gay mla`s office attacked dining out for life geeks and

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GAY MLA’S
OFFICE ATTACKED
E7
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#536 MARCH 13–26, 2014
VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
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#536 MARCH 13–26, 2014
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Gay MLA’s office attacked
‘He was screaming about
faggot flags,’ Chandra Herbert
alleges E7
Gay-panic sentence delayed
E8
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GORDON HARDY
(DAILYXTRA.COM)
One of the most important statements
by Dara Parker at the recent Qmunity
meeting was “creating a space we can’t
afford to operate is unsustainable.”
I would add that it’s also the road to
ruin. Far too many community institutions have done well, then reached
too far, and then crashed and burned.
#534 FEB 13–26, 2014
@dailyxtra
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About the time that
Vancouver Councillor
Tim Stevenson was probably confirming his window seat to head back to
the True North Strong and Free after
meeting with Olympic officials in the
True North Strong and Not-So-Free,
I was sipping an Americano in a Gastown café. Stevenson had gone to Sochi to ask the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) for policy changes
that would prevent future Games going to nations with discriminatory
human-rights laws.
Three middle-aged gay men sat near
me as I sipped my coffee. I wasn’t paying much attention to their dish until
one of them, who’d been speaking loudly and more often than his luncheon
partners, let go this zinger: “I’m so tired
of politicians trying to save the world.”
A dramatic pause, then: “It gets so...”
arm waving, voice rising, “tedious!”
He looked to his friends for affirmation. From where I sat, they seemed
embarrassed for him.
Tedious. Wow. Now that most Canadians more or less have our rights
recognized to love and play, are we really so self-absorbed as to find tedious
the efforts of those among us working
for similar rights around the world?
I think not.
I’d bet most of us are proud of Tim
Stevenson taking our values to Russia
and calling the IOC to account.
Most people I talk to know that
though gay life is comparatively good
in Canada, our culture still has a huge
hang-up about sexuality that leaves
many of our brothers and sisters locked
in straitjackets. We need to keep pushing for acceptance of all expressions of
sexual expression and gender, together.
Russia and Uganda have dominated
the news lately with harsh new antigay laws that have already left a trail
of blood. There are about 10 nations
in the world that execute gay men and
sometimes lesbians. Another dozen or
so punish us with long jail sentences
that people usually don’t survive.
Others execute or harshly punish all
non-marital sex play. A few more have
police that turn a blind eye to people
killing gays in “moral” judgment.
Yes, some of these are Muslim states.
But some are Christian states, heavily influenced by the fundamentalist
movements of the US. And a disproportionate number of countries with official homophobic laws are, like Canada,
former British colonies. That’s right,
former British colonies have generally worse homophobic legacies than
those of Spain or France. Check out the
International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA)
website for details and heartache.
You raise some good questions, Robin
[“Daring to Dream a Little Bigger,”
Xtra #535, Feb 27]. The 10,000 square
feet planned for by Qmunity is considerably less than people envisioned.
Like you, I wholeheartedly congratulate Qmunity and thank the City of
Vancouver for this new community
centre. What’s not clear is why we’re
talking about 10,000 square feet (and
not some other figure).
My guess is that the $7 million concession from the Jimmy Pattison group
(Burrard Gateway) is the best the city
could come up with in return for some
concessions to the developer. What’s
not clear is how the $7 million translates into 10,000 square feet. I presume
that the $7 million is the estimated cost
to build 10,000 square feet to the specifications of Qmunity. Dara Parker will
be able to provide us with the answers
in the near future, I’m sure. If it does
turn out that the new space is fixed
at 10,000 square feet, we should still
regard this as a victory for Qmunity
and the LGBT community at large. You
can do a lot of things with 10,000 square
feet, especially if it is better designed,
better located and more accessible than
Qmunity’s current premises.
dailyxtra.com
EDITORIAL
GARETH KIRKBY
Qmunity sustainability
So, what should we do?
Key leaders of the gay movements
of Russia and Uganda have specifically asked that progressive nations
avoid economic boycotts or interrupting development aid. Such actions
lead only to local gays being blamed
by their fellow citizens, and boycotts
almost always hurt the poor more
than the powerful in any case.
Instead, they suggest we show
solidarity through two key measures
that target the very lawmakers and
their powerful backers, many of them
corrupt or incompetent (hence the
homophobia to divert attention from
their mismanagement), that passed
the laws. Put them on no-fly lists that
prevent them entering or flying across
a country’s airspace, and freeze their
bank accounts and confiscate their
property (such as real estate and corporate investments).
Hit them where it hurts: their international lifestyles and hideaways
for their ill-gotten finances. We could
start with Russian and Ugandan politicians and broaden out from there,
paying particular attention to our fellow Commonwealth nations.
Let’s face it: we gays and lesbians
are sitting pretty comfortably now in
Canada. We could choose to see it as
our destiny to spread the love, share
the freedom. It’s an honour, a responsibility and perhaps a destiny. It’s
definitely not a tedium to be abhorred
as we drink our Americanos.
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The current Qmunity plan is a practical effort to build sustainability and
significant improvements for our community centre. And it’s based on current
commitments — and hopefully at least
one more city/developer financial commitment to come.
Aiming at creating a much bigger
centre would, if successful, put off the
actualization of that centre for many
more years than the current (probably
optimistic) timetable of four years. If
people with lots of money to donate
want to come to the community meetings and offer up direct investment to
help expand the plan, I say let them
come and propose — but bring your
chequebooks with you.
The centre (under all its different
names) has always been a “getting
by with what we’ve got or can get”
operation. I think that is why it’s still
here after all these 35 years. I would
love to see a big, modern, all-inclusive,
multi-use centre with all the bells and
whistles, but we may have to work toward that as we go, rather than putting
all our chips on the table and doubling
down on a bet that we can’t pay off if
we lose.
DAVID MYERS
(DAILYXTRA.COM)
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^^ÛVY[OZOVYLSH^JVT
RECORD-BREAKING RUN
XCETERA ELLEN’S
OSCAR
ORGY
NUMBER OF VIEWERS
43.7 million (the highest ratings
for the awards in 14 years)
BROADCAST BLOOPER
Meet Foreign
Minister ‘Gay Lover’
4.8 million (the highest in the
Emmy-winning show’s 11-year run)
NUMBER OF RETWEETS
OF THE SELFIE FEATURING
DEGENERES AND VARIOUS
HOLLYWOOD STARS
More than two million by the end of
the TV broadcast (easily beating the
previous record, held by Barack Obama,
who sent out a post-reelection image
of he and Michelle hugging with the
message “Four more years”)
BELLE ANCELL
In an oh-so-perfect subtitle snafu, Britain’s
Channel 4 translated the name of Russia’s
foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov — who
supports his country’s gay propaganda law —
as “so gay lover.” The channel was reporting on
a meeting between Lavrov and US Secretary
of State John Kerry from Kiev, Ukraine.
NUMBER OF VIEWERS
WHO TUNED IN TO ELLEN’S
POST-OSCARS SHOW
BC BOXER
FEELING PECKISH?
The Fox
strikes
again
NOT JUST A
BITING WIT
Vancouver boxer River
“The Fox” Tucker, who won
the women’s provincial title
in May 2013 before claiming
the province’s Silver Gloves
championship in Richmond, is
continuing her winning ways,
recently earning the Tacoma
Golden Gloves title.
Former Olympic figure skater Johnny
Weir appeared in a New Jersey court
March 4, where his husband, Victor
Voronov, asked a judge to dismiss
charges against the skater, who had
sunk his teeth into Voronov during
a pre–Sochi Games spat. Voronov
tweeted a selfie with the message,
“Life back to normal pace at least for
today.” Weir says he and his husband
often fight over who gets to “wear
the pants” in their feisty relationship.
XTRA! MARCH 13–26, 2014 5
6 MARCH 13–26, 2014 XTRA!
Upfront
Is ‘queer’ really the best we can do?
Kevin Dale McKeown E9
Gay MLA’s office attacked
‘He was screaming about faggot flags,’ Spencer Chandra Herbert alleges
GAYBASHING
JEREMY HAINSWORTH
Past the colourful flowers from well-wishers in
Spencer Chandra Herbert’s constituency office,
a fist-sized hole in a door remains as a mute
reminder of an allegedly homophobic assault on
the politician’s executive assistant.
Michael Melvin Williams, 53, of Vancouver now
stands charged with assault and mischief under
$5,000 in connection with the assault, Vancouver
Police Department spokesperson Sergeant Randy
Fincham tells Xtra.
Williams is due in Vancouver’s Community
Court on April 4 to face the charges, Fincham says.
“He was screaming about faggot flags,” Chandra
Herbert alleges. “We called the police and he was
arrested.”
Vancouver’s gay NDP MLA for the West End says
he won’t take down his office’s rainbow flag despite
the alleged attack on his office and staff on Feb 21.
According to Chandra Herbert, the altercation
began after a man expressed his opposition to the
rainbow flag flying at the West End Community
Centre across from his Denman Street constituency office. The man then allegedly entered Chandra Herbert’s office, shouted more homophobic
slurs — targeted partly at the rainbow flag in the
window and partly at the MLA’s constituency assistant — then punched the assistant in the face
and punched a hole in the office door.
“The safety of the people who work here has
been violated,” Chandra Herbert says. His assistant preferred not to comment publicly.
Chandra Herbert says they won’t back down, and
they certainly won’t take down the rainbow flag.
“We’ll keep standing up to the hate,” he says. “We’re
emboldened to keep working harder on this.”
At the time of the arrest, Vancouver police said
a 53-year-old intoxicated man had been apprehended and released without charges.
“When police arrived a few minutes later, they
found the man standing on the sidewalk, down
the street from the office. He was arrested without
incident and taken to jail,” Fincham said in a statement. “Due to the nature of the allegations, the
incident is being investigated by the Vancouver
Police Hate Crimes Unit.”
“We are continuing to work with the police
department to make sure charges proceed and
hate like this is not allowed to go unchallenged,”
Chandra Herbert says. Hateful emails or letters
are not unusual at his office, he notes, but it’s the
first time things have turned violent.
“I believe that acts of hate and violence are
If such senseless acts
of hate and violence
can happen in an MLA’s
office in Vancouver’s
West End, they can
happen anywhere.
SPENCER CHANDRA HERBERT
A 53-year-old man has been charged with
assault and mischief in connection with the
Feb 21 attack on gay MLA Spencer Chandra
Herbert’s office (above) that injured one of his
staff members and left a hole in his door.
JEREMY HAINSWORTH
serious matters that should be reported to the appropriate authorities,” he says, explaining why he
thinks criminal charges are worth pursuing in this
case. “If such senseless acts of hate and violence
can happen in an MLA’s office in Vancouver’s West
End, they can happen anywhere.”
Chandra Herbert tells Xtra that the incident
rattled his staff but that his assistant, who wishes
to remain anonymous, is all right.
“My assistant is recovering from the incident,
but we are both shaken and shocked that someone
felt it acceptable to express their hateful views by
assaulting a government worker and damaging
government property,” he says.
Though he has always felt safe in the West End,
he says, he now feels uneasy. “An attack on one of
us is an attack on all of us.”
Staff at the community centre and library across
the street from Chandra Herbert’s office say they
still feel safe despite the incident but refused to
comment further, referring all questions to their
communications department.
Premier Christy Clark’s press secretary, Sam
Oliphant, tells Xtra, “The premier obviously finds
this type of behaviour deplorable. The premier has
been a strong advocate against bullying, especially
in our schools and workplaces.”
On behalf of the premier and the BC Liberal
Party caucus, Fraser-Nicola MLA Jackie Tegart
rose Feb 25 in the legislature to offer some words
of support to Chandra Herbert and his constituency assistant. “I would also like to give our entire
caucus’s support to the member for Vancouver–
West End and his constituency assistant over the
shocking incident last week in his office,” Tegart
said, according to a Hansard transcript provided
to Xtra by the premier’s office. “We stand united
against this type of hateful attack, and we wish
the member’s constituency assistant a full and
speedy recovery.”
XTRA! MARCH 13–26, 2014 7
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Gay-panic sentence delayed
Sentencing for the man who pleaded
guilty to manslaughter in the Jan 12,
2013, death of Dolan Badger has once
more been delayed, this time until June.
William Robert Kootenay, 24,
claimed he was only protecting himself from a sexual assault after a night of
drinking. He was initially charged with
second-degree murder in connection
with the death of the 49-year-old HIV
outreach worker, artist and former
Vancouverite.
According to a statement presented
jointly by the prosecutor and the defence to a Whitecourt, Alberta, judge,
Kootenay claims he woke up to find
Badger, without pants, on top of him.
Kootenay pushed Badger off and
repeatedly punched him in the face
and kicked him in the abdomen, then
left him to die.
Badger’s friend Duane Gastant Aucoin says it sounds like Kootenay is
using a gay-panic defence to try to
justify his actions. People often use a
The man who killed Dolan Badger
(above) now won’t be sentenced
until June. FACEBOOK.COM
BC Law Society may block Trinity Western grads
An upcoming motion before the BC
Law Society could stop Trinity Western University’s (TWU) proposed law
school in its tracks.
“Pursuant to Law Society Rule 2-27
(4.1), the Benchers declare that, notwithstanding the preliminary approval
granted to Trinity Western University
on Dec 16, 2013 by the Federation of
Law Societies’ Canadian Common
Law Program Approval Committee,
the proposed Faculty of Law of Trinity
Western University is not an approved
faculty of law,” the proposed motion
reads.
BC Law Society board members will
vote on the motion April 11. TWU president Bob Kuhn tells Xtra
he’s disappointed with the notice of motion. He says the application has been
turned into a public event. “We’re sort of
stuck in a process we didn’t create. We did
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8 MARCH 13–26, 2014 XTRA!
gay-panic defence to cover up a gaybashing, he told Xtra in December.
“Who knows? Maybe they were having sex. Just because he’s saying Dolan
was trying to rape him doesn’t mean
that’s what happened. It doesn’t sound
like the Dolan I know,” Aucoin says.
At the time of Badger’s death, he
was widely remembered as a gentle,
kind, warm and deeply supportive
two-spirit aboriginal man.
Xtra’s attempts to contact prosecutor Robert Marr to ask why he accepted
Kootenay’s gay-panic defence have so
far been unsuccessful. Proceedings in
the sentencing were initially scheduled
for Jan 14, then delayed to Jan 28 while
the judge waited for a pre-sentencing
report, then delayed again to Feb 25
because the judge was reportedly ill
and not sitting that day.
On Feb 25, the court reconvened
to set a date for the sentencing,
which will now take place on June 18.
—Jeremy Hainsworth
everything right. We played by the rules.
The rules have changed.”
Other provincial law societies are
also debating whether they would
accept graduates with a degree from
TWU’s law school.
Some BC benchers requested more
information prior to the April vote,
such as how consistently TWU enforces its student covenant, which bans
homosexuality. —Jeremy Hainsworth
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What’s in a name?
One person’s reclaimed name
is another’s bad memory
STILL QQ
KEVIN DALE
MCKEOWN
“Language evolves” is
the usual justification for bad grammar and malapropisms. It’s apparently
how “gay” went from meaning happy
and carefree to whatever it means
now and how “queer” went from being a putdown to describing an entire
community.
The last issue of Xtra featured another evolutionary twist in the language:
“fag stags,” a butch way to describe
straight men who hang with gay friends.
Obviously a remaking of “fag hags,”
though in my youth you seldom referred to a woman as a fag hag to her
face. “You fag hag” might be hurled in
anger in the midst of a tearful scene,
but it sure wasn’t a term of endearment.
But our women friends took “fag
hag” into their own hands and claimed
the title with pride. The next thing we
knew it was on everyone’s lips. And
then it was passé.
As reported in my last two columns,
a group of friends has been gathering
every few weeks to discuss the origins and impacts of names and identities. The tongue-in-cheek title of
our Facebook group is Who’s Queer
Now? We have been struggling with
the challenge of how to inclusively
describe everyone in a “community”
so diverse as to include homosexual
men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender
men and women, intersex folks and the
relatively recent identity of “gender
variant.”
Is “queer” really the best we can do?
“I’m not queer,” avows 70-year-old
Reg Manning, one of our town’s very senior drag performers and Vancouver’s
Empress II. “It’s an ugly, ugly word.”
“I’m not queer either,” agrees
72-year-old Pamela Leaman, who transitioned in 1969. “I’m a heterosexual
woman.”
“Queer” is repugnant to many elders
(my 64-year-old self included) because
it is the word we were most taunted
with in our youth. Younger people
might argue that abusive words are
often “reclaimed” by a new generation.
I can think of a number of words being
“reclaimed” that would still never be
used to identify a social collective or
brand a community centre.
To show that we are not totally huMORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM
mourless in our debate, 1970s-era Gay
Liberation Front co-founder Gordon
Hardy, in response to Reg’s concern
that there is no word exclusive to
homosexual men, suggested we try
“homonormative cisgender males.”
I recently discovered that, in a
charmless effort to include everyone
and offend nobody, the Committee
of Progressive Electors uses “LGBTTIQQPP2S” to describe us all, in response to which Reive Doig, not a
Who’s Queer Now member but a poster
on a member’s Facebook discussion,
opined, “When an initialism is harder
to interpret than internet routing protocols it’s time to agree on a simple
identifier.”
He suggests “Let’s Get Better Titles
That Intelligently Quite Quickly Present Perspective 2 Society.”
And what about the group that Gordon says we keep overlooking in our
discussions? The homosexual men and
lesbians who are busy living their lives
with partners, spouses, children, mortgages and careers, whose connection to
the “scene” may be as casual as a twiceyearly visit to Celebrities. Do they feel,
as I do, that “queer” is a word and a
concept that has been foisted on us by
a relatively small faction of academics
and political activists that has nothing
to do with their lived experience?
New York University professor
and self-described “queer historian”
Lisa Duggan has been cited as saying that “to be queer means to refuse
the hegemony of domesticity, marriage, consumption and aspirations
to middle-class prosperity.”
Thanks, Lisa, for pointing out how
unqueer so many of us really are! And
for assuming the authority to tell us
that.
The Who’s Queer Now gang will
get together one more time to work
out the format and content of a larger
conversation, as a next step toward a
public community town-hall discussion. Our goal at the moment is to
clear some ground and air some views
in anticipation of the consultation
process that Qmunity plans to launch
later this year for the new community
centre made possible by the $7 million
endowment through the city.
At our next meeting, an Xtra reporter will take over the task of documenting these discussions, while, to
my immense relief, I will return to
rehashing old gossip. There are still
stories to be told!
Here’s hoping that in our upcoming
conversations we can leave the divisions engendered by our inescapable
diversity behind as we create a safe
space for all.
Including fag stags.
Kevin Dale McKeown was Vancouver’s first out gay columnist, penning
QQ Writes... Page 69 for the Georgia
Straight through the early 1970s. Contact him at stillqq@dailyxtra.com.
523 Parliament St.
Tel 647.988.489
Visit www.ftjco.com/custom
XTRA! MARCH 13–26, 2014 9
Good eats
HIV fundraiser Dining Out
for Life turns 20 this year
HIV/AIDS
TONY CORREIA
When Lorne Mayencourt brought Dining Out for Life to Vancouver from the
United States 20 years ago, AIDS was
still one of the leading causes of death
in Canada.
“I remember when we had 20 clients
die in one day,” says Easter Armas, the
founder of A Loving Spoonful.
A generation later, HIV/AIDS is not
the death sentence it once was, thanks
to protease inhibitors; however, the
need for access to nutritious food and
alternative therapies has increased.
“People think there’s a cure for AIDS
and there really isn’t,” says Sheena
Sargeant, executive director of Friends
for Life. “Our challenge is to bring in
4HILS3LHN\L)HZLIHSS4LTVYPLZ WYLZLU[
Looking for stories, photos, memorabilia from players,
coaches, spectators for publication in a planned book
exploring the history of Mabel League Baseball.
Please submit all contributions,
questions or concerns to:
lil.softball14@gmail.com.
all the other pieces that are more than
taking one pill or a handful of pills every day to keep people living vibrant,
healthy lives for many years to come.”
Lisa Martella, A Loving Spoonful’s
executive director, points out that with
people living longer with the virus, both
organizations have had to increase
their capacity.
A Loving Spoonful gets referrals from
doctors every week. Last year its prenatal program helped six HIV-positive
mothers deliver six healthy babies.
They recently doubled their space to
make room for “incredible” freezers and
coolers that allow them to deliver extra
produce and waste less food.
“Food is medicine,” Martella says.
Sargeant is thankful for how far we
have come around learning how to
live with the virus but notes the many
ways HIV/AIDS continues to affect
the community, including poverty and
inadequate access to nutritious food.
“We’re just coming out of one generation in terms of the lifespan of people
with HIV,” she says. “They aren’t dying
right away as they did in the ’80s, but we
don’t know what’s around the corner.”
Between the two organizations, the
money raised by Dining Out for Life
helps deliver an average of 100,000
meals a year and funds 50 to 60 holistic
wellness programs, despite limited
government funds. Events like Dining
Out for Life and Art for Life account for
A Loving Spoonful’s Lisa Martella and Friends for Life’s Sheena Sargeant
don aprons for Dining Out for Life. DINING OUT FOR LIFE/CHARLES ZUCKERMANN
approximately 60 percent of Friends
for Life’s revenue.
This year, in honour of its 20th anniversary, Dining Out for Life is offering a new Platinum Table program
where the host of a party of 20 or more
will receive a pair of commemorative
wine glasses.
Though the face of HIV/AIDS may
have changed, Dining Out for Life still
attracts businesses and individuals who
either witnessed the urgent need for direct services for people with HIV/AIDS
in the early days or who care about their
friends and still want to protect them
from the virus today.
“We’re living with one generation
living with the virus,” Sargeant says,
“but we have the support of many generations.”
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XTRA! MARCH 13–26, 2014 11
Bowling at Revs Burnaby
March 22 & 23, 2014
details at vebc.ca
Sponsored by
Storm
Media Sponsor
dailyxtra.com
The bowler’s company
Richmond Cultural
Centre
7700 Minoru Gate, Richmond, BC
PRESENT
March 22 - 30, 2014
PREVIEWS March
Ga Ting
20 and 21
SHOW TIMES:
By
Minh Ly
March 20 - 22, 25 - 29
at 8pm
MATINEES:
March 23, 26, 29, 30 at 2pm
“FAMILY”
TICKETS: ADULT FEE
$20, STUDENT & SENIOR FEE $15
Tickets can be purchased online at www.vact.ca, at the RCC
front desk or by calling our information line at 604-247-8300.
Directed by: Rick Tae
Starring: Michael Antonakos
BC Lee
Alannah Ong
DETAILED DIRECTIONS AT
12 MARCH 13–26, 2014 XTRA!
Set + Costume Design: Christopher David Gauthier
Lighting Design: Gerald King
Lighting Apprentice/TD: Sean Malmas
Stage Manager: Shannon Macelli
thefranktheatre.com
ASL interpretation available
March 27 and 29
Out in the City
I always liked Oasis and I’ve had a good time there, so I’m not
sure why it struggles to bring in crowds. Raziel Reid E16
Paradise by the console light
The Vancouver
Gaymers club is
where gay geeks
go to belong
COMMUNITY
STACY THOMAS
In a corner of La Fontana Caffe in Burnaby, amid the
noise of the Vancouver Gaymers’ fifth anniversary
party on Feb 28, Reina Sato looks up from the rules
of Clue to explain why she tagged along with a friend
to play board games with complete strangers.
In doing so, she inadvertently sums up why
70 or so other people have joined her and why
this group of queer gaming enthusiasts — who
generally refer to themselves as gaymers or geeks
— continues to grow.
“I’m kind of an introvert,” she says. “I really
wanted to meet new people, share interests and
play games, just have fun. I learned that it’s a really
safe place for everyone to play and be accepted,
so I came along.”
Beyond their love for board and video games
(and the people who play them), the Vancouver
Gaymers are filling what its members see as a gap
in the gay community.
“They’ve been around gaming their whole lives;
they’ve grown up with it, and now they identify
in that fashion, and there’s no real connection to
find other people of that same ilk,” says founding
member Justin Saint.
“Even now in the geek community, there are
a lot of issues surrounding safety,” he explains.
“At standard geek events, there’s still that level
of ‘I can’t hold my boyfriend’s hand.’ So for me,
creating that space was really important because
there is a need to connect with other people who
like the geeky things you do.”
Gay gamers can suffer a double-edged sword:
alienated from the straight gaming community by
homophobic themes and language and straightmale-centric imagery, yet not particularly part of
a gay scene that might feel less than welcoming
to some geeks.
“You grow up and you’re gay, you’re a recluse
in that way. You grow up and you’re a nerd, and
you’re a recluse that way,” says 25-year-old Shane
Flynn, who helped start the Vancouver Gaymers
along with Saint. “A lot of people who come for
You grow up and
you’re gay, you’re a
recluse in that way.
You grow up and you’re
a nerd, and you’re a
recluse that way.
GAYMERS CO-FOUNDER
SHANE FLYNN
“At standard geek events, there’s still that
level of ‘I can’t hold my boyfriend’s hand,’”
says Vancouver Gaymers’ founder Justin Saint
(centre), who created the group to help gay
game-lovers connect. LEAH BROMLEY
the first time, they’ve never met anybody in the
gay community at all.”
Five years ago, Saint posted a call-out on the
forum of a popular queer-focused gaming website
and essentially opened the floodgates, as a whole
new subculture of gay video- and board-game
enthusiasts has since come out to play.
Saint estimates that about 50 people, gay and
straight, now turn up to any given meeting. And
the worldwide gaymer community is becoming
a more viable phenomenon every year — it even
hosts its own gaming convention, GaymerX,
launched in San Francisco in 2013.
To the Vancouver Gaymers, it’s about creating
an accepting space, Saint says.
“It’s arguably the most positive space for gam-
ing groups in Vancouver, because usually other
ones are very hostile and they’re very rooted in
ideas of heterosexism,” Vi L says. “I don’t identify
as male... this group has been the most receptive
to pronoun changes in reference to me, as opposed
to other groups who haven’t been as receptive...
for video games, or even other queer groups in
general. This seems to be the mixture of gaming
and queer that is the most accepting.”
As the Gaymers continue to grow and to search
for bigger venues (ideally in the West End), Saint
suggests that their subculture is still taking shape.
“Because we don’t have a hierarchy to call on,”
he notes, “like the queens or the leathers or the
bears — all the established groups — we are still
figuring out exactly how to be a community.” XTRA! MARCH 13–26, 2014 13
COVER STORY
g
n
i
p
p
e
t
s
iS de
shortcuts
Playwright Minh Ly complicates
stereotypes with compassion in Ga Ting
M
inh Ly is emphatic
as he resists any attempt to pigeonhole
his new play.
“I don’t see my
play as a ‘gay play,’”
the gay playwright
insists. Nor is Ga
Ting, premiering this
month in Richmond, simply about
Chinese-Canadian immigrant parents
grappling with their gay son’s death.
“It’s about parents who happen to be
Chinese immigrants coming to terms
with that,” he agrees, “but I don’t see
it as an ‘Asian play’ either.”
Ga Ting opens on a sombre note, in
the aftermath of a gay man’s overdose,
as his boyfriend Matthew meets his
partner’s Cantonese-speaking parents
for the first time. The parents, played
by BC Lee and renowned Hong Kong
television star Alannah Ong, didn’t
know their son was gay and want to understand him better. Matthew wants to
help them understand. But that doesn’t
mean communication comes easily.
For Ly, Ga Ting (which means “family” in Cantonese) is ultimately about
exploring the chasm of communication that can lie between parents and
children. It’s about understanding loss
and bridging gaps.
14 MARCH 13–26, 2014 XTRA!
In staging the play at the Richmond
Cultural Centre, in collaboration with
Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre,
the frank theatre company (formerly
Screaming Weenie Productions) wants
to explore new terrain and reach more
diverse audiences.
Ly, who went to school in Vancouver
and now lives in Toronto, hopes to offer
“authentic” Canadian theatre “where
what we see onstage reflects who we
actually are, that we’re not all white.”
Matthew’s arrival with a bamboo
plant for his dead lover’s parents
prompts the Chinese couple to remark
that Greeks, Italians and others of
European ancestry all look the same to
them. Meanwhile, Matthew struggles
to understand why the parents can’t
simply accept their late son’s sexuality.
“You care too much about what people think,” Matthew tells the father,
Hong. “If you just let go of —”
“Do not tell me how to think until
you bring up a family with nothing
but your bare hand and having eyes
that are different kind look you up and
down and judge you,” Hong replies.
“It’s hard enough being an Asian
growing up in a white society. That’s
already a minus,” Ly explains. “I don’t
want the parents to come off as just
conservatives. They’re not bad people.
DAVID P BALL
They’re simply brought up in a different way; they have a different understanding of the world. I want the
audience to also understand where
they’re coming from and not to judge
them.”
Hong, who has faced his share of
discrimination as an immigrant and
a visible minority, has struggled to fit
in, to not stand out in a way that might
set his family back. Learning his son
was gay reignites that struggle and
determination to fit in.
“A lot of times, I feel excluded from
what it means to be Canadian,” Ly
admits. “As a kid, I wanted to be white
because I felt it would be easier to fit
in. It’s not that I was rejected. But everything’s white, so it just made sense.”
“There’s no such thing as ‘the gay
Asian experience,’” frank artistic
producer Chris Gatchalian cautions
as he cracks open a box of Ga Ting
brochures in the theatre’s Downtown
Eastside headquarters. “There’s gay
Asian experiences.”
Reality, he says, is “always a little
more complex. It’s not monolithic
how immigrant families view this issue. That said, stereotypes exist because there’s sometimes an element
of truth in them,” he adds. “We have
to acknowledge that, too.”
Sitting beside Gatchalian, by the
boxes of leaflets, is actor BC Lee.
A one-term Non-Partisan Association (NPA) councillor
and cultural diversity educator, Lee approached his
portrayal of the father,
Hong, from a universal
perspective. In fact,
his preparation involved watching
YouTube videos
of parents talking about their
children’s suicides, as well as
reflecting on the
traditional Jewish
father’s journey in
Fiddler on the Roof.
Though he shies away
from simplistic stereotypes, Lee
says Ga Ting’s nuanced treatment
of the parent-child chasm reflects
Minh Ly is careful not to cram his new
play, Ga Ting, into either a gay or Asian
box. It’s about communication, he says.
It’s about learning to bridge the gaps of
understanding and cope with loss, and
love, as a family. TANJA TIZIANA
As a kid, I wanted to be
white because I felt it would be
easier to fit in... everything’s white,
so it just made sense.
a current common
Chang wrote his PhD on represenin many Chinesetation of Asian and queer identities
Canadian families,
in Canadian theatre. He applauds Ga
including anxiTing for taking a complicated and nueties over being
anced view of culture — not simplifying
socially shamed
everything down to “gay” and “Asian.”
for individualis“The audience might latch on to
tic behaviour, an
what it means to live in an Asianemphasis on the
Canadian family, but conservatism
collective good, and
isn’t culturally specific,” he points
prioritizing actions
out. “No culture is monolithically
over phrases such as
conservative or liberal.”
“I love you.”
He chuckles over the phone, adding
“It’s a very coma reminder about Ottawa’s current
mon two-generation
Conservative regime: “I don’t want
problem,” Lee says.
to get all political or name names, but
“I don’t look at this as a
we live in a particular country with a
‘queer play.’ It’s about family, about
particular government.”
the collective requirements of how
“Ly’s play is really complex,” he
you can be an accepted individual in
continues. “He reveals his characters’
a collective society.
prejudices and then tries to debunk
“I think it’s more about survival,”
those assumptions. [Ly] complicates
he says, “surviving in a new strange
what it means to communicate across
place. For the parents as firstthose boundaries.”
generation immigrants, that’s their
Asked if the dynamics in Ga Ting
basic instinct.”
resonate with his own personal exIn Lee’s experience, sexuality is
periences and identity, Chang turns
something rarely discussed in most
the question around. Would he be
Asian cultures. He says he’s honest
less credible as a theatre scholar if he
when asked about his own orientation
didn’t identify as Asian-Canadian?
but doesn’t necessarily volunteer or
Or gay?
emphasize it.
“In Vancouver, it’s too easy to use
“All my friends and family, all these
just two terms: queer and Asian,”
years, they all know,” he says. “But
Chang cautions. “I self-define in such
there is one thing
a diverse way — even if
about outing is that
my friends define me
GA TING
in Asia we don’t talk
in a way more simplisSat, March 22–Sun, March 30
Richmond Cultural Centre
about sex or sexuality;
tic than I allow.
7700 Minoru Gate, Richmond
it’s not part of our con“When others do it,
thefranktheatre.com
versation. It doesn’t
it’s beyond my conmean I’m ashamed; it’s
trol,” he says. “By askjust never come up in a conversation.”
ing me to self-define, you’re saying
That the characters in Ly’s play are
to pigeonhole myself. In theatre, we
even willing to engage, albeit relucneed those shortcuts. But in life, it
tantly at times, in genuine converdoesn’t work.”
sation with each other, shows Ly’s
For Lee, the play is ultimately about
commitment to bridging gaps, onstage
communicating “before it’s too late.”
and beyond.
“I hope it helps parents who have a
“Plays never really represent whole
gay son and still have to find ways to
communities,” UBC theatre scholar
understand and accept them,” he says.
Eury Chang notes. “They represent
“But it’s not about, ‘You die, I survive.’
stories in communities.”
It’s about how we evolve together.”
XTRA! MARCH 13–26, 2014 15
Xtra and the frank
theatre company bring
you a chance to win a pair
of tickets to see
Ga Ting, by Minh Ly,
on Thursday, March 27
at 8pm at the Richmond
Cultural Centre,
7700 Minoru Gate.
To enter, send your name
and phone number to
contest@dailyxtra.com
before Friday, March 21.
Some restrictions apply. Only
winners will be contacted.
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16 MARCH 13–26, 2014 XTRA!
Flash mob meets
the French Revolution
Gay takeovers and straight makeovers
BLITZ & SHITZ
RAZIEL REID
According to its website,
Guerrilla Gay Bar (GGB)
“is a combination of flash mob and the
French Revolution. Only gayer. (Fewer
decapitations.)”
So get your Marie Antoinette on by
asserting your right to frivolous fun
— and diamonds, don’t forget the diamonds — and let the heteros eat cake
while twice a month gays take over
straight venues in the Lower Mainland,
making them our own.
GGB is a movement that first took off
in San Francisco and has since spread
all over the United States, Europe and
Canada. Started by gays dissatisfied
with the segregation of subcultures
in their local scenes, GGB aims to both
expand the gay sphere and bring it
together.
“Our ideal crowd is more diverse
than your average bar,” GGB’s online
manifesto reads. “Punks and twinks,
bears and guppies, students and seniors — and, best of all, folks without
a convenient label.”
The location is kept a secret until a
few hours before the festivities begin to
ensure the straights are unaware of the
impending queer invasion (we come in
peace, mostly). So you have to join the
GGB Facebook page or mailing list to
be in the know.
The inaugural takeover, kickstarting the biweekly event, took place at
Malone’s Urban Drinkery sports bar.
With an early launch time, the party was
casual and perfect if you wanted to grab a
bite to eat while meeting fellow entitled
gays looking to expand their horizons.
There may be hockey on the TV
screens instead of Britney, but GGB
proves that the gay is wherever you
are, bitch.
RIP, Oasis
Oasis Ultra Lounge has struggled to
amass a devout following, except on
successful Dyme Piece Wednesdays
and Monroe Saturdays. Word through
the grapevine is that in an effort to
reinvent itself, Oasis is collaborating
with new partners and has decided to
follow Score’s lead by becoming mainly
With coaxing, Raziel (centre) enjoyed Pride’s burlesque fundraiser, with
(from left) Burgundy Brixx, Veronica Vex, April O’Peel, Pride’s Christopher
Hunte, Mistie Edge and Diamond Minx. TALLULAH
a sports bar in hopes of appealing to a
larger straight crowd.
From Thursday to Saturday, there
will be a mandatory $10 cover, which
is more than I would pay for all the
white-leather chochi couches in that
place.
My broke ass would never go out if I
couldn’t get on guest lists/manipulate
men into buying me drinks, so I’m a
little offended on behalf of all the notso-very-important-people who will be
expected to pay up.
As a result of the changes, TFD
Presents has chosen to keep the
Monroe cover at $5 and has already
secured a new venue for its relaunch
in mid-April.
“We hope they find the success they
think they deserve and look forward
to collaborating with them again one
day,” TFD wrote in a Facebook bulletin
about their departure.
RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Jiggly Caliente is still scheduled to perform on
March 15 at Monroe, which is moving
to Heaven’s Door before its brief hiatus.
I always liked Oasis and I’ve had a
good time there, so I’m not sure why
it struggles to bring in crowds. Maybe
they just can’t compete with the hottie
bartenders at 1181? Few can.
Dimpled Decadence
“I’m not really into burlesque,” I told
my friend while we watched the Decadence: Mardi Gras show at Fun House
on Feb 28, a fundraiser for Pride 2014.
“If I wanted to see an ass jiggling with
cellulite, I’d look at Kim K in a bikini.”
Maybe I was just in a bad mood because they served me chilled merlot?
My friend was deeply offended. “Girl
bodies are different than boy bodies,”
she said. “It’s biology, darling.”
She’s right, of course, and the cellulite wasn’t nearly as captivating as the
dancers themselves. Plus, I hear cold
red wine is in vogue for some reason,
so maybe I should get on the bandwagon. It is for a good cause, after all.
Not that the Pride Society really needs
gay money, or gays for that matter, if
you’ve been to a Pride parade in the
past few years...
The show featured Diamond Minx,
Nicky Ninedoors, Burgundy Brixx,
Mistie Edge, Veronica Vex and April
O’Peel, and the ladies had the crowd
in the seductive palms of their hands,
which were much warmer than mine.
In the end, they pasty-whipped me
into submission, and I surrendered to
the luxurious self-indulgence.
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showing between
March 21 and 24 or
on March 27.
VANCOUVER PREMIERE!
STRANGER
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LAKE
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To enter, send your name and phone
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Some restrictions apply.
Only winners will be contacted.
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XTRA! MARCH 13–26, 2014 17
Xtra and Cutting
Edges bring you
a chance to win
a pair of tickets
to Score: A West
End Skating
Party, at Denman
and Haro streets
on Saturday,
March 29 at 9pm.
WHAT'S ON
To enter, send your name and phone
number to contest@dailyxtra.com
before Thursday, March 27. Some
restrictions apply. Only winners
will be contacted.
Artificial Cherry —
Café Deux Soleils,
Sun, March 23
ARSENAL PULP PRESS
/MICHELLE BRAYTON
FOR MORE EVENT LISTINGS, GO TO DAILYXTRA.COM
Wed, March 12
Coronation Week The Dogwood
Monarchist Society’s annual passing of the
drag torch begins tonight, with the in-town
show at 10pm at Junction, 1138 Davie St;
$5. The out-of-town show takes place Fri,
March 14, 7pm, at Performance Works, 1218
Cartwright St, Granville Island; $10. The
coronation ball is Sat, March 15, 5pm, at
Performance Works; $52. mothercourt.ca
Thurs, March 13
Liberace First Anniversary Ivy Winters,
from RuPaul’s Drag Race, joins DJ Del
Stamp and the go-go boys. 10pm.
Celebrities, 1022 Davie St. $10 advance at
Little Sister’s, 1238 Davie St, or celebrities.
electrostub.com.
Rainbow Support Group BC’s Alzheimer
Society offers a support group for LGBT
caregivers and those caring for an LGBT
person with dementia. Call 604-675-5153
or email kturner@alzheimerbc.org.
Pride Movie Night Christopher Hunte
hosts a double bill to benefit the Pride
Society, with Grey Gardens and Mean Girls.
7–11pm. Rio Theatre, 1660 East Broadway.
$8 per movie or $10 advance /$12 at door
for the double bill. vancouverpride.ca
Fri, March 14
PCAN Naked Heaven Join the Pacific
Canadian Association of Nudists for their
St Patrick’s Day party. 8pm–2am.
Club 8x6, 1775 Haro St. $15 non-members,
$10 members. p-can.org
DILF Steamworks and the PumpJack
partner up on a night for men over 35 and
the men who want them. Steamworks, 123
W Pender St. $6 monthly membership.
steamworksbaths.com
VML Social The Vancouver Men in
Leather host their monthly social in the
back of the PumpJack. 9pm until late.
PumpJack Pub, 1167 Davie St. No cover.
meninleather.homestead.com
18 MARCH 13–26, 2014 XTRA!
An Acceptably ’80s Night DJ Taffi
Louis presents a pre-hipster, pre-ironic
new wave/synthpop night. 9pm–2am.
Heaven’s Door, 1216 Bute St. Free before
10pm, $5 after. heavensdoor.ca
Ff: Filthy fresh Part 2 Adam Dreaddy
hosts the second in a three-part series.
10pm. Lux Lounge (formerly The Helm),
1180 Howe St. Tickets $14 at eventbrite.ca.
Sat, March 15
Bearracuda Underwear Night Road
trip! Bearracuda is back in Seattle for one
night at the Eagle, with Vancouver’s DJ Del
Stamp and DJ Freddy King, of Pants. 9pm–
2am. Seattle Eagle, 314 E Pike St. $5 before
10 pm, $7 after. bearracuda.com
Auditions for Classical Chorus
Cor Flammae is holding auditions for
classically trained soprano, alto, tenor and
bass singers today and Sunday. Contact
Missy Clarkson, 604-724-1915, or hello@
corflammae.com for more information.
The Gay Agenda The makers of Queer
Bash present a new gay strip-and-grind
show. 9pm–2am. The Cobalt, 917 Main St.
$8. thecobalt.ca
Saturday Nite Fever Not So Strictly
Ballroom, Vancouver’s same-sex ballroom
and Latin dance group, adds some disco
to their monthly party. Learn the Hustle at
8:45pm; dance until 11:30pm. Let’s Dance
Studio, 927 Granville St, 2nd floor. $12–15
sliding scale at Little Sister’s, 1238 Davie
St. notsostrictlyballroom.ca
Board Games Are So Gay Choose a
game from the Heartwood’s collection
or bring your own. All ages, genders and
allies welcome. 7–10pm. Heartwood
Community Café, 317 East Broadway. Free.
heartwoodcc.ca
Sun, March 16
Boys and Their Toys Vancouver Jax
invites men who love masturbating to get
together to stroke penis. 2–5pm. Club 8x6,
1775 Haro St. $10, includes locker. 8x6.ca
Wed, March 19
Gay & Grey Join this group of gay senior
men every Wednesday for discussions on
topics such as retirement, housing, dating,
self-image and more. 7pm. Roundhouse
Community Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews.
Thurs, March 20
gay and lesbian bowlers from the Pacific
Northwest. Registration party tonight at
7pm at Numbers, 1042 Davie St; tournament
runs Saturday and Sunday, starting at
10am, at Rev’s Lanes, 5502 Lougheed Hwy.
englishbaycup.shawwebspace.ca
Sun, March 23
Showtunes Night Sing along to your
favourite musicals at 1181. 6–9pm. 1181, 1181
Davie St. No cover. 1181.ca
Tues, March 25
Lipstick Jungle This month’s party
for the “cosmopolitan lesbian” and her
friends features vocalist Martina Griffiths,
8–10pm, then dancing with DJ Cho Cha
until 2am. Ginger 62, 1219 Granville St. $6.
ginger62.com
AJ’s Café Join other HIV-positive gay men
every Friday for this free social gathering/
support group sponsored by Positive Living
BC. 3–6pm. The Junction Pub, 1138 Davie St.
positivelivingbc.org
Fri, March 21
Sat, March 22
Jasper Pride The Rocky Mountain Pride
festival opens tonight and runs until Sun,
March 23. For the complete schedule, go to
jasperpride.ca.
Truckerdisco DJs Woodhead and Taffi Louis
host a monthly event for guys, grrls, hipsters,
homos, folks of all bearish persuasions and
more. 9pm–2am. Heaven’s Door, 1216 Bute
St. $10. truckerdisco.com
The Bridge Generation Join the elders
of Quirk-e to launch their new anthology.
6:30pm. Britannia Services Centre Canucks
Family Education Centre, 1655 William St.
Free. 604-222-4606.
English Bay Bowling Tournament
Vancouver’s annual tournament attracts
Hershe Bar DJ Miss M and Red City perform
at this popular lesbian party. 10pm–3am.
Red Room Ultra Bar, 398 Richards St. $15
advance at Little Sister’s, 1238 Davie St;
Kokopelli Salon, 2052 Commercial Dr; or
flygirlproductions.com.
Artificial Cherry Billeh Nickerson reads
from his new poetry collection, with special
guests. 7pm. Café Deux Soleils, 2096
Commercial Dr. Free. cafedeuxsoleils.com
Dining Out for Life Choose a participating
restaurant and 25 percent of your total
food bill will benefit A Loving Spoonful and
Friends for Life. diningoutforlife.com
Wed, March 26
Real
Estate
XTRA’S GUIDE TO
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HOUSING
MARKET
TO ADVERTISE CALL 604-684-9696
Songwriting for LGBT Youth
Qmunity’s Gab Youth and the Queer Arts
Fest present a songwriting workshop for
queer, trans and allied youth aged 14 to 25.
4–6pm. Gordon Neighbourhood House,
1019 Broughton St. Free. qmunity.ca
Submit your event listing to
oitc.vancouver@dailyxtra.com.
Deadline for the March 27–
April 9 issue is Wed, March 19.
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Pride
Mardi Gras
The Vancouver Pride
Society celebrated
a decadent Mardi
Gras Feb 28, with
some burlesque
and a dance party.
1E Soo Jeong & Alison
Gorman 2E Christopher
Hunte 3E Angus Praught
& Daisuke Nakagawa
4E Dale Bradley, Pride
Society president Tim
Richards & Jeff Meerman
5E Christepher Wee,
Lindsey Munday, Alan
Pronger & Jeff Parker
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20 MARCH 13–26, 2014 XTRA!
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Harbour Air
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Waterway Houseboats
1-877-WATERWAY
Daher Orthostyle
– Dr Sam Daher
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Addictions
Business &
Professional
Organizations
Orchard Recovery
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AIDS/HIV
Resources
AIDS Vancouver
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AIDS Vancouver Island
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ANKORS
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Dr Peter AIDS
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778-995-1970
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Ballet BC
604-732-5003
West End Seniors
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604-669-5051
Museum of Vancouver
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Community
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PlayLand
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604-253-2311
Community Based
Research Centre
604-568-7478
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vivomediaarts.com
Construction
Amherst Funeral and
Cremation Services Inc
604-831-3023
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Funeral Home
604-596-8866
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& Repairs
Maison D’Etre Build Inc
604-484-4030
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Robins RMT
604-687-4078
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rickgrmt.com
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vivomediaarts.com
Men’s Services
BC Society for Male
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Abuse (BCSMSSA)
604-682-6482
Motorcycles
& Scooters
Motorcycle World
604-582-9253
East Van Graphics
eastvangraphics.ca
Mail Box Plus
604-683-1433
Minuteman Press
604-572-8558
Psychologists
Poncho’s Restaurant
604-683-7236
Dr Joachim Sehrbrock,
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604-366-3112
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604-664-8995
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604-251-2017
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Abasa Optical
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604-596-7196
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604-306-1340
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604-687-8752
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604-773-1443
barbara findlay
604-251-4356
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604-558-1995
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604-980-8571
Libraries
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604-770-365
Lyn Hart, Macdonald
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604-724-4278
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vivomediaarts.com
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604-590-7387
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& Restorations
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14th & Main St:
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604-730-1768
Grandview Hwy:
604-436-3001
Gilley Ave, Burnaby:
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604-484-4030
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604-688-2233
2 Dears and a Queer
604-306-1340
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Joe’s Grill
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604-682-3683
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778-330-7799
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604-975-7556
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bardonthebeach.org
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01_XLV2013-2
Cover indd 1
XTRA! MARCH 13–26, 2014 21
A world of gay adventure
Travel
Catrinas
& cliff diving
Courting la muerte in Mazatlán
BY NATASHA BARSOTTI
Blanch-faced, dressed to the nines and
ornately adorned with plumage, flowers
and sugar skulls, las Catrinas sashay
along Mazatlán’s crammed Plaza Machado to frenzied drumming, piercing
trumpeting and firecrackers.
The pleasantly macabre signature
characters of the annual Dia de los
Muertos move among the sea of humanity that converges on the central plaza
to jumpstart the carnival in honour of
beloved departed relatives and friends,
flirtatiously thumbing their noses at
death or delighting in it.
The image of La Catrina, skull and
bones wrapped in fine period fashion
and elaborate head-wear, is associated
with turn-of-the-20th-century Mexican
illustrator José Guadalupe Posada,
whose satirical work provided sharp
commentary about race, making fun of
Mexicans who aspired to be European
in appearance and culture.
But it was artist Diego Rivera who
took Posada’s image and turned her into
“an icon of Mexican-ness,” geography
professor Juanita Sundberg says. “That
was what his work was about, creating
this idea of a Mexican national identity,
situated in its pre-Columbian and folk
roots. He is reportedly the one who
called her La Catrina.”
As Posada and Rivera have demonstrated, the Catrina image can be leveraged to make an array of statements,
political and otherwise.
From the sidewalk patio of the Plaza
Machado’s bustling Pedro y Lola restaurant, I wonder if I’ll see any genderbending Catrinas. I don’t have to
wait long to spy one or two amidst the
promenading heteronormative calavera
(skull) couples, some rushing — plastic
cups in the air — to catch up with the
burro-drawn carts of free beer that
the “bartenders” are dispensing hand
over fist.
“You can see how the image would
lend itself to drag. It’s supposed to be
all about playing with costume and
playing with your identity. That’s what
Posada was talking about, even though
he wasn’t commenting about gender
identity or sexuality,” Sundberg says.
The dead are very much part of life,
and they have it made, at least on the
first two days of November — Dia de los
Angelitos (Day of the Innocents) followed by Dia de los Muertos, the day of
KFENGLER
22 MARCH 13–26, 2014 XTRA!
Clockwise from far left:
literally throwing caution
to the wind, cliff divers
plunge into the churning
waves; a freshly painted
gravesite at Panteón El
Quelite, to the northeast
of Mazatlán; this Catrina
couple joined hundreds who
took to the Plaza Machado
and surrounding streets
for the annual parade
commemorating Dia de los
Muertos; a panoramic view
of Olas Altas beach.
NATASHA BARSOTTI
remembrance for adults who have died.
Walk into restaurants, artists’ studios,
businesses or homes and altares de
muertos (altars to the dead) are front
and centre, decorated with banderillas
(small flags), bread of the dead, tequila,
fruit, skulls of sugar and clay, and specific effects treasured by the deceased.
In Mazatlán’s historical centre, the
storefronts of flower shops, some almost three generations old, are a riot of
blooms, including cempasúchil — otherwise known as the Mexican marigold
— touted as the ideal flower to adorn
loved ones’ final resting places.
As Dia de los Muertos approaches,
the panteones (cemeteries) are anything but sites of sadness and regret to
be avoided. They are a flurry of preparation and anticipation: children run
in and among the graves, which have
been swept, weeded and given fresh
coats of paint.
Entering the cobblestoned, colonial
city of El Quelite, about 40 kilometres
northeast of Mazatlán, a handful of
families are in vigil mode in the local
panteón, patiently awaiting the arrival
of recent or long-gone loved ones whose
favourite foods, drink, books and other
personal items are laid out to entice
them to a celebration of their lives.
“It’s about saying, ‘We honour the
dead.’ It’s saying that our dead are with
us, and we memorialize them,” Sundberg says.
The seeming absence of fear of the
hereafter, or of mortality itself, extends
into everyday life.
Situated along the six-and-a-halfkilometre seawall, Olas Altas, is a
14-metre rock where cliff divers literally
throw caution to the wind that whips
around its height and crevices.
Below, the churning waves submerge
and expose the rocks below.
Timing is everything, the story goes.
As the waves come in, there is ideally
just over two metres of water to execute a safe, head-first dive. Absent the
“right” wave, the depth is a little more
than a metre.
A mini-figurine of Mary and some
flowers are tucked into the mid-section
of the outcrop in memory of the last
diver who, in 2006, did not emerge
alive. It serves as a reminder, but hardly
a deterrent, to fellow divers, who carry
on — for the right price.
Approached at night, both rock and
diver are shrouded in darkness, except
for the fiery flares the latter brandishes
to induce takers.
Guadalajara-born Mario Gonzalez Aguilar, 76, first flirted with cliff
diving in 1962. He has taught almost
every diver in Mazatlán the tricks of
the trade.
While he stopped diving — for health
reasons —four years ago, he is eager to
take the plunge again.
Perched on a ledge on the landward side of the cliff he has mastered,
Aguilar, with pet iguana astride his left
shoulder, shrugs off questions about
the risk of his profession and rejects
any notion of fear.
He has no logical answer to give.
It’s just his life and a way to make a
living.
NATASHA BARSOTTI
SQUAWK7984
XTRA! MARCH 13–26, 2014 23
A world of gay adventure
Travel
California’s Pacific Coast
Exploring the
Golden State’s
natural wonders
ROB SALERNO
San Francisco and Los Angeles may
be among the world’s top LGBT travel
destinations, but there’s much more to
California than The Castro and West
Hollywood. With its lush scenery,
sparkling blue ocean and quirky seaside towns, the Pacific Coast Highway
route between these two cities can form
the spine of a wonderful adventure on
which journey is the destination.
The highway takes many different
names along its route — Route 1, US
101, Coast Highway, Shoreline Highway,
Cabrillo Highway — but by any marker
it’s one of the most scenic drives in the
United States. The best approach is by
car, allowing for stops along the way.
Experienced cyclists can conquer the
route by bicycle. In both cases, travelling south is the best option — you’ll
get better views, and the wind will be
in your favour.
By car, you can complete the trip in
a day, but give yourself two or three to
make the most of stops along the way.
Your journey begins before you leave
San Francisco. The iconic Golden Gate
Bridge is a part of Route 1, and the best
way to experience its 2.7-kilometre span
is on foot or by bicycle. For a different
perspective, hop aboard a Blue & Gold
Fleet cruise at Pier 39, on which you’ll
learn the history of the bridge’s construction while passing underneath it.
Back on land, indulge in the touristy
shops and restaurants along the pier.
Make your first stop on the road at
Año Nuevo State Park, in San Mateo
County, home to a colony of marine
mammals, including elephant seals,
sea otters and sea lions. The best time
to visit is from December to March,
when the seals arrive for mating season.
Hordes of tourists come every year to
watch the males fight for dominance and
the females give birth. (Reservations are
strongly recommended.)
A more casual elephant seal refuge
is further south, near Piedras Biancas
Light. You’ll see signs for a lookout over
a cliff down to the seal colony.
24 MARCH 13–26, 2014 XTRA!
Bixby Creek Bridge, in Big Sur, is one of the tallest single-span concrete bridges in the world.
The highway bypasses the Monterey
Peninsula, but it’s worth turning off to
visit Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf and
Cannery Row, a street of repurposed
factories named for the Steinbeck novel.
The nods to California’s maritime history and ecology include America’s only
remaining whalebone sidewalk and one
of the country’s largest aquariums. On
a three-day journey, Monterey or the
nearby artist colony of Carmel are good
places to spend the night.
South of Carmel, you enter Big Sur
country, a sparsely populated region
known for its stunning views of and
from the Santa Lucia Mountains, which
rise dramatically from the ocean. On
this stretch, the highway alternately
runs right along the coast or along sheer
cliffs up to 300 metres above the water.
Drive carefully — it’s easy to get distracted by the gorgeous vistas. Luckily,
there are strategically placed turnoffs to
stop and snap pictures. Take note of the
picturesque Bixby Creek Bridge, one of
the tallest single-span concrete bridges
in the world.
Halfway through this stretch, you’ll
find the tiny hamlet of Lucia. Meals at
the roadside Lucia Lodge are only soso, but the cliffside patio overlooking a
crystal-blue bay is a major attraction.
Big Sur has little in the way of amenities, but that can be part of its charm. As
long as you stock up on supplies — fill
up your gas tank before you leave Carmel — the Big Sur River Valley is a great
spot away from the bustle of the cities to
rent a rustic cabin or pitch a tent for the
night. As accommodations are limited
in the region, be sure to book ahead.
Next on your itinerary is the must-see
Hearst Castle in San Simeon. Built by
publishing magnate William Hearst, on
whom the film Citizen Kane was based,
the sprawling 90,000-square-foot estate
is a pastiche of styles inspired by — and in
some cases, structures imported wholesale from — Hearst’s travels in Europe.
The building houses thousands of antiques and artifacts from Hearst’s private
collection, which was donated to the
state of California after his death. There
are several tour options elaborating various aspects of the grounds, including the
gardens and the grand rooms.
DAVID ILIFF
South of San Simeon, the highway
veers inland slightly to the sleepy San
Luis Obispo. Even if you’re not staying
the night, stop at the Madonna Inn, a
lavishly adorned motel with 110 themed
rooms, including Love Nest, Rock Bottom
or Cayucos Queen. Check out the rockwaterfall urinal in the men’s bathroom.
Wander San Luis Obispo’s quaint
downtown, with its pedestrian-only
streets. Don’t miss Bubblegum Alley,
on Higuera Street, where the walls
are lined with thousands of pieces of
chewed gum. The town also makes a
good base for an afternoon exploring the
many small wineries in the Edna Valley.
Your next major stop is Santa Barbara,
with its well-preserved Spanish colonial
architecture and wharf, sandy beaches
and luxury attractions. Take in the view
from the courthouse tower, check out
the brown pelicans at the end of Stearns
Wharf, and sunbathe at Arroyo Burro
Beach. A few miles west is More Mesa
Beach, popular with nudists and gays.
You’ll enter Los Angeles County
through Malibu, where the highway hugs
the beach for the town’s entire length.
Some of the county’s most beautiful
beaches are here, as is one of California’s
most famous surf spots, Malibu Lagoon.
A short drive through Highlands Park
will bring you to one of the best seaside
views in LA county. From the cliff, you
can see as far as Palos Verdes and watch
surfers and dolphins below.
You’ll enter LA proper via Santa Monica. After your time on the road, it’s worth
unwinding in the capital of the gay party
scene, West Hollywood. The Ramada Inn
WeHo has surprisingly posh rooms right
on Santa Monica Boulevard, a stone’s
throw from the best gay bars and clubs,
as well as Sunset Boulevard’s comedy and
music scene. In the morning, make up for
your partying with a little history: Out &
About Tours offers bus and walking tours
of the city’s queer history.
From LA, the Pacific Coast Highway continues to Orange County, from
which you can head on to San Diego or
Mexico. Or you can turn east to explore
the inland mountains, deserts and forests. With enough time and a car, the
possible routes to explore the Golden
State are endless.
The Dinah: A five-day
lesbian bacchanalia
As temperatures in most parts of the
Northern Hemisphere continue to lurk
determinedly at the cold end of the thermometer, we’re desperately in need of
a blast of heat. And it doesn’t get hotter
than The Dinah, the world’s biggest lesbian event, hitting Palm Springs for five
days of parties, pools, poker, comedy
and film from April 2 to 6 this year.
What started out as simply a few gay
women meeting when the Dinah Shore
Golf Tournament came to town grew
bigger and bigger with each passing
year. In 1991, promoter Mariah Hanson,
seeing a golden opportunity, took a
risk, booked out a hotel and hired talent — and The Dinah was born. Now
in its 24th year, the gargantuan girl extravaganza lures thousands of women
to the desert town each spring for what
Hanson, who still produces the energetic event, memorably describes as
“a five-day bacchanalian whirlwind of
lesbian delight.”
While some sources put numbers at
15,000 pool- and partygoing women,
Hanson prefers not to dwell on figures,
choosing instead to focus on delivering the best entertainment possible to
however many thousands and thousands descend.
“We produce an event that rivals any
in the country, straight or gay, which
is not always the case with lesbian
events. I don’t skimp on entertainment
or production. We try to outdo ourselves each year. It’s a good recipe for
delivering a five-star event,” she says.
EXPLORE THE
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Some sources put The Dinah numbers at 15,000 pool- and partygoing women.
KURFEW
This year, Canadian lesbian heartthrobs Tegan and Sara headline and
are responsible for what is set to be
the Dinah’s largest audience yet, with a
substantial influx of Canadians due to
join the hordes.
“This year we’ve got a lot of Canadians coming because of our headliners,
of course,” Hanson says, “but predominantly, it’s women from the western US
states, although we get folks from all
50.” In the last few years, the fame of
The Dinah has been spreading beyond
the continent; Hanson credits both
word of mouth and the event’s starring
roles onscreen. “We’ve had an international audience all along, but the
L Word TV shows have definitely been
instrumental in spreading the word
— both the original L Word when they
filmed an episode here in Season 1 and
The Real L Word. They’ve now filmed
here three times.” — Aefa Mulholland
ON THE WEB
More details at thedinah.com.
Trevor Boris loves to live
lavishly. Nic Kazamia prefers
life on the edge. It’s a travel
competition that takes you
around the world with two
completely opposite hosts.
AIRING TUESDAY, MARCH 25
7:30PM & 10:30PM ET
7:30PM PT
COME ALONG FOR THE RIDE!
VOTE ON FACEBOOK (AND FOLLOW ALONG ON TWITTER #TRAVELCHALLENGE)
Saturday gay beach party in Vegas
Opened in 1957, the Tropicana is one of
the few original hotels remaining on the
legendary Las Vegas strip. Now, after
a $200 million renovation, “The New
Tropicana” resort is promising to revolutionize the day-club experience for
LGBT tourists.
Starting in the spring (the launch
date has not yet been announced) the
Tropicana Beach Club will be home to
Xposed — the only Saturday gay pool
party on the strip. It’s billed as the “ultimate Saturday beach party” for LGBT
travellers, promising “sun-kissed go-go
dancers, celebrity guest performers and
DJs spinning all the latest hits.”
“From attending all major-city gay
pride celebrations nationwide to hosting Sin City Shootout, the largest LGBT
sporting event in the world, and the
2013 launch of TropLV GLAM, we support the community wherever we can,”
says Fred Harmon, chief marketing officer for The New Tropicana. “Xposed is
the next phase in our property’s LGBTQ
initiatives, and we look forward to providing the ultimate Las Vegas day-club
for LGBTQ travellers.”
The all-new Tropicana Beach Club
features breathtaking waterfalls, palm
trees, luxury daybeds and cabanas,
alongside two Olympic-sized sand volleyball courts, two heated pools and a
high-rise stage for live entertainment.
A food menu will feature handcrafted
cocktails and light bites.
And for Abba fans, starting in spring
2014 (tickets are on sale now), the
Tropicana Theatre will be home to the
smash Broadway musical Mamma Mia.
ON THE WEB
The all-new Tropicana Beach Club.
TROPLVGLAM.COM
More details at xposedlv.com,
troplvglam.com.
XTRA! MARCH 13–26, 2014 25
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26 MARCH 13–26, 2014 XTRA!
XTRA! MARCH 13–26, 2014 27

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