phase: “Wake Up” annoyed me a bit, “So
Yesterday” was actually quite catchy, and “Why Not” was so
over-the-top cutesy that I had to swallow a mouthful of vomit.
Thankfully the remixes of “Reach Out” and “Holiday” wiped
that flavour clean.
Hilary Duff is not just for high school girls anymore; she is
maturing, and it shows in her music. I expect we’ll be hearing more and more of her out on the dance floor.
“Hate
Culture”
by William
Control
It doesn’t
take Sherlock Holmes
to piece the
clues together
– the title, the
artist, and the
cover. This a
Goth album
- run for your
lives! Or
stick around
and enjoy the
dark, hedonistic ride.
William’s prologue is entertaining, as he speaks with a
53
54
Investigation
Shopping for Love
taken reasonable steps to prevent the recurrence of the offence,
they can be charged as well for keeping a Bawdy house.
By Evan Kayne
Yet being an escort is a legitimate profession. There are situations where someone requires a “rent-a-date” for an event, and
there is no sexual contact. You can claim to be an escort on
your income tax – regardless of whether the income came from
being a date to a Christmas party, or from making whoopie.
Furthermore, in order to run an agency or to be an escort, a
business license is required from the city – like any other legitimate business.
Love for sale…Appetizing young love for sale.
Love that’s fresh and still unspoiled,
Love that’s only slightly soiled,
Love for sale.
Who will buy?
Who would like to sample my supply?
Who’s prepared to pay the price,
For a trip to paradise?
- Cole Porter
Ah, February…the month when the media trucks out the
usual “Aren’t Couples Wonderful?” or “Dear Couples – Drop
Dead! Love, Singletons” articles. Why not instead look at someone who makes his living from love – or the simulation of it: the
male escort.
In researching this article, I must admit I had my biases.
For one, I think prostitution should be legalized and regulated. Thousands of years of legislating laws against it has not
worked. So why not make it a profession? In this attitude, I’m
not alone – many people think we should legalize it, take the
crime out of it, and take the health issues out of it. In Canada,
we seem to tread the middle ground between legalized prostitution, like the Netherlands
and other countries which have
harsh penalties against it. Gary
Courtney of local law firm Courtney Aarbo provided me the legal
advice on this article.
It’s in an escort agency’s interest to maintain that legitimate front. If an agency owner encourages their employees
or contractors in any illegal activities, he or she is aiding and
abetting that criminal behavior and can be charged with it, as
well as possibly being charged with procuring. For the agencies
themselves, it’s a case of “cover your ass” if they ever get busted
by the police. All it takes is something in writing and signed,
stating that the escort is not to offer sexual services. Corroborate this with a statement to the police that, as part of their
new employee training, escorts are told offering clients sexual
services is not part of their business practices, and the police
do not have any recourse (unless the agency and their escorts
are being blatantly obvious or stupid or both). The onus is then
on the Crown to prove their case beyond a shadow of a doubt.
In Canada, it is illegal to carry
on the practice of prostitution,
yet it is not illegal to call yourself a prostitute. Section 213 of
the Criminal Code talks about
communicating in a public place
for the purposes of prostitution
being illegal; it doesn’t talk about
communicating for the purposes
of prostitution if you’re outside
of a public place (i.e. private residence, hotel room).
Furthermore, the attitude of the
Police seems to be one of laissezfaire. As long as the escort is not
under age, as long as it’s not out
in public, as long as the escort or
agency is not being obvious, it’s not
a great concern. Unfortunately, this
puts the police in the position of being a moral judge where legislation
has failed. You may get a police officer who has decided that his morals
against prostitution gives him leeway
to be stricter with enforcement, while
his predecessor may have thought
that as long as the escort is not out
in the open, not being blatant, he’ll
leave them alone. Generally, most
police don’t bother escort agencies.
That being said, if an escort
or their client makes regular use
of either’s residence to complete
the transaction, they risk getting
charged as being inmates of a
Bawdy house. As for hotels, this
gets a little harder to prove – unless it is a situation where the
hotel staff is aware escort X has
five to six clients coming in every
Saturday night. If the escort gets
charged - on the first occurrence
at this hotel - the authorities
will give the owner/staff/agents
notice. On subsequent investigations, if the owner or their agents
cannot prove that they have
Certainly, being an escort (and for
the purposes of this article, we’re
not talking about the streetwalkers
– what some people would derisively
call “crackwhores”) is safer than
it used to be. A lot of this has to
do with the internet – taking sex
away from the streets and making
it safer for the escort and the client,
while keeping it out of the public
view. Growing up in Edmonton
through the 80s and early 90s, I can
remember the $300/night “ladies of
the evening” plying their wares on
Jasper Ave. Thanks to the internet,
they and any high end male escorts
work through agencies and contact
55
Investigation
clients through the web.
a regular where there is a level of trust built up.
Locally, there are a handful of male escorts on www.boys2rentnow.com and www.men4rentnow.com, where you can look
up their stats and hourly rates. One critique is that contacting
guys through these websites seems to be a hit and miss affair.
Out of four men I contacted for this article, only ONE got back
to me.
The clients are the part of the job Z enjoys. He meets so
many people he describes as “awesome and sweet, but without anyone to give this (love) to”. He dislikes men who put him
down as being “just an escort”. Additionally, drunken clients
are not his favorites because they have a tendency to be aggressive – making it the only time he would say “no” to them.
“Z” is in his 20s. Unlike other men who are “gay for pay” he’s
exclusively gay in his work. Not native to Canada, he got into
this line of work when he was around 15. “My Dad realized I
was gay when I was 15, so he didn’t let me into the house anymore,” Z recounts. His family is very, very Catholic, and coming
from a male-dominated society may have forced his father’s
rejection of Z. Homeless at 15, in his native country one of the
ways to survive on the streets was by hustling. “It was not the
only choice,” said Z, “but it was a choice that would give me the
most amount of money the quickest.”
Z also says “no” to outing a client. He respects their need for
privacy. When reminded of the Ted Haggard/Mike Jones sex
scandal, and asked what he’d do if he was put in a similar situation, Z stands on the side of confidentiality: “Of course not.
Sometimes I don’t even ask their name. That is private. No, I
never talk about their lives.” This coming from a man who mentioned in the past he has had clients that were very high up in
the U.S. government.
Talking to him, you realize several things. Yes he comes from
a situation that is not unique to motivating a person to take
up prostitution, but it becomes apparent he wants to succeed.
Besides working as an escort, Z has a regular job in the service
and hospitality industry, and is going to school part-time. He
doesn’t expect that he will be an escort much further beyond
the next 2-3 years: “It also absorbs you to the point that later
on it’s going to be addictive…the money’s pretty good and it’s
so easy to make it. I have a regular job and some studies on the
go”. For him, escorting is more of a means to an end to finance
his life and his studies – much like how an office drone job may
finance a goal of becoming a full-time writer.
He does love being an escort – he has a roster of regular
clients he sees. For him, it is work. Some of his friends have
asked if he gives out free samples, but they are soon educated:
“you have to pay for a service. It is just like any other business.”
Granted, it is a job with unique concerns, advantages and
disadvantages. He has to watch his health (regular checkups
are de rigueur for him). He operates out of hotel rooms or client
residences (remember – no communication for prostitution allowed in public). He has a business license. He’s traveled across
Canada for his work (not internationally yet, although he wants
to – he’s waiting on his passport).
Then there are the safety concerns. No matter the dollar
amount, he won’t engage in unsafe sex. “Not only because of
you, (but) also for all of the people you see. Having unsafe sex
in this kind of business is not something I would consider at
all.” As for his own safety, while he doesn’t carry any weapons,
he is comfortable in defending himself. When it comes to drugs,
yes, he does indulge, but only if the client does, and only if it’s
56
However, his profession is not something you’d talk about
everyday. Yet Z does not hide from his friends what he does. “If
somebody comes and asks about it, I am open with it.” He has
met many interesting people because of it. As for boyfriends,
he’s single at the moment, yet he did have a past boyfriend who
not only had no problem with Z’s work, he also wanted to join
in. As family goes, while he’s still close to his mother, his work
seemed to be a grey area: “I have told my Mom that I have done
it in the past, but not in the present time”. She was accepting
and understanding of it – although you could probably guess
that if she knew he still does it, given his plans for the future,
one suspects she would still be loving and accepting of her son.
Granted, there may be other sides of Z that I’m not seeing. My goal was not to glamorize being an escort, but neither
was it to demonize it. It’s a job. We’ve all taken jobs to finance
our other objectives. There are jobs that I could do that you
wouldn’t – it’s personal choice and experience. Z struck me as
someone who had an adverse turn in his teenage years, and
took what resources he had on hand to forge himself a better
life in Canada. There are people who have gone into prostitution
and have sunk like a rock. Z may still have issues when he gets
out of it, for all we know. I stood, and still stand on the side of
legalizing prostitution, but talking to a real person, in the flesh,
made me ask myself some hard questions. What if I fell in love
with someone who worked as an escort in their past? Would I
be one of those men who’d look down his nose at this person?
I’d like to think that I wouldn’t have any issues, but given the
stigma still attached to this profession, I suspect I might. I don’t
know if legalizing it would solve all the problems surrounding
prostitution overnight – yet thousands of years of enforcement
against it seem to have failed. Isn’t it time to try a new approach?
Queer Eye - Community
Photography
Events
Body Painting Party at Play - Edmonton
Chinese New Years Show at Buddys - Edmonton
Kink night at Play - Edmonton
Snowball Ski Weekend, photos by Keith Andony
57
Queer Eye - Community Events
Photography
ARGRA Dance - Calgary
58
Cabin Fever at the Calgary Eagle - Calgary
Queer Eye - Community
Photography
Events
Drag Show at Boots - Edmonton
Star Dust Lounge at Boots - Edmonton, Photos: Karen Hoffman
Sunday Show at Buddys - Edmonton
59
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body chango piercing super tattoo

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