APRIL 2012 ISSUE 102 • FREE
The Voice of Alberta’s LGBT Community
INTERVIEW WITH
AMANDA TAPPING
Wil Wheaton
Child Actor all Grown Up
A Noble Experience
ISCCA Coronation XXXVI
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InnerSPACE Richard Hatch BULLY movie ...and more!
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Calgary • Alberta • Canada
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Robert Englund Freddy visits Calgary
STARTING ON PAGE 55
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Photography
Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, Diaz-Marino B&J
Videography
Steve Polyak, Videography Rob Diaz-Marino Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino
Printers Transcontinental PrintersPrinting
North Hill News/Central Web
Distribution Calgary: Distribution Gallant Distribution,
Calgary: Gallant Distribution GayCalgary Staff GayCalgary Edmonton: Clark’sStaff Distribution Edmonton: Other:Clark’s CanadaDistribution Post Other: Canada Post
Legal Council
Courtney Aarbo, LegalBarristers Council and Solicitors Courtney Aarbo, Barristers and Solicitors
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This Month's Cover Month's Main: AmandaThis Tapping, Top Cover Right: Wil Wheaton, Cherbyand Christina Studios, AguileraMiddle courtesyRight: of Sony photo Paramount Chris Pictures; Annie Lennox courtesyphoto of Mike Tron & Makayla Quinn St.Asia, byOwen; Steve RexRight: Goudie. Polyak, Bottom Robert Englund.
Proud Members of:
Publisher’s Column
8 Out From Under
‘Bully’ director and lesbian teen talk controversial documentary
10 A Noble Experience 11 Gender Bender Celebrates Safety and Support at Grant MacEwan University
PAGE
Mercedes Allen, Chris Azzopardi, Dallas Barnes, Dave Brousseau, Sam Casselman, Jason Clevett, Ben Andrew Coleman, Collins,Jade Emily Cooper, Collins,Andrew Rob Diaz-Marino, Collins, Rob Janine Diaz-Marino, Eva Trotta,Janine Jack Fertig, Eva Trotta, GlenJack Hanson, Fertig, Joan Hilty, Nathan Evan Gerbino, Kayne,Glen Stephen Hanson, Lock,Joan NeilHilty, McMullen, Evan Allan Kayne, Neuwirth, RichardSteve Labonte, Polyak, Stephen CareyLock, Rutherford, Allan Neuwirth, Romeo San Steve Vicente, Polyak,EdCarey Sikov,Rutherford, Nick VivianRomeo and San the Vicente, GLBT Community Ed Sikov and of Calgary, the LGBTEdmonton, Community andof Calgary, Edmonton, Alberta.and Alberta.
Bullying: Leading by Example
12 GEEK-GASM
InnerSPACE on the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo 2012
14 Richard Hatch
Battlestar Galactica star on the Future of Science Fiction
16 Running for Royalty
ISCCA Candidates for Emperor and Empress 36
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Writers and Contributors
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18 One…Two…Robert’s coming for you Robert Englund brings his nightmare to the CCE
20 Cool, Cocky and Bad
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Wrestlers invade the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo
22 MIND AND MUSCLE 24 PLAYING THE FIELD
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Game On! This spring with Rugby by Timoteo
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28 On Trans* Beauty Contestants 30 Deep Inside Hollywood
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Publisher: Steve Polyak Editor: Rob Diaz-Marino Sales: Steve Polyak Design & Layout: Rob Diaz-Marino, Ara SteveShimoon Polyak
More pilots, casts and uncertainty
31 Cocktail Chatter The Salty Dog
Edmonton Rainbow Business Association
International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association
32 Mr. Gay World Competition Sparks Controversy in Africa
Sentiments on the withdrawal of Mr. Gay Zimbabwe from this Year’s Competition
34 A Disordered Reaction National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association
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Alberta Still Treating Homosexuality as Pathology
36 Out of Town
Memphis and Nashville Continued on Next Page
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Table of Contents Continued From Previous Page
38 Ghost Town LGBT Campout Are you afraid of the dark?
Magazine Figures
39 WorldPride 2012
Monthly Print Quantity:
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7,000–9,000 copies Guaranteed Circulation: 7,000 copies Bonus Circulation: up to 2,000 copies
40 Crushing on Crusher
Wil Wheaton on The Next Generation, being a child actor, and his sexuality.
42 Amanda Tapping Leather, Bullets and Grace
44 Jer’s Vision Welcomes Faye Estrella New Conference Coordinator Spreads Her Wings
44 Two Yummy Fundraisers for SHARP 47 52 53 54 55 60 62
Queer Eye Chelsea Boys A Couple of Guys Bitter Girl Directory and Events Classified Ads Q Scopes
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A Taste for Life and the Mac and Cheese Cook-off
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Originally established in January 1992 as Men for Men BBS by MFM Communications. Name changed to GayCalgary in 1998. Independent company as of January 2004. First edition of GayCalgary.com Magazine published November 2003. Name adjusted in November 2006 to GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine. February 2012 returned to GayCalgary Magazine
Disclaimer and Copyright Opinions expressed in this magazine are specific to the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of GayCalgary staff and contributors. Those involved in the making of this publication, whether advertisers, contributors, or the subjects of articles or photographs, are not necessarily gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans. This magazine also includes straight allies and those who are gay friendly. No part of this publication may be reprinted or modified without the expressed written permission of the editor or publisher. Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. GayCalgary is a registered trademark.
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Editorial
Bullying: Leading by Example Publisher’s Column
By Rob Diaz-Marino, MSc. Many of us think we know what bullying is. Perhaps many of us have our own experiences to draw from, and that because we’ve survived it growing up, we are automatically experts qualified enough to lead the next generation by example. But there is a problem with that.
If you care about anti-bullying causes but were uncertain about anything I just mentioned; if you’ve ever called someone a bully without having a clear idea - that you can describe in detail - of what a bully actually is and does; then it’s possible you could be a tool in society’s latest witch hunt. You could be helping bullies to debase the people that are trying to stand up for themselves, or you could unwittingly be a bully yourself through actions that you think are acceptable and justified.
Ladies and gentlemen, I may be stating the obvious when I report that bullying happens amongst adults too. All the heightened awareness of bullying in recent times has heavily charged the word with bad connotations, making it an ideal label for actual bullies to sling falsely at others in order to hurt them, and rally people to aid in put downs and isolation. People have been stirred to such a frenzy over this important issue that true bullies, be they children or adults, are taking advantage of this to deflect the attention and continue terrorizing others. People who are just expressing an opinion, making fair criticism, standing up for themselves or others, can be falsely labelled “bullies” to take that assertiveness away from them, to put doubt in their minds, to force them into submission. And that’s just another way true bullies can strip power away from their victims. When we become adults, bullying situations are no longer as black and white as the big angry 6th grader on the playground versus the wispy little 2nd grader with bruises and a black eye. As adults, the big guys who put on a strong front can be the victims, as can the little guys crying foul be the bullies. Adult bullying can occur in business, domestic, and social situations. Adults are more capable of deception, to only throw their punches when nobody is looking, and fall on their own swords to garner sympathy when people are. If you opt to take a side, it can frequently be difficult to determine who the real bully is. Perhaps there isn’t one at all, and both parties are just being ridiculous in a disagreement. So I think it’s time to challenge people in the LGBT community to refresh their knowledge on bullying. You may know or easily be able to find anti-bullying resources but when’s the last time you actually read them through? Can you accurately name the key elements that define bullying behaviour? Can you list the different types of bullying? Can you name with certainty the psychological traits of a bully, or the impacts experienced by victims? Did you know that bystanders are just as involved in bullying situations as are the bullies and the victims themselves? Can you name the ways that cyber-bullying is different from conventional bullying?
“A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself.” [Dan Olweus, Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do] Lets break it down into the key elements. “Repeatedly and over time” means that bullying happens in multiple occurrences, indicating a regular pattern of behavior. This pattern continues despite the aggressor(s) knowing, or having ample indication that they are committing “negative actions” that are unwelcome by the receiver. This can be done by “one or more other persons”, meaning that bullying can be the result of collective actions by a group of people, including bystanders who actively or passively support or condone the actions that they witness. Lastly, this behavior continues with the knowledge that the victim “has difficulty defending himself or herself,” exploiting an imbalance of power. This can be due to a physical or mental disability/disadvantage, a contract, a conflict of interest, blackmail, or simply that the bullying is done in a manner that blocks the victim’s ability to defend themselves, such as overwhelming them physically, with raised voice, using fear, threats, or intimidation. In some of Dan Olweus‘ other literature [Peer Harassment in School, 2001], he defines 6 types of bystanders in the “Bullying Circle”. Followers or Henchmen participate but don’t usually initiate or lead in bullying actions. Supporters or Passive Bullies express support for bullying actions but don’t participate. Passive Supporters or Possible Bullies support bullying actions silently. Disengaged Onlookers don’t care, or don’t want to get involved. Then there are Possible Defenders who feel they should do something but don’t, and finally Defenders who step in to help the victim. The anti-bullying craze has got people eager to step forward and do something, but in adult situations where appearances can be deceiving, stepping in as a Defender for the wrong person can pit you as a Henchman or Supporter for a bully.
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Let’s begin with a basic definition:
GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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Continued from Previous Page When you can’t determine bullies and henchmen from victims and defenders, it might help to take a step back and look at patterns of behaviour rather than the immediate situation. According to ViolencePreventionWorks.org, bullies get into frequent fights, perceive a negative climate around them, may steal and vandalize property, and possibly even carry a weapon or otherwise remain prepared for a fight. Schools (and we can guess other environments) with bullying issues develop a climate of fear and disrespect where people have difficulty working, learning, or having fun because they feel insecure being there. People who are bullied can suffer from depression, low self-esteem, social withdrawal, and even suicidal thoughts. But observers of bullying can also be negatively impacted, possibly feeling fearful, powerless, tempted to participate or guilty for not acting. Bullying is not just physical violence and nasty insults. It also includes social exclusion and isolation, spreading lies and false rumors, stealing or damaging physical property, and threatening or forcing people to do things to harm or humiliate themselves. Verbal abuse can also come in forms of racial and sexual bullying. My column last month, Facebook: A Home Invasion, incidentally hinted at some of the unique characteristics of cyber-bullying. Also from ViolencePreventionWorks.org, these characteristics include Anonymity (not knowing who is attacking you), Accessibility (bullies being able to reach you anytime, day or night), Bystanders (possibly in the millions), and Disinhibition (doing or saying things you normally wouldn’t in a face-to-face setting). Simply jumping on the anti-bullying bandwagon is not enough to make things better for the next generation. When we as adults are still dealing with bullies in our own generation, and still at a loss for how to identify them and deal with them, then perhaps our childhood bullying experiences really haven’t taught us anything. March 2012 March was the month of major annual events at the University of Calgary. It was strange for me, returning to my old haunt and seeing how much has changed – some new buildings on campus, a number of existing ones rearranged. But enough still the same to cause a great deal of nostalgia. The third annual presentation of the Coming Out Monologues was a roaring success again this year. The first show was sold out several days prior, and the last few tickets to the second show were snapped up during intermission of the first show, by people wanting to see the second performance. The lineup of performers for each separate show was largely different, making for a unique performance each night of its two night run. Steve and I attended the first night and we were happy to see so many fresh and interesting new monologues, the creations of many familiar faces in the community. I have to say we got a kick out of Zak Slams monologue whose survival guide to the
Online Last Month (1/2) Health In Perspective: The Oral Sex, Cancer Connection One of the most striking recent medical developments is difficult to talk about, but it’s timely and important. Cancers of the tongue and throat, all categorized... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2773
Book Marks
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?, by Jeanette Winterson. Grove Press, 224 pages, $25 hardcover. ... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2779
Book Marks
Eminent Outlaws: The Gay Writers Who Changed America
Eminent Outlaws: The Gay Writers Who Changed America, by Christopher Bram. Twelve/Grand Central Publishing, 378... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2780
Creep of the Week Stacey Campfield
There are a lot of things wrong with State Senator Stacey Campfield (R-Tennessee). Mainly mouth things and brain things, as in the thoughts he has... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2781
Creep of the Week One Million Moms
Lest there be any confusion, this week’s Creep is not just a million random ladies with kids. One Million Moms is an affiliate of the American Family... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2782
Creep of the Week Mitt Romney
It makes me sad that there are LGBT people in America who will vote for Mitt Romney should he get the wet bar of soap that is the Republican nomination... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2783
Creep of the Week Chris Christie
Well, marriage equality was nearly realized in New Jersey. But one guy stood in the way. And that one guy was Governor Chris Christie who vetoed the... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2784
Deep Inside Hollywood
Porn star James Deen recruited by Bret Easton Ellis
It doesn’t get crazier than this combination: American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis, alt-porn star James Deen and Taxi Driver screenwriter/Cat... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2785
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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Online Last Month (2/2) Hear Me Out
Lana Del Rey, Kellie Pickler
Lana Del Rey, Born to Die Focus on Lana Del Rey’s enigmatic image and you miss the point: Her major-label debut, Born to Die, is an intoxicating... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2786
Hear Me Out
Sinead O’Connor, Yuksek
Sinead O’Connor, How About I Be Me (And You Be You)? Does nothing compare to Sinead O’Connor? On her ninth album, and first since the Irish... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2787
Winter Chill Tracks Baby, it’s cold outside. Luckily, gay dance floors are fired up this winter, thanks to new blazing tracks from our favorite club artists. Here are just... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2788
The OutField
Two Super Bowl winners
Although billions of dollars were bet on this month’s Super Bowl, the score of the game shouldn’t have mattered to the LGBT community. Both the... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2789
Thinking Out Loud: Two Lesbians Abroad
What our guidebook didn’t tell us about being out of the closet in Egypt
Nearly 3500 years ago, the female pharaoh, Hatshepsut, ruled Egypt. A powerful queen, she appears in temple... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2790
Thinking Out Loud: The 9th Circuit’s Love Letter to Justice Kennedy
Alberta LGBT Community included getting one’s photograph in GayCalgary Magazine! The event showed further growth this year with additional sideshows, including art exhibits and a dress-up photo booth. Later in the month was the Gender Bender at the Den, presented by Queers on Campus. Pride Calgary tagged on their support for this event, declaring it The Official Halfway to Pride Party. They had a pretty great crowd come out – organizers say they sold close to 300 tickets. Fake Mustache put on an entertaining show, with numbers from Argentina, Matchbox Max, and April Storm, and including a mocking traditional reading of cheesy gay erotica that some may remember from Club Sapien: “Story Time with April”. Photo Gallery Last month we were happy to announce the relaunch of our new and improved online Photo/Video Gallery. Judging by how much our web servers have been pummelled over the past month, I think it’s safe to say this has proven to be a popular new feature of our site. So popular that we’ll promptly be doing some much needed upgrades to our hardware to accommodate the demand. If you found our website behaving slow, or received Error 500 messages while trying to access things, our upgrades will address these issues. We also got off to a bit of a false start with the video side of our gallery. After some initial experimentation, intense research, and tough forward-thinking discussions, we hashed out a new strategy for providing video in a manner that is accessible to both our Windows- and Mac-using audience. We opted to provide streaming so that visitors can start watching videos right away and jump ahead to any point they wish, rather than having to wait for the whole video to download. This meant we needed to redo all of the videos that we had posted initially. Lucky for us, we were able to figure out how to automate some of the video processing tasks, and we’re already beyond being caught up to where we were prior to changing direction. As we post photos, we’re doing our best to include descriptions that mention performers, venues, organizations, and so on, so that people can use our photo search feature to track down what they’re looking for. You can access this search feature by clicking on the magnifying glass icon right above the photo gallery. Also, if your finger gets tired from clicking the Next or Previous buttons as you’re looking through an album, you can always click the green “play” arrow above the photo for a nice slide show.
A User-Friendly Guide to the Latest Prop 8 Victory
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Over the last two years I’ve had some version of this conversation maybe two dozen times: Random Person: “Isn’t it... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2791
Blown Away by Blue Man Group Until you have actually experienced The Blue Man Group live, it may be hard to understand the appeal. What is so great about three guys painted blue banging... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2793
The Western Cup XXX
Celebrating 30 Years in Style
As Winter turns to Spring, Calgarians have a lot to celebrate, and this Easter long weekend is no exception. Rather than biting the ear off of a chocolate... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2794
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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Interview
Photos by The Weinstein Co
Out From Under
‘Bully’ director and lesbian teen talk controversial documentary By Chris Azzopardi Lee Hirsch will never forget the brutality of his middleschool years, when he was the victim of what, in recent years, has become a tragic epidemic – bullying. The punches, taunts and name-calling were all wielded his way. And the bullshit justification for all the above: that it’s just part of being a kid. But, as Hirsch’s controversial documentary Bully argues, it shouldn’t be. “The driving force behind the film was to give a voice to that experience for myself and for others,” says the Long Island-raised writer/director, who sensitively spotlights the national issue in the film. “I made it for all of us ex-bullied and once-bullied – the coalition.” And he did it by putting a face on the ever-growing problem. Five faces, in fact. Harrowing and heartbreaking, the docu follows the teens – one of which is then-16-yearold lesbian Kelby Johnson, living in Tuttle, Okla. – as they’re victimized within their own schools, often brushing it off as just a part of growing up. “I was looking for a way to change something,” Kelby says, “and Lee gave me that opportunity, and I was excited to take that and run with it.” To many gay teens, Kelby’s story of being ostracized is devastatingly familiar: She’s the reject of her small-town community, which doesn’t accept that she’s a lesbian – or that she has a girlfriend. Tuttle turns against not only Kelby but also her family. “Kelby and I didn’t bond over a conversation about sexuality,” says Hirsch, who didn’t want to discuss his own orientation with us. “We bonded over the experience of being bullied, and that was really the same as it was with all the kids. I feel like our relationship began with a real conversation about what I experienced, what I wanted to set out to achieve with this film, why her story mattered and why what was happening wasn’t OK.” They met via The Ellen DeGeneres Show, after Kelby’s mom, desperate to help her daughter, reached out to the 8
GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
outspoken talk-show host through a message board because she was afraid her daughter would succumb to the same fate of the many gay teens who’ve killed themselves in the last few years. Kelby not only didn’t, but she’s now helping others get through those hard years. “I know that being gay, you can feel very alone,” she says, “and I hope that when they watch the movie, that goes away and they realize there is someone standing with them who has gone through that. The world is going to change and people are going to get more accustomed to (LGBT people), and they should be here to see it.” Hirsch began filming in 2009, before the rush of LGBTrelated suicides was met with national attention: Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, who jumped off the George Washington Bridge; 13-year-old Seth Walsh, who hanged himself; and Asher Brown, who shot himself after being bullied for coming out. “They didn’t inspire the film, but it informed the early stages,” Hirsch says of the suicides. “You’re just overwhelmed by how much tragedy there is. The suicides were deeply moving, and people were writing in response to them – and it seemed that people everywhere were really struggling with this issue.” Youth selected for the film were all, coincidentally, from rural communities and not vast urban cities. “It wasn’t intentional. It was the way it fell together, and the stories we found were most compelling there. A lot of it had to do with getting that access in Sioux City (the home of then-12year-old lead, Alex Libby) which kind of landed us in the Midwest to begin with.” Some footage was filmed in New York and Minneapolis, but none as powerful as what made the final cut, Hirsch says. “There was something about the landscape of smalltown America, the quiet and incredible heroism of the families, that I was really drawn to. There are so few outlets there; in big cities, there’s more for kids who don’t fit in or are different, so I think bullying in a small town can be more acute. It can be a harder world.” Once he had his subjects, shooting was another challenge. Kelby’s school, unlike that of Alex, denied them access to film inside the premises. And the scenes involving bird’seye-views of bus rides and principal office sit-downs were “incredibly difficult” to capture. One scene, on the bus, involves coarse language that the MPAA deemed too obscene for anything less than a hard R rating. Disappointed that the film’s message wouldn’t reach those it intended to, the studio fought the decision – with Michigan teen Katy Butler leading a movement that rallied www.gaycalgary.com
minded, she mentions – with her girlfriend. Her plan now involves becoming a gay activist and working with LGBT groups, like Do Something, to continue blasting the bullying issue. “There’s always going to be something, but (the bullying) has calmed down a little bit for me after the film,” she says, “and there are a lot of things I can brush off now. The film has helped me grow stronger and be more aware of others around me. It’s definitely been a positive experience, and I will carry it with me for the rest of my life.”
nearly a half-million supporters, including – no kidding – Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp. Just days before its release date, Weinstein Co. decided to go the unrated route, snubbing the MPAA and leaving the decision to screen the film up to individual theaters. “We were just shocked,” Hirsch says of the MPAA’s decision. “I guess I wasn’t as shocked at the initial R, because technically we knew that that might happen, but the appeal was really devastating because we had such a strong, compelling argument and other films had been overturned and had much worse profanity. We really thought they’d understand and recognize the value and the merit and the hope that this film offers to so many.” One of them being Kelby, who’s now 19, just got her GED and is living in Oklahoma City – somewhat less close-
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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Interview
ISCCA’s 35th Emperor, Chris Tron & Empress, Makayla Quinn St. Asia
A Noble Experience By Jade Cooper GayCalgary Magazine caught up with the 35th Emperor Chris Tron and the 35th Empress Makayla Quinn St. Asia of the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Chinook Arch Social Association (ISCCA SA) to discuss the approaching Coronation and to weigh in on their reign. On April 21st, 2012, the ISCCA SA will host one of Calgary’s most glamorous affairs of the year. The reigning 35th Emperor and Empress will be sharing the Westin stage with the ISCCA SA College of Monarchs, special guests and performers traveling from across Canada and from the United States for the 36th Coronation. Attendees will enjoy fine dining, entertainment, philanthropy and the reveal of the 36th Emperor and Empress. The evening will sparkle with guests in full party regalia, “There [will be] enough rhinestones and sequins to sink a battle ship,” said Empress Makayla. Amidst the glitz and glam there is a greater purpose, to support organizations such as Beswick House, this year’s chosen charity and the ISCCA SA’s annual recipient, The Children’s Wish Foundation. Emperor Chris wanted to advise the event is open to all and newcomers are encouraged to attend, “There is something in the atmosphere that really makes you feel like you are part of something.” Strengthening relations across Canada and in the US, while bringing the ‘fun’ back into fundraising, Emperor Chris and Empress Maykala thought outside the box and came up with wet and wild ideas that were extremely successful, and again, FUN! Chris worked closely with ARGRA to bring a dunk tank to the rodeo. “I must have been dunked thirty or forty times.” As long as people were having fun, he was happy to make a splash for charity. “You can’t take yourself too seriously. You have to understand you are just one person trying to make a difference in this world.” Other Calgary events included two H2O Drag Shows, where audience members could take aim at the stage with water balloons, as well as World Aids Day, the F**ked Up Follies, Shooter Saturdays and four Christmas Shows. For Emperor Chris and Empress Makayla, this year wasn’t just about raising money, “Our scope was much bigger than that,” said Emperor Chris. “This year was about community unity. We wanted to let everyone know this is a fun social association and an organization that everyone can be a part of. [While] we were trying to raise money, we also wanted to be positive role models and encourage others to be active members in the community.” Developing new friendships and creating stronger relations with the LGBTQ communities across Canada, 10
GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
Empress Makayla swept across the nation with appearances from Vancouver to Halifax. Both the Emperor and Empress were able to make co-appearances in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Regina. Her only regret was that she wasn’t able to make it to the United States. However, Emperor Chris made it to his hometown coronation in Texas. “Houston was the most memorable experience for me, although, each out-of-town experience was special in some way. For me, to go back to Houston was very important. [It was] a chance to go home and hold my head high...” The turbulent flight wasn’t the only bump in the road for these two. Traveling on a shoestring budget, the Emperor and Empress were candid about the obstacles they faced on their journey together. Carpooling, staying with friends, family and community members kept the costs extremely low. Juggling busy work and travel schedules, Emperor Chris provided this insight, “[This experience] is like a marriage. You are a ‘volunteer spouse’ soto-speak. We would make team decisions and everyone has their ups and downs. At the end of the day, we did this together and we both had the same common goal. We went through our trials and tribulations and prevailed.” Emperor Chris and Empress Makayla made a pact that in spite of any eventuality, they would remain friends for life. “We’ve been friends for quite a few years. Sure there are bumps in the road, like in any friendship. Ninety-nine point nine percent of the time, we did what we had to do,” said Empress Makayla. These nobles held a humble court, attributing their success to the unsung heroes, volunteers and Emperors and Empresses past. “The people I must thank are Jason Holly and Madding Crowd, my design team and especially, Dale Eby. Obviously, everybody has contributed, but those three in particular really came through for me, personally, making unselfish contributions to my year and I want to take a moment to thank [them],” said Emperor Chris with great acclaim. Empress Makayla praised Octavia, Brandy, Empress Dynamite and Emperor Wolfgang for their wisdom and for sharing life lessons that carried her through her reign, ”My best friend in Halifax taught me to never forget who I am, Emperor Dion Boink always told me to remain strong [and that] no matter what, I am who I am.” Emperor Chris, as well, praised Emperor Dion Boink, “He always maintains a positive attitude and leads by example. He is just a very good human being and what I really respect most about him is that he is a compassionate individual.” Beaming with pride, they went on to rave about the amazing people they met and rekindling friendships. It was their friends, the volunteers and each other that would rally around, encouraging the Emperor and Empress to forge ahead. “When you take on a role like this, you are putting yourself out there - good and bad. What makes it all worthwhile are the people that made this an incredible experience.” They both agreed this was an experience that changed their lives. “I feel like a better person,” said Emperor Chris. “I got to reflect on what is important in life and how precious those few moments are.” We asked for some final words of wisdom for the 36th Emperor and Empress of the ISCCA SA. “Keep a positive attitude,” Emperor Chris advises. “Keep your goal in mind, keep focused and surround yourself with incredible people. When you feel the pressure, it’s those people that encourage you and keep you on track.” Empress Makayla agreed, adding: “Always remember who you are and always have fun!”
The ISCCA SA www.iscca.ca
Coronation XXXVI Sat, Apr 21st, 4pm • The Westin Calgary
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Community
Gender Bender Celebrates Safety and Support at Grant MacEwan University By Janine Eva Trotta
March 23rd was a festive day for both the LGBTQ community and straight allies alike at Edmonton’s Grant MacEwan University. Held in the Towers Bar from 6-10pm, students dressed outside of their gender to “raise awareness of gender roles, and provide a safe environment for students to dress up as another gender and talk about the challenges and triumphs they face in their gender role,” explains Nicole Tupechka, the Social Wellness and Awareness Coordinator for the Students’ Association of Grant MacEwan University. Over $2,000 was allocated to the very special event, which was fully supported by the Students’ Association of MacEwan along with the student group InQUEERies (co-chaired by Stephanie Dean and Joshua Stewart). The two groups worked collectively throughout the year to achieve this year’s soiree. “The Peer Support program of MacEwan has helped a tremendous amount to ensure this event will be as successful as possible and provide resources for students who may be facing challenges,” Tupechka says. “A main goal of mine for the year was to make sure that ALL students at MacEwan feel safe and appreciated,” she explains. “I wanted to ensure that MacEwan is acknowledged as an inclusive university where students are encouraged to be themselves and feel safe pursuing new opportunities.” The event was an opportunity for attendees to enjoy themselves in a relaxed environment, collect and share resources, and show support for fellow students. In addition, it was chance to celebrate the Str8 Against H8 campaign launched in February. “The straight population of MacEwan really showed up and gave their full support, letting the LBGT community know that this is safe space, and that there are many straight allies within the MacEwan community,” Tupechka said. InQUEERies meets every Thursday until April 8th. For more information on upcoming events and the queer word on campus visit and like the InQUEERies facebook page.
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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Interview
Cynthia Loyst
GEEK-GASM
InnerSPACE on the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo 2012 By Evan Kayne Once again, the hosts of InnerSPACE (Space TV’s Sci Fi genre news program) will be moderating panels, interviewing guests, and rubbing elbows with expo-goers at this year’s Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, April 27th-29th. This year, Teddy Wilson and Ajay Fry will be introducing their newest co-host Cynthia Loyst to the geeky awesomeness of Calgary’s Expo. I spoke with Teddy and Cynthia to get their thoughts on the expo, genre, LGBT characters in sci-fi, and upcoming events. Given the increasing size and the growing response the expo is generating year after year, I was curious about their thoughts on how we’re seeing cosplay and genre migrate into the mainstream. Teddy gave a recent example of the success of genre with the opening weekend box office gross of The Hunger Games. “A really great young adult dystopian sci-fi film that is now the #1 opening of any non-sequel film in cinema history. You can look at that as real evidence that this type of genre content has really gone beyond the tipping point in terms of pop culture and mainstream.” It’s the third biggest opening of all time, beaten by
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Ajay Fry
Teddy Wilson
two other films, both again genre: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and The Dark Knight. Cynthia added that we should stop thinking of it in terms of genre anymore because the overall concept of science fiction or fantasy has expanded out so far. “It’s permeating so many different realms now.” Part of this comes down to the premium put on smart content, and “as fans of sci-fi and genre, we believed for a long time that it’s the smartest type of content out there,” Teddy said. The other area which the hosts have seen grow at expos is the amount of people dressing up (“cosplay”). The growth in cosplay has increased with the growth in conventions like the Calgary Expo. “Often when you talk to convention goers if they’re not dressed up, if they’re not cosplaying that first time, the overarching sense of it is I think I’m going to dress up next time,” said Teddy. Furthermore, the growth in cosplay may be due to fact a lot of the design and costume elements from sci-fi and fantasy genres are seeping into the mainstream, according to Cynthia. “I was in New York this past weekend and I was in this department store, very high end, called Lord and Taylor. There was this very expensive display of cufflinks. They were all Star Wars inspired. A couple months ago during New York Fashion Week, Helmut Lang...did a whole Game of Thrones inspired Fall collection.” In addition, many cosplayers at conventions make their own costumes, and this is spilling into the mainstream “Do-ItYourself” crowd on sites like etsy.com. People who don’t consider themselves geeks or into the genre may make stuff “inspired by” the outfits from a particular show or comic book. Or as Teddy puts it: “...it’s rapidly becoming Halloween every day of the year; we couldn’t be more thrilled about that.”
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Of course, the REAL thrill for the InnerSPACE folks this year is the Star Trek: The Next Generation (ST:TNG) reunion. They are both thrilled and nervous, as Cynthia told me. “Teddy and Ajay have had more experience moderating panels with the Star Trek crew and often – I’m not sure if this comes from William Shatner himself, but he’s been known to take over...and moderate for himself. A lot of the Star Trek guys tend to do that.” It will be interesting to see how well that will fall out with this many cast members. Teddy is incredibly pumped, as he grew up watching this show. Just being on the same stage as the cast is like a holodeck fantasy come true. “It’s going to be amazing. Just to have the nine original cast members on the same stage. It’s the first time it’s happened in over 20 years, so I think it’s really a testament to the strength and the prestige of the Calgary Expo that this is happening there in your own back yard.” Admittedly, there are a few people going to the expo not just because of Star Trek. Another guest the hosts are anticipating is Lance Henriksen. Cynthia is a huge fan of Alien, and a huge horror junkie; she remembers Lance for his work on Pumpkinhead. As well, she’s looking forward to meeting Robert Englund: “...if someone had told my 13 year old self that I would eventually meet Freddy Krueger, I would have said WHAAT!?” Teddy is anticipating running into Katee Sackoff and Aaron Douglas from Battlestar Galactica once more. “They do quite a few conventions but they’re always amazing guests. I think Battlestar Galactica changed the face of modern sci-fi. I don’t think you can overstate it enough how much of an impact that show and actors like Katee and Aaron have had on the current world of sci-fi.” As well, the hosts are looking forward to meeting the idea man behind Marvel Comics – the amazing Stan Lee. Considering such heavyweights from the industry with so many years of experience will be at the expo, I asked Cynthia and Teddy for their thoughts on how gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender characters are now depicted in sci-fi/horror/fantasy genres from when Star Trek: The Next Generation was on-air. On ST:TNG, two episodes which addressed GLBT sexuality include “The Outcast” and “The Host”. Cynthia knows people still have reservations about those episodes; given the time period they were produced she thought the episodes were fantastic. She feels “The Outcast” was an attack on the gay conversion therapy and as for “The Host” - in her opinion, the way it addressed the idea of differing sexuality was subtle and sophisticated. People who might have otherwise turned the channel if they didn’t want to think about homosexuality may have paid attention instead because it was portrayed in this different context. She adds that “I think we’re seeing constant examples in science fiction that really push the envelope forward. I think science fiction has always been doing that in many ways.” In terms of recent television series, we’re seeing characters like Jack Harkness from Torchwood whose sexuality could be best described as “omnisexual”. In the television adaptation of Game of Thrones, Renly Baratheon is openly gay (while his sexuality was only obliquely hinted at in the books). In addition, Cynthia likes Lafayette Reynold from True Blood: “his character is such a great combination of being fierce and smart and strong and vulnerable...to me he transcends the stereotypical depictions that sometimes can happen in mainstream television.” In a way science fiction has always extended the idea of gender, she added. We watch people interact with alien species or robots when they’re having intimate encounters and we may find out our ideas of heteronormativity being challenged. Teddy agrees, adding while there still may be a bit of timidity around the subject of differing sexuality, it’s no more than other genres may display. That being said, sci-fi does tend to be on the cutting edge at times – for instance, the first interracial kiss on television occurred on the original Star Trek. Teddy acknowledges people were disappointed there wasn’t an actual gay or lesbian character on ST:TNG. Since then, there have been LGBT characters like Willow on Buffy, Sam Adama on Caprica, and Susan on Babylon 5 to name a few. I suspect if ST:TNG
were being produced today, there would probably be a LGBT character included in the cast. Post-expo, this summer promises to be a busy one for the hosts of InnerSPACE , Teddy told me. “This is going to be an absolute dynamite summer for genre movies…” what with films like The Avengers, Men in Black 3, Prometheus, The Amazing Spider-man, Total Recall, The Dark Knight Rises, along with odder fair like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. “In terms of Space highlights, there are tonnes. Cynthia and I as well as our co-host Ajay are HUGE fans of Being Human; so the North American version – the season 2 finale is on April 9…we’re really exciting for that. Being Human (UK) is wrapping up its fourth season in April,” Teddy said. Additionally, Cynthia added they’re looking forward to the new season of Alphas and of course the seventh season of Doctor Who this Fall. Another favourite show of Teddy’s is the reality show Face Off. “It’s a competition based show, and it’s all special effects makeup and prosthetic makeup artists…it’s just a really great show. Cynthia’s a huge fan of horror and the prosthetics.” Whether you’re into genre films, or makeup, or reality TV, you get sucked in because it’s really fascinating to watch on so many levels. Finally, Teddy wanted everyone to know that they are “...really thrilled to be going back out to the Calgary Expo and to bring Cynthia out there for the first time…this is just a convention that is exceptional not only for its size (over 30,000 people last year) but also for the fact it’s a volunteer run non-profit organization. We just felt so warmly welcomed by Calgary last year, and we’re absolutely thrilled to get our frontier spirit on and be back out there in April.”
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Interview Richard used the TV series Firefly as an example. It had about 5 million fans on the Fox network and they dropped it. These same fans will go to a convention and spend $100, $200 on autographs or memorabilia in a day. In theory, they could spend $10 a month buying anything Firefly. $10 times 5 million is $50 million which could easily produce an unending stream of Firefly episodes. Yet the networks don’t operate that way – they have their own bureaucracy and benchmarks of the number of viewers required to make or break a show. “Under different business models, you don’t have to reach everybody to be highly successful.” The potential for this is huge. “There will be people with the technology, the equipment...the ability to do all kinds of incredible things from their home – you know when I was doing my trailer, what George Lucas had to do for months and months and months in their studio with special effects workers we can do at home on the home computer.” Now, people who may have other daytime jobs are learning this technology. They come home and they work on a film as a hobby. They’re making films for YouTube and depending on how many viewers they have, they are getting some payment from YouTube for making their videos. “Again, there’s millions of ways for people, for laymen, the person who couldn’t get through the pipeline to now find a way to make money and to do something that they love doing.” They could be living anywhere they don’t have to be in Hollywood or even plugged into the traditional Hollywood distribution grid. Web series are a start in that direction, and while Richard knows people may look down their nose at this type of distribution, “honestly, the studios and networks are looking at web series, because web series are not only going to play on your computer they’ll play on your TV. And what’s the difference? If you see programming you see programming. However it’s orchestrated or however it’s put together, still you’re going to watch it the same way.” By way of example: it was recently announced the prequel series Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome will be made into a web series.
Richard Hatch
Richard Hatch
Battlestar Galactica star on the Future of Science Fiction By Evan Kayne Actor, writer, producer, and perhaps...visionary? Richard Hatch wears all these hats quite well. Known for his involvement in both incarnations of Battlestar Galactia (as Apollo in the 1970s version, and Tom Zarek in the recent reboot) he has often spoken about these two roles. Yet he’s done a lot of other interesting things and may have an idea where science fiction on our television is going in the future. Back in 1999, Richard Hatch took a chance and financed a trailer which was proposed to be a sequel to the 1970s Battlestar Galactia. That trailer – Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming was innovative at the time because no one had done a trailer as a pitch. Furthermore, a lot of the special effects work was done with people assisting him on their home computers. Given the technology and software available in 2012, and with ideas like crowd sourcing and crowd funding, some of the projects that fans have done recently is amazing. I asked Richard what the impact will be on science fiction in television. “I think what’s going to happen more and more is the networks and studios...are really going to have to compete with people from all walks of life producing their own shows. Some of them will have a small audience, some of them will have a large audience. They’ll have a pipeline – a way to reach a larger network of people, so instead of an executive in a boardroom making the decision about the success or failure of a show, it’ll be the number of people watching and the particular business model someone is using.”
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What has also changed as we’ve watched science fiction evolve over the past 30 years is the move away from the bright shiny fantasy world to perhaps a grittier, darker style in many series. Richard thinks different themes now have room to be expressed – in the past writers and producers may have had to make a style of science fiction that could appeal to the largest audience. “Programming had to be more in the box, more square, serving the generic larger picture. With the new...models that are evolving on networks they’re realizing they don’t have to serve everybody, they can also serve smaller niche market places and still generate money from all the ancillary markets. Merchandising, games toys...there’s all kinds of ways of generating revenue. I think the advent of cable and programming that was edgier and more provocative really challenged the networks to realize the audience was smarter than they expected or thought. The audience was demanding less fantasy, more realism.” Programming has gone in that direction to hold a mirror up to society. This means we are seeing multi-dimensional characters where the drama arises from these flawed but human personas – sometimes they make the right choice, sometimes not. “We’re re-defining what it means to be a hero...sometimes the hero has fallen into the abyss like the prodigal son and struggled to find his way back. Even if he doesn’t make it back - the struggle, the heroism, the courage to try to make it back creates a new kind of hero.” As an idea of a new hero, Richard would have no problem with including a gay or lesbian character into the mix. “I think humanity is terrified of sexuality, and they put labels on it and try to put it into boxes. Most people probably have no clue what their real sexuality is because they’ve got so many biases and prejudices and fears and issues in the way they would never even go down that road of discovery. For me, characters should run the gamut.” Richard finds it amazing: the fear alternate sexuality brings up in people. “I embrace all walks of life...whatever buddy wants to do, let them do it as long as they’re not hurting somebody. I do think a really good show needs to embrace all the elements that make us human, otherwise, for me it’s not real.” In his opinion, if a realistic display of differing sexual orientations is illustrated on a television show, the better that show is. Richard gave the example of Spartacus where yes, there was a lot of hedonism and violence, but the characters are very well rounded and fascinating. There are gay characters on it, but no one makes a big deal about it. “It’s just part of the tapestry of the drama, and it’s an amazing show.”
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But speaking of bias and prejudice, the science fiction genre faces its own struggles against those who are pre-judged against it. “It always seems to me that the powers that be can’t wait to get a (sci-fi themed) show off. Even from the beginning with Battlestar (1970s version)...after day one we reached 65 million, we were five in the top ten, they were already pulling the budget back...People that don’t get it, they don’t support it and they don’t understand why other people like it. Even though business is business...personal bias and prejudice does come into decision making.”
In the meantime, Richard is not sitting still. He recently finished directing White Wings, a 1920s period piece about a woman who’s trying to find her own direction in life at a time when women were still suppressed. As well, he’s playing a priest in Dead by Friday, a movie about four wannabe mobsters who get in way over their head. He’s still working on his own project – The Great Wars of Magellan – which includes novels and several graphic novels, and they will be launching the Battlestar Galactica social network at BattlestarGalactica.com over the next couple weeks.
It’s not all bad news, though. Sometimes a show will survive low number of viewers because “...a network executive loves a show, believes in it, and leaves it on even with low numbers. Ultimately, many times that show in its second or third year fights its way up the top and becomes a hit.”
“It’s going to be like a Facebook for Battlestar where everybody can come over and hang out and live in that world.” Ongoing, he also works doing acting workshops, relationship workshops, and among other things, cruise adventures – one going down to the Mayan Riviera. Best of all for those of us in Calgary, we’ll get a chance to see and talk to Richard at this year’s Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo – hopefully he’ll expand even more on some of his experiences and ideas for the future.
Unfortunately, in Richard’s experience, sci-fi shows tend not to have as many champions fighting for them. “Even though sci-fi makes more money than any other genre – for some reason, the executives (most of them) don’t seem to get it or understand a sci-fi audience. Whenever they can pick a show off, they do.” Often if given a choice between two shows pulling in the same numbers of viewers, they will cancel a sci-fi show, with the justification that the costs are too high. This happens even on networks devoted to the genre (i.e. the Syfy channel in the States).
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“On the new Battlestar...they were just in a hurry to take it off because they said the ratings were dropping. Well, I’ve travelled the world the last four years. I’m telling you every time I travelled the audience is bigger. Not only that, everywhere I talked I realized people...don’t watch the Syfy channel...they have so many commercials they not only double bite you with charging you a premium price for the channel, but then they fill it with so many commercials.” Many viewers watched it on iTunes, or otherwise downloaded it; they watched it on DVD when it came out or they use TIVO or other personal video recorders. “People were watching it in ways that weren’t being registered.” This is something the fans have noticed, and hopefully as Richard continues to discuss this with attendees at conventions, it will inspire people to get out there and create their own science fiction dramas, and perhaps distribute it themselves.
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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Running for Royalty ISCCA Candidates for Emperor and Empress 36
Candidates Onyxx Myte (left), Bull Dozr (centre), Ruby Harte (right)
By Dallas Barnes It was almost one year ago when Calgary welcomed Royal Couple Will and Kate to its fine city. Next month, a different kind of Royal Couple will be crowned as the Calgary public votes for its next Emperor and Empress, who will reign for the 2012-2013 year. The Imperial Sovereign Court of the Chinook Arch, is rich in tradition, and has provided thousands of dollars to charitable organizations through fundraising, performance, personal finance, and volunteering. It began as an official organization in 1976, and is the oldest queer gay organization in Calgary. The ISCCA is also a branch of a much larger organization, The International Imperial Court System that, again is one of the largest gay organizations in North America, and as a collective has raised millions of dollars for charitable organizations. This year, the candidates vying for Emperor and Empress are a dedicated group of individuals that have pride in their own queer community, as well as a calling to help however they can with those in need. Each nominee took some time out of their busy schedule to chat with GayCalgary Magazine about their candidacy. Ruby Harte – Candidate for Empress XXXVI Ruby Harte became a Calgarian two years ago, and is proud to call it her home. She became part of the Imperial Court in Edmonton and was immediately entranced by the sense of community she felt, as well as the realization that she could be involved in a collective that could make a difference in the world. 16
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“I am a small town boy with big dreams!” says the central Alberta born 23 year old. “ I have been working and volunteering as long as I have been able to, working with recreational therapy in long-term care and the S.A.D.D., D.A.R.E., and the Alzheimer’s Society all while I was in high school.” “Working together to make a better life for others is and always will be a passion of mine. I bring forward a fresh perspective, and a passion to make a difference through creative ideas and a desire to bring the community closer together and to help build a safe and promising future for our youth!” “I plan on doing more than just the same old drag show to stimulate some much needed fundraising dollars,” Harte states when asked about the challenge for money. “I will definitely have more events in the summer, making sure to use up the wonderful weather while it is here. I also want to make sure to include as many all-age events as possible.” As a current Assistant Manager Trainee in her retail position, Harte also understands the fine balance between work and volunteerism. “My job has been very understanding with the demands that the Court requires of me. I have already reigned as Princess so they get what I need to do. We have discussed it, and there are no problems with working around it.” Onyxx Myte – Candidate for Empress XXXVI Onyxx Myte began her involvement with the Court in 2004. In 2006 she stepped up as Grand Duchess to Empress Dyna Myte and Emperor Wolfgang Von Bearstein. From this she gained exemplary experience dealing with the Upper House and truly understanding the importance of the Court’s role in www.gaycalgary.com
charity work. From there, she decided to continue on as Grand Duchess to Emperor Michael Myte and Empress Nina Tron in 2009. “Both experiences have taught me that with hard work throughout the year as a community we can make a huge difference in the charities throughout our city,” Onyx states, adding, “if I am elected Empress 36 I want the community to know that I will work hard and give it my all, to achieve the goals of the 36th reigning year and make a difference in the community.” With a full-time job, Onyx is more than prepared to dedicate her free time to the task at hand, fundraising for her charity. “I am planning on sticking to what has worked for us in the past in terms of raising money. I am also going to work with the community and think outside of the box to generate ideas with not only the gay businesses in the city, but also gay friendly bars, restaurants. I want to add a little extra to everything I do and generate a greater interest.” Onyx is excited to give back to the community that has given to her. “The Calgary queer community is way more active now in the public eye. I have also been working way more behind the scenes today than last year, so I have a better understanding of what needs to be done. We (the queer community in Calgary) are definitely headed in the right directions but all queer organizations have a lot of work ahead of us, and I want to be a part of that.” Bull Dozr – Candidate for Emperor XXXVI As the only candidate for Emperor 36, Emperor Candidate Bull Dozr will appear on the ballot as a yes or no vote. He is fairly new to the Court, but feels that his year as Prince and his 20 year involvement in Calgary’s queer community is more than enough to prepare him for a year as Emperor 36. “Though fairly new to the Imperial Court System, my reign as Prince this year has given me a sense of fulfillment and a drive to want to do more. It is a pleasure to be involved with an organization whose compassion for those less fortunate is so paramount. I have chosen to run for Emperor 36 so that I may be able to give back to a community that has given me so much in the past,” states Bull Dozr. As an employee at two queer retail favourites on 17th Avenue, Bull Dozr is very much supported to fundraise and represent the Court. “I am a firm believer in the community and I would like to extend an invitation to get more people involved in the Court.” This is definitely not an easy feat for an organization that many individuals in Calgary’s queer community are not familiar with. Bull Dozr approaches this honestly and with an open mind. “I would like to generate a new approach within the community. I want to stay focussed on the local, stay within the community. I would also like to focus my charity work on local charities such as CCASA, Miscellaneous Youth. I believe that a unified diverse community such as ours is a bonding force.” “I would also like to educate people on the rich history of the Court, particularly with this new blood of young community members that are coming out,” adds Bull Dozr when asked about his concern in terms of our queer history being forgotten. When asked about his take on the tough economy, and the challenges of fundraising, he is optimistic. “I want to generate and combine new ideas with the older successful ones. Our community is so diverse that there is something for everyone, and I want to cater to that.” Public voting for Emperor and Empress 36 will take place from noon to midnight on April 14th at the Backlot.
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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One…Two…Robert’s coming for you Robert Englund brings his nightmare to the CCE Robert Englund
By Jason Clevett Although there are many iconic characters in horror, it is rare when the actor behind the bloodshed becomes iconic too. In the case of Robert Englund, who for nearly two decades haunted the dreams of teenagers both on screen and in the theatres in the Nightmare of Elm Street films, the man has become a legend himself. Horror fans screamed with joy when Englund was one of the first to be announced for the 2012 Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. He is looking forward to meeting his fans as well. “My favorite thing is seeing rare posters and memorabilia from my career that I haven’t seen before. I especially like lurid foreign versions of my horror movie posters. It is a great opportunity to ask people how they feel about my recent work. I have several new movies out as well as some recent guest star work on television and the Expo is a great chance for me to see if the fans like those performances. I am also blown away by the intricate Nightmare on Elm Street inspired tattoos that many fans reveal to me. It is also fun to meet second and third generation fans.” The Freddy character stands out from his 80’s counterparts like Jason Vorhees and Michael Myers, in that he was not a silent killer. “Both the writers and directors were encouraged by the fan’s connection to Freddy’s diabolical sense of humor so we exploited that aspect of Freddy’s personality as the franchise progressed. 95% of Freddy’s one liners were written by the various screen writers. However, my favorite improvised line has achieved a kind of cult status. Thousands of fans have asked me to accompany my autograph with the phrase, Welcome to prime time, bitch.” Although we frequently see actors swapped out of roles, Englund and his personality were so ingrained in Freddy that many felt it weird when
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a new actor played him in the reboot in 2010. Englund gave his thoughts on the new film. “Any actor working in Hollywood is aware that the town is famous for remaking and retelling its stories so it was no surprise to me when Time/ Warner and Platinum Dunes acquired the rights to the NOES series from New Line Cinema and decided to reboot the franchise. I am quite happy to pass the glove on to Jackie Earle Haley. He is a terrific actor. Check him out in Shutter Island. [There are] lots of other actors in the remake that I admire as well: Connie Briton as the mother, Clancy Brown and Kyle Galner who I’ve worked with a couple of times. In fact I can be seen costarring with him in a darker than usual episode of Criminal Minds that recently aired.” Although he himself is afraid of snakes, Englund recently wrapped up a sequel to Lake Placid about a giant crocodile; as well he was featured in the film Python along with CCE guest Wil Wheaton. I asked what made reptiles the stuff of nightmares. “I run into Wil occasionally up in LA and at other conventions. It will be fun to reconnect in Calgary. Hopefully there will be no baby pythons in my wardrobe,” he said. “Some animals, reptiles and even insects (spiders, killer bees, etc) are inherently scary to humans. And horror and sci-fi movies have been exploiting this phobia for decades. Werewolves, giant apes, giant ants (Them), radioactive moths, giant spiders (Tarantula) giant snakes (Anaconda, Python) killer bee movies, and giant crocodiles are staples of the genre.” It can be a nice surprise when an actor you like pops up on a TV series you watch. In the past few years Englund has appeared on shows like Chuck, Supernatural, and Bones among others. “My most recent guest appearances included a free trip to Paradise for Hawaii Five-0 and guest starring on the hit procedural Criminal Minds. Guest starring is always tricky because you are the new kid on the block
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and you have to blend in with the established cast and the tone of the show. I am at that stage in my career when I am offered a role and I don’t have to audition which is a great gift because auditioning is nerve wracking. Playing the Devil opposite Ed O’Neill on Married With Children, back in the day, was also a lot of fun. Look for me on Criminal Minds, check out Inkubus on DVD, and coming soon my English horror comedy Strippers Vs Werewolves. In the near future Fear Clinic the movie and hopefully Behind the Mask 2.” Horror movies today don’t have the same magic to me that they did when I was a kid. But horror is not dead, Englund states. You just have to look for it. “There are still fresh, original horror movies being made. Lucky McKee’s May is a great example. Check out his new film The Woman. There have also been terrific Japanese, Spanish, Canadian and British horror movies in recent years like Kill List, which is Hit Men meets Wicker Man. Though movie makers may get a little carried away by their CGI toys, there is still a lot of primal horror being produced as well as deconstructed horror films like Behind the Mask and horror comedy Shawn of the Dead. I hope to continue working as a veteran character actor. And Freddy will continue to scare people watching cable TV late at night.”
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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Interview
Vance Nevada
Cool, Cocky and Bad Wrestlers invade the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo By Jason Clevett Growing up in the 1980’s it seemed at times nothing was hotter than the WWF. Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant waged battle in front of a record-setting crowd at the Pontiac Silverdome for Wrestlemania 3. “The Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase proved his motto “everybody has a price”, while Jake “The Snake” Roberts used Mindgames, a giant python, to toy with the psyche of foes. Roberts, Dibiase, Sinn Bodhei, The Honky Tonk Man and Canadian wrestler Vance Nevada will all be guests at the 2012 Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. For decades wrestlers have been a star attraction at events like the World of Wheels but now as more and more fan expos happen, wrestlers are proving to be just as much an attraction as the TV, Film and Comic stars. “I think professional wrestling appeals to a wide audience for different reasons. Sure, we have our diehard fans, but there are also casual fans with different interests that are peripherally aware of some of our most colorful characters, which makes wrestlers a good fit as an attraction on these types of events,” Nevada explained from his home in Red Deer. “Wrestling has a unique spot in popular culture as we’re enough sport to appeal to sports fans and we’re enough super hero to appeal to the comic
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Honky Tonk Man book crowd. Wrestling is a reflection of society and as such we have a character that appeals to a wide audience.” “The Greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time,” the Honky Tonk Man, agrees. “Wrestlers didn’t really start getting involved in these things until the last four or five years. We would do things like World of Wheels through the WWE office, they would send us to those type of things. But as far as things like the fan expo in Calgary the wrestlers weren’t really part of it until the action figures became so popular. We are superheroes, television attractions and entertainment attractions to the public and the fans. With the action figures and a lot of wrestlers doing things like movies and things of that nature, I think that is the appeal.” Both Nevada and Honky were at the 2010 CCE and are excited to be back. For Nevada, who has lived and wrestled across Canada and now lives in central Alberta, it is a chance to promote his book Wrestling in the Canadian West as well as his Red Deer based CNWA wrestling promotion. “I was fortunate to participate in the 2010 Expo and I was floored by the volume of wrestling fans at the event. I had some of the most thought-provoking wrestling discussions with fans at the Expo - they really know their stuff, so it’s a great venue for my book - which is geared more toward the serious fan. Wrestling in the Canadian West is a 100 year history of pro wrestling in the west four provinces. It features title histories, road stories from the wrestlers themselves and shines a wide spotlight on a section of wrestling that often has been overlooked by the media. As a wrestler and historian, Alberta is so rich in wrestling history and culture that it is fantastic to travel the roads that some of the greats have done before and wrestle in venues that have hosted wrestling’s top names. There is an appreciation for independent wrestling in Alberta like nowhere else in western Canada - and the people are genuine. It feels like I’ve been here my whole life.”
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The Honky Tonk Man gets to mix business with visiting family. The former Stampede Wrestler is married to a Calgary girl. “My wife is from Calgary, my son was born there and a lot of my in-laws still live there. I have a message from one of the Harts on my phone to get together. It is great to get back, I missed the expo last year but I am excited about it. It will be a great crowd and a lot of great wrestling fans come from all over the place to come to the Calgary Comic & Entertanment Expo. The Calgary people have done a wonderful job, it started out really small and then mushroomed up. I was there two years ago when Leonard Nimoy was there and they had a turnaway crowd and they are expecting bigger and better things this year.” Honky and Jake Roberts clashed at Wrestlemania 3, and he is looking forward to catching up with the recently retired “Snake” as well as meeting fans. “It was interesting to find out that [Roberts] will be there. I think this is one of his first fan expos and I think he might enjoy it and think about doing some more, I do them all over North America. Wrestlemania 3 with Jake was exciting to the point that there were so many people, but there were so many of them you didn’t see the. 90,000 people look like ants sitting there. The match with Jake was fun and it was a great buildup, we had a great time doing it. What a lot of fans don’t understand is when we went into Wrestlemania 3 we had already been 40 or 50 days on the road and we were just waiting for this thing to be over so we could get a couple of days off. We really didn’t realize, and you don’t when you are in sports or entertainment, what an impact something will have later in life.” Nevada is also looking forward to spending time with fellow wrestlers as well as meeting some of the other media guests. “I have had a chance to wrestle with some of these guys previously, so it will be good to catch up. I’m probably just as excited as some long term fans to get to spend time with these guys - especially Jake Roberts, who heavily influenced my approach to wrestling early in my career. My wife generally isn’t interested in these types of events, but when I told her that “Spike” from Buffy the Vampire Slayer was going to be there - suddenly she’s invited herself to attend. For myself, Robert Englund -- as one of the top villains of all time in his field ... Well, there’s a bit of a kinship there.” For the Honky Tonk Man, the best part of attending the CCE is getting spend time with fans. “It is really fun, I enjoy it because they are just excited to see us. You get a lot of repetitive questions I’ve heard everything after 25 plus years but someone always asks something that I have never heard before or brings up something that creates a memory and will get me going telling a story.”
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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MIND AND MUSCLE By Nathan Gerbino Before joining Dr. Drew’s daytime television show Lifechangers, Coach Marc Montemerlo trained Hollywood stars like Reese Witherspoon, Chris O’Donnell, and Marcia Cross. He helped them to shed unwanted pounds, gain muscle tone, and improve their overall health and appearance. His regimen does more than exercise the body. Through his fitness academy, Coach Marc works to exercise minds as well. Says the coach, “if you want to achieve real, long lasting results, you need to tackle mental weakness as well.” Breaking bad habits is key. Smoking, drinking, overeating and laziness all stem from the mind. If you want to find balance in life – the ultimate goal, according to Coach Marc - it is important to develop habits that lift the spirit and get you moving in the direction towards physical and mental fitness. GC: Why have you dedicated your life to changing the lives of others? Coach Marc: Years ago, after I lost my father to suicide, I had to be strong for my sister and mother, supporting them and caring for them on all levels. I put myself second to their needs. About three years later, a friend, who happens to be a life coach, asked me about my dad because I hardly ever spoke about him. I finally released all the emotional stress and anxiety I had bottled up. I was able to put my dad to rest. I had been empowered; recharged. I started sharing the skills I learned with some of my fitness clients, coaching them through their own tough times. I was surprised by how easily it all flowed from me to them. I decided to get my life coaching certification. Now, in addition to helping clients achieve fitness goals, I help them find their life’s path. 22
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GC: How did you get the gig on Dr. Drew’s LifeChanger show? CM: I published an article on how to maintain balance in life and somehow, the show’s producer stumbled on it. He apparently liked my philosophy regarding fitness and life and called me in for a screen test. The next thing I knew, I was selected as a Life Changer for Dr. Drew. GC: Why is it important we transform both mind and muscle? CM: In today’s fast paced world, it is so easy to live on autopilot. But, if we do not stimulate our mental capacity, we end up merely existing. That leads to complacency, then to boredom, then to lack of drive. The greatest thing about exercise and moving the body is that it somehow forces the mind to shift gears and open up. GC: Does the road to fitness really change lives? CM: People who work out know the feeling of a natural high that cannot be bought at a store or found in a bottle. The endorphins rush you get after a long run or an intense spin class. That surge of happiness that just keeps you going back for more. I had a client who was confined to a wheel chair. When I first met him, his posture was rounded forward, chin pointed down and low, shoulders, legs and core under developed. He was a weak sight. GC: What did you do to help him? CM: I started by getting him out of his chair and onto the exercise mat. I taught him momentum patterns to get up with the least amount of effort. We slowly worked on improving his posture, lifting his chin up and drawing his shoulders back. He needed to know his disability was nothing to be ashamed of and he had to learn pride in himself. By training the mind, the body changes. Six
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months later, he did his first spin class and eight months later he took his first assisted ten steps towards me. GC: Are fitter people happier people? CM: If you exercise, you will be a happier person. You don’t need to be a crazy marathon runner to get the happy bug. All you need to do is get your heart rate up and your blood oxygenated. You will notice things start to change inside of you. The way you think about yourself, others and of life in general will change because you are in the process of empowering yourself. Once you are empowered you can achieve most anything. GC: The hardest part of the journey is staying on the journey. CM: Motivation is my favorite topic. Truthfully, it is simple. It comes from within. Staying motivated can be challenging at times. Hell, sometimes I even get down on myself and lack drive. We all do. It’s human nature. But it’s important to have the skills to get motivation back up and drive harder to achieve more. I often use motivational books, videos and meditations to help me stay motivated. The best thing to do is to find someone that exudes motivation and spend as much time as possible with them. Motivation is infectious. GC: What are examples of mental exercises one can do to stay motivated? CM: Live in the moment. Often, we get distracted by the little things in life. Set up daily task lists to keep yourself on track. If you remain focused, you will be rewarded with results. Results will drive you to achieve more as achieving stimulates acceleration and then momentum. Once momentum kicks in, there’s nothing that can hold you back. GC: You also say quiet time is important. CM: You need time to rejuvenate through meditation and reading. Be calm, clear and get inspired. GC: What is the biggest mistake people make in their quest for fitness? CM: Too much, too soon. People enter their training programs really excited and end up
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pushing themselves too fast and then burning out. Another mistake people make is comparing themselves to fitness models in magazines. They forget theses models do this for a living. To have those awesome amazing bodies, you would need to be in the gym seven days a week, three hours a day. It also requires strict eating plans. And it takes years to get to look like that! If you want to make lasting changes towards a fitter life, be patient and committed. GC: How important is nutrition? CM: Along with fitness and strength training, it’s one of the three vital components for optimum results. If my nutrition is off and I have been hitting the sugars and bad stuff, my workouts are terrible and pessimism kicks in big time. If I’m on plan, feeding my body the nutrition it requires to work like an athlete, it’s game on. I work out harder, I achieve more, my mood is better, motivation clearer and I have an internal drive that pushes me further and faster. GC: Is happiness the ultimate goal? CM: Having a balanced lifestyle that involves social interaction, working out, excelling in your career and being an all rounded healthy minded person will make you a happier person. Your life is a blessing. Wake up everyday and say, “Wow, I have another day to achieve something. What will that be?” Be good to yourself, be good to others, be good to the earth you live on and become the best person you can be. Visit http://www.mymfitt.com
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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PLAYING THE FIELD Game On! This spring with Rugby by Timoteo
Photos by Tom Cullis (TomCullisphoto.com)
By Ben Coleman Timoteo is made for the stylish athlete who seeks the ultimate in comfort and design. Best known for their Clubhouse Athlete Jock– the first brief to feature the ass-less back – Timoteo is unleashing several new lines this season. So far, their Rugby line is getting the most attention. Produced in striking colors of blue, yellow and white, with a custom designed waist-band boldly
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emphasizing the brief’s strength, Rugby is taking the ‘play’ from the locker room into the bedroom. “Rugby may just become the ‘it’ underwear this spring,” predicts Timoteo Ocampo, the company’s founder and head designer. Before launching Timoteo, Ocampo worked as a designer; first for XOXO and later at Baby Phat, where he helped launch the brand with Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee. “The collection is infusing fashion into fitness wear by combining high quality fabrics, vibrant colors, and a fit that www.gaycalgary.com
accentuates a well-toned body.” “Design is about attending to the littlest details,” he c o n t i n u e s . “Color, texture, fit and construction all have to compliment one another. Ultimately, Timoteo is about looking and feeling good in clothes.” T i m o t e o launched ten years ago as a small storefront in West Hollywood that manufactured select fashion pieces for men. It has since evolved into a fun and hip brand that produces a full line of product across multiple categories including denim, sports tees, tank tops, underwear, swim and athletic wear.
when you’re creating a new line?
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“I love designing for men who like fashion,” says Ocampo. “My job is to provide guys with gear that enables them to play hard in this game we call life.” GC: What do guys want in their fitness gear? TO: Timoteo O’Campo: They want clothes that fit well and look good. GC: Is that what Timoteo offers? TO: Timoteo is all about great fashion design for the modern guy. I design everything with our customers in mind. GC: What inspires you
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TO: Inspiration comes from what I see in the world: art, architecture, design, and photography. Also, travel: seeing how people live in the world inspires me. GC: Do customers influence your collections? TO: Yes, we listen and respond to customers as well as the buyers who bring our merchandise into their stores. GC: What kind of man does Timoteo cater to? TO: We cater to men who take care of themselves and how they look. Fashionable and fit guys who go to the gym and enjoy a healthy social life. They understand and follow trends but avoid gimmicky fashion fads. GC: Timoteo, the company, turned ten this year. How has the company evolved since it’s beginning? TO: We’ve grown from a small store front into a brand that now produces a full line of product across multiple categories including underwear, swimwear, active wear, denim, and sportswear. It is a great feeling and sense of accomplishment to create a brand that didn’t exist ten years ago. GC: What has been the secret to your success? TO: Brand integrity is important to us and essential to our success. Customers love our design, they like the way our clothes fit. They also agree with our philosophy that fitness wear doesn’t have to be boring and should be original. The guys that buy Timoteo don’t want to look like everyone else working out in the gym.
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GC: How has being a ‘made in the USA’ company helped Timoteo? TO: We constantly hear from buyers and customers how they love that all of our merchandise is made in the USA. Being locally made allows us to have consistency with production that many of our competitors do not. We can closely monitor how a collection is doing and produce only what is needed. We’re careful not to over produce as it would devalue the brand and hurt our retailers. GC: What is Timoteo introducing in 2012? TO: New underwear styles. New swimwear, active wear, sportswear, denim styles and accessories. This season, Timoteo is more cohesive across all product lines. GC: What’s new in underwear? TO: Rugby is all the rage right now. It is the follow up underwear line to our best selling Clubhouse collection. GC: Timoteo’s Super Sport underwear is another favorite. TO: We are preparing to launch the second generation. We’ve updated Super Sport with an even sportier feel, new colors and more details in each pair. GC: Of course, everyone loves your classic Black & White. TO: We’ve updated that line too with a high tech mesh. That particular line is for the man who wants something stylish and comfortable and a little sexy. GC: We’re seeing a lot of mesh in Timoteo this season.
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TO: That’s true. Our Water Polo swim brief is a traditional cut with a sporty design and stretch mesh details. GC: What else is new in swimwear? TO: Malibu is our traditional brief. It’s coming out in new pop colors this season. We also have our new Zip board short, a relaxed fit board short with zippers on the sides that open to reveal a coordinating color. Both feature our Timoteo Surf patch. And then we have new Cargo swim shorts, which are neat, and a Convertible swim brief that can be worn inside and out. Two suits in one! GC: What are some of the favorites from last year that we will see again? TO: The Resort Board Short is coming back in black and royal blue. Speedster, a tailored brief, is also coming back in new colors. And our most popular style, Matador, will return. It’s a fashion square cut for the guy who likes a snugger fit. GC: How do you choose the colors for the collections? TO: Like all fashion designers, we follow trends and forecasting. Color is influenced by art, fashion and design. The colors we chose for 2012 are bright, subtle, rich and classic. GC: What advantages does a smaller company like Timoteo have over the bigger brands? TO: We can produce with more frequency and variety. If something is working, we can update it quickly in new colors
and/or fabrics. We are also very quick to communicate virally with our customers. We frequently poll guys on what they want and then we bring it to market in a short time. It sets us apart from larger brands that only design two or three times a year. GC: Variety and frequency seem to be key to staying relevant with consumers. TO: Exactly. We don’t outsource to anyone for any of our creative. We even shoot 90% of our marketing campaigns in-house. Our new headquarters in downtown Los Angeles has a designated photo studio. GC: Sounds like it takes a lot of hard sweat to compete in today’s fitness-fashion world. TO: We’re lucky. We have the perfect gear to wear to play hard and win.
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Trans-Identity
On Trans* Beauty Contestants By Mercedes Allen I have to admit, as far as trans issues go, beauty pageants are way down my list of priorities. At a time when it’s difficult to access doctors willing to treat trans people for the flu let alone assist in transition, when even something as simple as basic human rights inclusion remains uncertain, and when I still struggle to find answers to questions about which shelters are willing to take in trans men or women, Miss Universe seems an alternate reality, in many ways. The delisting of health care funding for genital reassignment surgery in 2009 made it difficult or impossible for many Albertans to reach a pivotal benchmark that would make beauty pageants (mainstream ones, anyway) a real possibility, let alone allow the documentation change that would enable legal congruence in their everyday lives. I’ve always been inclined to stand up for the “cause un-celebre”… pretty white people (and I mean that non-critically, as someone who is sometimes identified as such) usually have plenty of folks willing to stand up for them. Too, I’m not all that comfortable with the idea of reinforcing the beauty myth, the gender expectations and stereotypes — to some of us, a kind of lookist oppression that keeps women self-conscious, self-deprecating and at times too subjected to assert what we need. The way we devalue people based on their looks is devastatingly cruel. An “un-pretty” person aspiring to compete in such a pageant would easily receive the same kind of crude and derogatory remarks that a trans contestant does, and probably worse. To those who tell me that “God doesn’t make mistakes” regarding the birth sex of transsexuals, I’ve often responded that He or She does give us challenges, and I’ve always seen transsexual and transgender people as both having a challenge to become who we need to be, as well as presenting a challenge to society in how rigidly it tries to assert ideas of who women and men are, who they should be, and all the ways we unconsciously enforce the rules of gender. All of that said, I can also understand how I would have felt if I’d been allowed to transition in my teens and been fortunately blessed. I’m not without empathy, don’t want to project those pageant misgivings onto an individual, and secretly there’s a part of me that hopes “our girl” (of course, I’ve never met her and have no real connection, but it will feel that way nevertheless) can have the opportunity to do us proud. We admire when people dare to stand above the crowd, and we want our youth to succeed — regardless of any other divergent thoughts we might have on the situation. And it is in the context of all of that, that I (as a trans activist) see the dilemma of Jenna Talackova, the Canadian beauty pageant contestant who was disqualified from the 2012 Miss Universe Canada competition because she had been born physically male. I make the distinction of “physically” because Ms. Talackova has made statements indicating that she (as with many transsexed people), always understood herself to be female, and that the alternatives never actually fit properly. She knew herself as female at four, began transition at fourteen and the now-23year-old had surgery several years later, in 2010. I don’t personally consider surgery to be the moment that one “becomes” a woman or “becomes” a man, but in current legal contexts, it is often held to be that way. And I suppose that one of the things that makes the Donald Trump–owned beauty contest decision significant is that it asserts that a person’s sex can still be invalidated, after even this benchmark. This has been debated in other arenas. The International Olympic Committee changed its rules a few years ago to allow trans people to compete, provided they’re two-years post-operative and continuing hormone therapy (although it remains to be seen how transmale HRT — injectible testosterone — will be handled in the practical application), but other sporting organizations still struggle at times… such as the International Association of Athletics Federation’s catastrophic mishandling of biologically intersexed (although intersexed is not really the same thing as transsexed) runner Caster Semenya. Even if you limit scope to Canada and beauty contests, though, it’s worth noting that in 2011, supposedly “redneck” Calgary, Alberta overwhelmingly supported Avery Mitchell — a trans woman — in a contest in which breast augmentation was the prize, which is an admittedly problematic contest when it comes to lookism and gender expectations (probably moreso than pageants), but nevertheless demonstrates clear changes in the public’s thinking. Miss Universe organizers may indeed be well behind the curve on this.
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Ultimately, though, the issue boils down to something that some in the public continue thinking about trans people. Realistically, it’s hard to claim that Ms. Talackova has an unfair advantage over other women competing for the crown, so the argument has to turn to essentialism if it’s even to be made at all. Although beauty may be skin deep, the essence of who we are goes straight to the core, and that is what is being challenged. And when a person’s essence and validity is at issue, the arguments can get very mean — and very painful — very fast. In this, I don’t envy Ms. Talackova, and would gladly offer any support that I can. Even some of those who are willing to “tolerate” transsexual and transgender individuals are still not prepared to accept and acknowledge them as the men and women that they are and need to be — and that includes allies. If God indeed leveled a challenge to our society, then it’s a biggie. I regularly hear the argument that “you can’t change your chromosomes” (although the more you learn about human biology, the more you realize the failures of that as a “proof”), and the world of comedy is so saturated with “really a guy” jokes that the general public still doesn’t sometimes get why trans people would get so angry about being reduced to a punchline. The roots of ugly attitudes can run very deep, and be very unconscious all at the same time. It’s not entirely that simple, of course. Denis Davila, national director of Miss Universe Canada, says that Talackova claimed on her registration form that she was born female. In that sense, the pageant can assert that a deception occurred, whether consciously or unconsciously (depending on whether she had read the fine print). And that may even work as a legal defense. But the requirement — in writing — on a registration form is itself discriminatory, and it’s essentialist to require it in the first place. It only works if you believe that who we are is not really who we are and that at no point do we ever genuinely become who we claim to be — that it’s a figment of our imagination. Most Canadians don’t typically experience this kind of invalidation, and yet we’re supposed to endure it constantly, with poise and patience and the understanding that merely accepting that we do in fact know who we are is hard for people. While society has begun to understand us somewhat in recent years, it’s taking a long time for the implications to sink in. Ultimately, Ms. Talackova’s fight will probably end up in court. And contrary to the Harper Conservatives’ contention that it’s “unnecessary” to extend human rights to transsexual and transgender people, our record on outcomes has been somewhat iffy. Transsexual women who are incarcerated are still typically either imprisoned with men or else made to serve out their entire sentences in solitary confinement. Although considered medically necessary, provinces and health insurers still make special exemptions for trans-related health coverage. Finding homeless shelters willing to take in trans men at all is still often impossible. Even the recent travel regulation change — which could prevent trans people from simply boarding a plane in Canada if enforced to the letter — remains in place. All too often, the endgame for trans advocates is “we get to lose this one too.” But things are changing, and I wish Ms. Talackova and her legal team the best. Update: As this article was proceeding to print, several developments occurred. Jenna Talackova - the Miss Universe Canada contestant who was disqualified from competing because she had a trans history - had been preparing a legal case (one rumour indicated that she had retained the services of famed womens’ rights attorney Gloria Allred), while the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) had also entered into discussions with the Miss Universe pageant organization to explore a policy on trans inclusion. Toward the evening, a statement was issued from Trump headquarters (which owns the pageant) in New York City: “The Miss Universe organization will allow Jenna Talackova to compete in the 2012 Miss Universe Canada pageant provided she meets the legal gender recognition requirements of Canada, and the standards established by other international competitions.” We will find out how Ms. Talackova fares on May 19th.
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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Gossip Boy. It’s another cop show, which, along with shows about doctors and lawyers, are usually a surer bet than shows about anything else. Now, will Phillippe – who got his start in TV, playing a gay teenager on One Life to Live – be back on a regular series after his season-long stint in Damages is finished? Who knows. That’s what makes pilot season so exciting. Right?
Yee-haw! Lily Tomlin to play Reba’s mom Perhaps no performer has moved as effortlessly between media as Lily Tomlin, who’s struck comedy gold on records, in movies (she snagged an Oscar nomination for her dramatic turn in Nashville), on the stage (particularly in her acclaimed one-woman show The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe), and on TV, where she’s been a mainstay of shows as far afield as Designing Women, Damages, Desperate Housewives and The West Wing. Tomlin returns to the small screen soon with Malibu Country, where she’ll play the mother of Reba McEntire. In the proposed new sitcom from Reba creator Kevin Abbott, McEntire stars as a woman who divorces her ne’er-dowell rock star husband for cheating on her and burning through their money. She uproots her mom and her three kids from Nashville and moves them to the last piece of property they still own – a house in Malibu, where she will attempt to restart her own singing career and keep her kids from getting caught up in the lifestyles of the rich and famous. If all goes well, look for Malibu Country to pop up on ABC as a fall or mid-season series. Michael Sucsy climbs the career ladder with Scruples
Ryan Phillippe, photo by Rogue Pictures
Deep Inside Hollywood More pilots, casts and uncertainty By Romeo San Vicente It’s a crapshoot pilot season. They make a lot of TV shows, they throw them against a wall, they see what sticks. And then a handful of the survivors go to series where most of them will be cancelled after three episodes. Or less. Is it any wonder that people who make TV shows seem a little crazy? But in this time of year, when casts are announced, everything feels hopeful. So be on the lookout – maybe, eventually – for Partners starring Superman’s Brandon Routh and Ugly Betty’s Michael Urie. Urie will play an architect and Routh his boyfriend, a former alcoholic male model, now a sober, vegan nurse. Urie’s already actually gay and Routh’s no stranger to the prospect of playing gay after showing up for a hilarious few moments as Justin Long’s lover in Kevin Smith’s Zak and Miri Make a Porno. And taking the TV plunge again is Ryan Phillippe, starring in the untitled Nick Wootton-Greg Berlanti (The Broken Hearts Club) drama pilot that was once known as Golden
Gay filmmaker Michael Sucsy co-wrote and directed the acclaimed HBO film Grey Gardens, helmed the box office hit The Vow and now he’s got new projects in line – an enviable position to be in, one that proves that there’s nothing like getting work in Hollywood to get you more work in Hollywood. Sucsy has Rosaline currently in pre-production, starring Lily Collins (Mirror Mirror). It’s a comedy based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, which clearly means it’s something a little darker than you might expect from a project with a basis in teen suicide. And don’t look now but ’80s soap-blast Scruples, based on the Judith Krantz novel, is back for an update with Sucsy attached to direct. The story of a powerful fashion designer and all the glamorous scandals surrounding her, Bionic Woman star Lindsay Wagner played the lead back in 1980. No cast has been announced for this go-round, but why stray from the name pool? Lindsay Lohan’s not busy and she knows scandal like the back of her nightclub-stamped hand. So, like, Valley Girl is totally a musical now Looks like Glee has made the world safe for cover versions of your favorite hits of yesteryear. Later this year, we’ll get the movie version of the Broadway hit Rock of Ages, featuring Tom Cruise and Julianne Hough belting out popular power ballads of the Reagan era, and now comes word of a musical reboot of Valley Girl, the totally tubular 1980s comedy that gave Nicolas Cage one of his earliest leading roles. This new version will have the cast breaking into song and crooning New Wave standards (the original film’s soundtrack gave us Modern English’s “I Melt With You” and The Plimsouls’ “A Million Miles Away”) and will be directed by Clay Weiner, the guy behind that TV spot with Ricky Gervais and Mary-Louise Parker you’ve seen a million times since the Super Bowl. With Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married) reworking Amy Talkington’s script, no word yet on when this hopefully non-grodyto-the-max remake will start shooting. But remember, if you’re old enough to have owned a pair of checkerboard Vans the first time around, you probably shouldn’t be wearing them to see this when it arrives in theaters next year. Romeo San Vicente makes every season exciting, even more so if you happen to be a pilot.
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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Lifestyle
Cocktail Chatter The Salty Dog
By Ed Sikov It was with a toxic mix of boredom, curiosity, invigoration and the pathetic devilishness particular to the elderly that I called Kyle and asked him what he was doing Friday night. “The usual,” he said, as though I’d stalked him and knew his routine. (OK, there was a brief period when I had stalked him, but let’s leave that aside.) “What’s that?” I asked. “Get home around 7, shower, change, meet Robbie for drinks and dinner, and then see what develops. Wanna join us?” In more ways than one, I thought lecherously, but answered, “Sure.” Dan was in Duluth – in February! – at an Alzheimer’s conference. “Don’t forget to come home!” I cried after he shut the door on the way out, knowing he wouldn’t deign to unlock the door to reprimand me for my bad taste. I was in the mood to hang out with youth because I’d picked up a copy of GQ and was shocked to find that I’d heard of none of the people whose handsome faces and superb bodies graced its pages; I knew nothing of the products being touted and advertised; and the recommended hot spots in New York City were as foreign to me as the best places to get grilled yak in Ulan Bator. Where once were my favorite blocks of sleazy sex clubs now stand the showrooms of Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen. (That particular neighborhood’s name, the Meatpacking District, has remained relevant, however. First it was Manhattan’s slaughterhouse neighborhood, then a place where men inserted themselves into other men, and now it’s where oversized rich women go to squeeze into clothes one size too small.) Kyle told me to meet him at Naval, a relatively new bar in the far west Hell’s Kitchen. I remembered the block as a wasteland of bus parking lots; now it’s ablaze with soaring rental apartment buildings, thriving restaurants and showy bars, including Naval, with its double theme of sailors and treasure trails, all depicted in giant close-up murals on the walls. By the time Robbie got there it was almost 9 p.m. I was yawning. “Here,” said Kyle. “Drink this.” He handed me something he’d gotten from the bartender. I looked at the can. “What’s a Blue Ox?” “It’s an energy drink,” Robbie shouted. I took a mouthful and – because it tasted like artificially sweetened crankcase oil pretending to be cola – promptly spat it out on the floor, much to the consternation of the idiot next to me who was wearing shorts and flip flops on a frigid February night and ended up with spat-out Blue Ox all over his shins and feet. “Asshole!” he squealed. I tend to get belligerent when I’m not drunk, so I shoved his shoulders back with both hands and said, “No, you’re the asshole for dressing like you’re in Barbados when in fact you’re in New Friggin’ York in February. Now go poof or I’ll beat the crap out of you, you asinine little twink.” He spun around and ran away. Kyle and Robbie stood in silent amazement for a moment then broke into applause. “Butch!” said Kyle admiringly. “Take me home, Daddy,” Robbie mewed. “Just buy me a drink,” I replied. “A real one. How about a Salty Dog? You think Louise here knows how to make one?” He didn’t. I instructed him. Commanded is a better word.
ads featuring hairless, Speedoed gym twinks, but a VSOP, the one pitched at those over, um, 40. Well, I am here to tell you that the average gay man over, um, 40 is in no better physical condition and has no flatter abs, nor a firmer rear, than the average straight man over 23. In fact, I’ve never seen a more grotesquely obese shriek of gay men in my life. (Fish swim in schools; gay men move in shrieks.) Don’t get me wrong: there are plenty of stiffy-worthy hunks aboard. The hormones are raging; the heady whiff of male funk wafts through the corridors like tear gas in Syria. Everywhere you look there’s some shirtless dreamguy with military shoulders and a Peter Pan butt. But the view is often blocked by an elephantine gentleman wearing shorts that could have been sewn together for a circus sideshow with more acreage of naked flesh on his single gargantuan body than on the 10 guys he’s blocking. What is wrong with this country? No, we do not need a breakfast of fried eggs, hash browns, bacon, toast, sausage, waffles with syrup and butter, and a side of grits and, oh, yes, that chocolate chip muffin looks good…. It’s amazing this tub still floats. Anyway, last night was our Bon Voyage party. The theme was “Pirates!” We’ve had too much on our minds to deal with pulling together clever themenight outfits. Apparently so did a lot of other guys, who just brought black eye patches. (One campy fellow added a wig and turned himself into Bette Davis in The Anniversary.) But then I spotted two men leaning over the railing wearing matching vintage-looking baseball uniforms with the name “Waner” on the back, and I laughed so abruptly I spat some rum out of my mouth and onto Dan’s new white T-shirt. “Lovely,” he snarled. “Sorry, but look!” I cried, pointing. “I don’t get it,” said the sports-hating Manhattanite as he vainly blotted the brown stains with a paper cocktail napkin. “Paul and Lloyd Waner! Pittsburgh Pirates from ’20s! We’re meeting these guys. Now!” I dragged a disgruntled Dan through the throngs of one-eyed sea thieves to the two baseball legends, who turned out to look even better from the front than they did from the back. Their firm, round asses were flawlessly stitched into their pants, but their strapping chests and long, lean abs were outlined in what appeared to be spandex. They were both quite cute, too. “Which one’s ‘Big Poison’ and which one’s ‘Little Poison’?” I shouted over the blasting music. “Thank you,” they yelled back in unison. “You’re the only guy on this ship of fools who knows anything about baseball,” said the taller of the two. “I know nothing about baseball,” I confessed. “I just grew up in Pittsburgh.” “Good enough,” said the other one. “Yuns havin’ fun?” We sure did, especially when they turned out to be players in more than one sense of the word.
Rum Get yourself a bottle of good rum – not the kind you mix with cola or waste in one of those hideous fruit-a-bumbas everybody’s supposed to drink on Caribbean cruises. I like Gosling’s Black Bermuda and Haiti’s Betancourt. Pour it over ice or drink it neat. Savor it, like scotch or good bourbon. And say “arg” a lot.
The Salty Dog 3 oz. grapefruit juice 3 oz. Absolut vodka Cut lemon Salt
If you’re not able to try these recipes at home, then ask your favourite bartender to make them for you!
Ice, cubes or crushed
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Rub the cut edge of the lemon on the rim of a glass, then dip the glass in a plate full of flaked salt. Put the ice in the glass, then add the juice and vodka and stir gently, so as not to disturb the salt on the rim. If the drink is too strong for you, cut it with more grapefruit juice.
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Arg! Rum! Onboard the Neue Weimar, queen of the Deutche-America line: I write this column on the second day of the honeymoon Dan and I never had the chance to take before. We’re on one of those VSOP cruises you’re always seeing ads for – not a Pacifica cruise, the brand aimed at the younger set with
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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Mr. Gay World Competition Sparks Con Sentiments on the withdrawal of Mr. Gay Zimbabwe from this Year’s Competition By Janine Eva Trotta This April Johannesburg, South Africa will welcome a host of talented gay men including, for the first time in the competition’s running, three black representatives from countries within Africa. Mr. Zimbabwe, sadly, will not be one of them. Homosexuality is still criminalized in the countries these men hail from. Not only will this year’s competition afford an opportunity to represent one’s nation, for these men it will also be a chance to advocate the rights of gay individuals unjustly penalized on their home soil. Already a billboard placed in a highly visible area in Johannesburg has been met with a hoard of attention, both good and bad. The billboard features the faces of Mr. Gay South Africa 2010 Charl Van den Berg and current title holder Mr. Gay South Africa 2011 Francois Nel. “Africa needs a great deal of attention in terms of the advancement of LGTBI rights, and it would have been very favorable to have full representation of the African Continent in the competition,” Nel stated in a recent release. “But nevertheless my thoughts are in complete agreement with the response from the Mr. Gay World directors, that even just entering the competition is already a very brave and commendable achievement.” Delegates in the Mr. Gay World Competition act as ambassador and spokesperson for their country, encouraging a greater acceptance of the LGBQT community and shedding light on various local and international issues and causes. “I wish Taurai [Mr. Gay Zimbabwe] all the best in future endeavors, and want to congratulate him on the brave achievement of entering the competition, especially seeing that his home country does not yet apply equal human rights,” Nel says. “We hope that we can advance the progress of the last years’ achievements in terms of LGTBI rights advancement by having the full quota representing when Mr. Gay World takes place in Johannesburg in April. “ A ‘full quota’ means that a search for a fourth delegate from Africa is still being conducted. Thomas Egli will be representing Canada this year in South Africa. Born and raised in Calgary, he still considers ‘cow town’ his home, but moved to Vancouver after his first year of university to pursue an exciting career in marine biology. “In fact, from now until immediately before flying to Johannesburg, I’ll be underwater surveying for sea cucumbers in coastal northern British Columbia,” Egli says. “I’ll be going from living on a small fishing boat without a toilet for ten days to sharing space in a lovely South African resort with 25 delegates from all over the world. Never a dull moment in my life.” Despite being deservingly jovial toward his upcoming adventure, Egli is keeping both Taurai and his family somberly in his thoughts.
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“I can only imagine the fear that they are experiencing right now from the backlash resulting from him winning the Mr. Gay Zimbabwe competition,” he says. “The queer rights situation in much of Africa is alarming, and Zimbabwe is no exception.” “Homosexuality is not only feared, but it is illegal and punishable by long prison sentences. Sadly, the Mugabe government is instrumental in preaching messages of intolerance toward the gay community and same-sex marriage in Zimbabwe, claiming that they are Western values that should be shunned.” “Learning that Taurai chose to withdraw from Mr. Gay World as a result of him and his family being threatened only highlights the main goal of the competition. Here, in North America, the queer community faces challenges, but gay people in Africa and other parts of the world are still fighting for basic human rights. “ “I am proud to be part of a community that strives to teach acceptance in a modern, inclusive world.” Heading up to the competition Egli has been doing his research. “One of the first countries in the world to fight discrimination based on sexual orientation, South Africa has seen some sweeping changes since the end of Apartheid,” he says. “I feel honoured to be going to such an important and fascinating part of the world.” This is Egli’s first time embarking on an opportunity like Mr. Gay World, and it is one he is not taking lightly. He is already planning a realm of projects he can take on upon his return to Vancouver to help raise awareness on queer issues both locally and worldwide.
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ntroversy in Africa “Once the competition is over, I hope to be coming back to Canada with a renewed understanding of the struggles faced daily by people like me in other countries,” he says. “Although in Canada the homosexual community has come a long way to being respected and accepted, there is still some work to be done, particularly in regards to issues of trans peoples.” Beginning April 8 four days of intense competition including runway fashion, photo, and sport challenges will ensue in Johannesburg.
“I know it will be a very special time and experience for [this year’s hopefuls],” Nil says. “…especially because there is still such a journey for the advancement of LGTBI rights in Africa.” “The win is in participation.” For more information on the event visit www.mrgayworld.org
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
33
Politics
A Disordered Reaction
Alberta Still Treating Homosexuality as Pathology By Stephen Lock Way back in the mists of time, circa 1973, gay liberationists, as queer activists were then known, successfully lobbied and agitated to have homosexuality removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) of the American Psychiatric Association citing empirical evidence that homosexuality was no more a dysfunctional state of being than heterosexuality. This was in opposition to the traditional Freudian view that homosexuality was a pathology that could be controlled, if not cured, with therapy and counseling. Psychiatrists opposed to the removal of homosexuality from the DSM, in turn, lobbied for a vote by the membership of the American Psychiatric Association with a view to reinstate homosexuality as a pathological disorder. The vote was held in 1974 and the decision to amend the DSM was ratified by the membership. But that was not the end of it. In 1980, in the third edition of the DSM, a new diagnosis, ego-dystonic homosexuality, was created. Ego-dystonic homosexuality, according to the new diagnosis, was indicated when an individual experienced a total lack of heterosexual arousal and a perception on the individual’s part that such lack of arousal towards the opposite sex interfered with their desire to form romantic and sexual relationships with the opposite sex. The second part of the equation involved the individual displaying a “persistent distress from a sustained pattern of unwanted homosexual arousal.” The new diagnosis was seen by many as trying to placate those psychiatrists - mainly psychoanalysts who still considered homosexuality a pathology. Also, as awareness of homophobia increased, many within the Association recognized that, due to societal disapproval of homosexuality and social and religious condemnation of it, it would follow that many homosexuals, both gay and lesbian, would experience a period of difficulty in acceptance of their orientation that could be ‘ego-dystonic’ but eventually moved out of that phase to acceptance and even celebration. In 1986, the diagnosis was removed from the DSM. The only vestige of ego-dystonic homosexuality in the revised DSM-III occurred under Sexual Disorders Not Otherwise Specified, which included persistent and marked distress about one’s sexual orientation. One assumes it would be the distress that would be viewed as a disorder, not the orientation itself.
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And this is pretty much how things stayed for 20-odd years. While the above overview is American, the Canadian Psychiatric Association followed much the same line and also uses the DSM. Homosexuality and bisexuality have gained significant acceptance since the 1970’s and 1980’s and, in Canada at least, highly significant advances in legal and political areas has resulted in a fuller equality for gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals with transfolk still lagging somewhat behind but benefitting to a certain degree, although not a huge degree, from the advances in GLB rights. However, it has come to light that here in Alberta, doctors continue to bill the province for the treatment of homosexuality as a mental disorder...right up there with bestiality and pedophilia. This despite assurances from the then-Minister of Health Gene Zwozdesky the “incorrect and unacceptable classification” would be removed immediately. Liberal MLA Laurie Blakeman (Edmonton Centre) raised the issue in the legislature, stating despite Zwozdesky’s acknowledgement of the unacceptability of classifying homosexuality and bisexuality as mental disorders in 2010, and the provincial government being aware of the outdated classification for over a decade and promising to change it in 1998, the billing codes remain in use. Edmonton gay activist Rob Wells and the Edmonton Journal’s provincial affairs writer, Karen Kleiss, released government records which revealed doctors billed the province for “treatments” under this code more than 1,750 times between 1995 and 2004. Although Zwozdesky did, in fact, remove the classification from the on-line version, as promised, in 2010 the code remained in use as confirmed by senior Public Affairs Officer and Alberta Health spokesperson Kathleen Range. Range attempted to explain the situation by stating “[I]t’s diagnostic code, it’s not a billing code; they’re two different things,” she said, adding “...[D]octors bill (the province) according to the schedule of medical benefits and they use the international diagnostic codes with that billing information.” Alberta uses the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9). ICD-9 was written in 1975. WHO updated the code in 1990 (ICD-10) which does not list homosexuality as a mental disorder. Range went on to say the province uses a version of ICD9 known as the Alberta Health and Wellness Diagnostic Codes and insisted these codes did not include “language which is obviously outdated and offensive” in regards to homosexuality and that the code has been removed. However, she continued by stating, “Alberta can’t, on its own, change what other jurisdictions are using, so we still use that coding system” and that Alberta won’t adopt ICD-10 until other provinces do so. Why? For the sake of administrative efficiency, according to Range. So we have a grossly outdated and prejudicial code remaining on the books despite a former Minister of Health’s assurances it was removed, but it was only removed from the website, not from the actual manual. The version used by Alberta Health is 37 years out of date despite a revised version, the ICD-10, being released twelve years ago, but Alberta won’t use the updated version until other provinces do. Will somebody go first, please? Given the state of our health care in this province, I’m all for ‘administrative efficiency’ but -- really -- at what personal cost?
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1,750 people, perhaps more if the code was used in the eight years since 2004 - and I can assume with some confidence it probably was - seeking assistance from their medical professional for relief in dealing with being gay, lesbian or bisexual. That’s a lot of pain. Pain and distress and even despair because these folks had internalized the homophobia and heterosexism which surrounds all of us and having that reinforced by their medical professional who, instead of channeling these individuals to supportive and affirming sources both within and outside the GLBT community, chose instead to respond as if being gay, lesbian or bisexual was the problem. When I coordinated what was then Gay Lines Calgary, an information and peer-counselling service for gay and bisexual men which worked closely with the Womyn’s Collective’s Lesbian Information Line, we frequently received calls from individuals struggling to come to terms with their sexual orientation. Many came from a conservative Christian background and were in turmoil and in conflict between their religious beliefs and their dawning realization they were that which their church condemned. Others were struggling with the societal messages, not always clearly articulated within themselves, that being a homosexual or bisexual was ‘abnormal’ or ‘wrong’, and they desperately - desperately - wanted relief from the anguish. To them, more often than not, that meant being straight. It was heartbreaking to hear the stories of struggle and selfrecrimination and self-loathing. To have one of us on the other end of the line tell them that being gay or bisexual was part of normal human sexual expression and that the issue was not they were gay or bisexual or lesbian but that the issue was their church’s/society’s/family’s reaction to it was a revelation. For some, having their orientation affirmed was the beginning of healing and eventually moving to a level of acceptance and involvement in ‘their’ community and a relatively happy life. But not for all. Some could never get past the ‘but it says in the Bible...’ or ‘but my family would disown me...’ stage. These were the heartbreakers, our lost sisters and brothers, condemned to a life filled with selfhate and despair because they wanted - needed - to be with another man or another woman and just could not accept that. If such individuals, desperate for resolution to their despair, seek professional help, I can understand that. What I find outrageous and unacceptable and even inhumane is for the professional to whom they turn exploiting that pain, most likely out of ignorance themselves rather than malice, and couching the issue not in terms of the individual’s reaction/response to who they are, but in terms of attempting to treat their gayness or bisexuality as the problem rather than the person’s reaction as being the problem. We no longer force children to write with their right hand when they are left-handed. And we certainly don’t tie the left hand behind their backs or swat it when used as was once the case. We now recognize that being left-handed in a righthanded world is just another point on the spectrum of being human; not a deviance but a variance. With all the political and legal advances we have made in GLB equality rights, it seems we still confuse a possibly pathological response to a normal condition with the condition itself. What needs to be treated is the negativity to being homosexual or bisexual, and help move the person suffering that to accepting and being comfortable with who they are, not trying to treat who they are as if that were the problem.
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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Out of Town Memphis and Nashville
One of the great must-see attractions for fans of music and pop culture, Graceland - the home of Elvis Presley - is a 15-minute drive south of downtown Memphis. Photo by Andrew Collins
by Andrew Collins Although they’re the two largest cities of a decidedly conservative state, Memphis (memphistravel.com) and especially Nashville (visitmusiccity.com) have developed into popular destinations among gay and lesbian travelers in recent years. Both cities have sizable GLBT communities, are steeped in American music lore, and have noteworthy restaurant scenes - not just barbecue and Southern fare, which is legitimately outstanding in these parts, but sophisticated contemporary cuisine. In both cities, fans of dancing and clubbing will also find a nice range of gay nightlife options. Here are some key exploring, dining, nightlife, and hotel highlights in these two cities just 215 miles apart via Interstate 40. Memphis There’s much to keep visitors busy this city famous for blues, Elvis, and the tragic assassination in 1968 that Dr. Martin Luther King. Today the Lorraine Motel, where King was shot, is the home of the National Civil Rights Museum, whose collections to the story of America’s Civil Rights history. The surrounding South Main Street neighborhood is a good spot for a stroll, with several cool shops and cafes. A short drive south, you’ll find the one of the city’s lesser-known cultural gems, the National Museum of Ornamental Metal, whose galleries and outdoor sculpture garden sit on a hilltop overlooking a scenic bend in the Mississippi River. Along with King, the name most associated with Memphis these days is Elvis Presley, whose palatial - and decidedly kitschy 36
GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
- mansion, Graceland, is a must-see - allow at least two hours to tour the home, his custom jets, the car museum, and the several other exhibits that make up this impressive compound a 15-minute drive south of downtown Memphis. Downtown Memphis, where W.C. Handy helped to turn Beale Street into the nation’s blue capital, abounds with live-music clubs, lively restaurants, and a number of excellent hotels. Beale Street’s vibe is fairly touristy, and you won’t find any gay hangouts here, but the city’s Mid-South Gay Pride festival does take place here in October. You can tour the outstanding Memphis Rock & Soul Museum, which traces the region’s vibrant music heritage, as well as the Gibson Guitar Factory. Other attractions that music buffs should check out include Sun Studio, where Elvis cut the early demo tape that launched his career, and Stax Museum of American Soul Music. Memphis extends well east from downtown, toward Midtown, which has many of the area businesses most popular with gay visitors. In the Overton Park section, you can tour the excellent Memphis Zoo and the acclaimed Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. A short drive south, the hip and funky Cooper-Young neighborhood abounds with distinctive restaurants and quirky shops, including Inz & Outz, which carries Pride gifts, underwear, erotica, and the like. Cooper-Young is home to one of the best barbecue joints in town, Central BBQ (cbqmemphis.com), which turns out fiendishly delicious ribs and pulled pork. Other neighborhood hot spots, all with a fairly strong gay following, include Tsunami (tsunamimemphis.com) for Asian-fusion cooking; Alchemy www.gaycalgary.com
(alchemymemphis.com), with its tasty tapas and well-crafted cocktails; Sweet Grass (sweetgrassmemphis.com), known for inventive regional American cuisine; and the campy Beauty Shop (thebeautyshoprestaurant.com) and neighboring Do Sushi Bar and Noodle Shop. For great coffee and plenty of room to socialize or curl up with book, Otherlands (otherlandscoffeebar.com) is one of the best indie coffeehouses in town. In downtown Memphis, Local Gastropub (localgastropub.com) and - for fantastic soul food - Lunch Box Eats (lunchboxeats.com) both serve excellent edibles, and the swanky and historic Peabody Hotel (peabodymemphis.com) is home to a pair of celebrated restaurants, Chez Philippe and Capriccio Grill. South of downtown, the 901 Complex is one of the largest gay clubs catering primarily to African-American patrons in the country - the club also hosts Memphis Black Pride in June. Other gay favorites fairly close to downtown include elegant Mollie Fontaine (molliefontainelounge.com), a trendy, mixed gaystraight lounge set in a historic house in the city’s Victorian Village Historic District; and a massive dance club called Club Spectrum (thespectrummemphis.com). Most of the city’s gay bars are in Midtown, where you’ll find several locals-oriented neighborhood bars, clustered mostly around the 1300 to 1500 blocks of Madison and Poplar avenues - these include the Pumping Station (pumpingstationmemphis.com), lesbian-popular Dru’s Place (drusplace.com), and Crossroads Bar. Many visitors to Memphis would never think of staying anywhere but that classy downtown grande dame, The Peabody (peabodymemphis.com), which has luxurious rooms, a fine spa and fitness center, and a lobby in which ducks famously parade to and from a gurgling fountain each day. A more intimate but no-less pleasing option is the River Inn of Harbor Town (riverinnmemphis. com), a charming 28-room property on pretty (don’t let the name fool you) Mud Island - just a short drive from downtown. Other reliable options include the gay-friendly Talbot Heirs Guesthouse (talbotheirs.com), the smartly furnished and centrally location Westin Memphis (westinmemphisbealestreet.com), and the reasonably priced Hampton Inn at Beale Street (hamptoninn.com). Nashville The most progressive city in the so-called Bible Belt, Nashville has developed into one of the South’s gay-friendliest destinations over the past decade, as it now buzzes with diverting retail and entertainment districts, several energetic gay nightspots, and a wealth of cultural attractions. Downtown Nashville is set around the courtly Greek Revivalstyle Capitol, which is perched atop the highest hill in the city. You can learn a thing or two about the state’s history at the nearby Tennessee State Museum. A block over, 5th Avenue was the site throughout the ‘60s of Civil Rights demonstrations, the success of which inspired similar protests throughout the South. These days, 5th Avenue has become rather artsy - it’s the site of several excellent galleries and the nearby Frist Center for the Visual Arts, which occupies a handsomely restored, art deco post office building. A few blocks east, toward the Cumberland River, you’ll come to Nashville’s old Market Street, now 2nd Avenue, where a long row of redbrick Victorian warehouses converted into restaurants, music clubs, and brew pubs. Downtown’s most impressive attraction is the Country Music Hall of Fame, a handsome, modern structure whose exhibits not only honor dozens of legendary musicians (Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, and Dolly Parton among them). The nearby Ryman Auditorium is one of the grand music icons of downtown, often hosting Grand Ole Opry shows. It’s a short drive from downtown to reach Midtown and its main drag, West End Avenue - you’ll pass several of the city’s schools and medical facilities, including Vanderbilt University, as well as an art-filled, full-scale replica of the Parthenon. A few blocks from here is the city’s gay nightlife strip, along Church Street. West End Avenue eventually leads into ritzy Belle Meade, home to Belle Meade Plantation, once the site of a 5,300-acre Thoroughbred breeding farm, and Cheekwood, a 1925 Georgian-style house that’s home to the Tennessee Botanical Gardens & Museum. www.gaycalgary.com
Nashville’s dining scene is earning plenty of kudos these days. Downtown has plenty of options, from long-running Merchants (merchantsrestaurant.com), which is set inside a masterfully restored 1892 brick building, to trendy Watermark (watermarkrestaurant.com), which offers the most extensive wine list in the city. But it’s best to venture a bit outside of downtown for some of the most interesting - and gay-popular - dining. The hip 12th Avenue South neighborhood is a great food destination, home to the trendy Burger Up (burger-up.com), known for bison, lamb, and salmon burgers; and Las Paletas, which sells refreshing and oddly flavored popsicles (chai tea, cucumber-pepper, chocolate-wasabi). East Nashville is another cool neighborhood for eating and exploring. It’s home to lesbian-owned Margot (margotcafe.com), which turns out delicious French bistro fare - the same owners run the nearby coffeehouse and bakery, Marche (marcheartisanfoods. com), which serves up all sorts of tasty snacks. The inviting Rumours Wine Bar (rumourseast.com) is great for sipping and dining, and Ugly Mugs (uglymugsnashville.com) is a terrific coffeehouse. For gay nightlife, head to Church Street in the West End. Arguably the neighborhood’s hottest gay bar, Tribe (tribenashville.com) is a hip spot with a full restaurant, an open-air deck, and a decentsize dance floor. If you’re seeking a more high-energy experience, venture next door to Play (playdancebar.com), a sprawling dance club that packs in huge crowds on weekends. Just down the street is Blue Gene’s, a relaxed neighborhood joint. Over in East Nashville you’ll find one of the liveliest lesbian bars in the South, Lipstick Lounge (thelipsticklounge.com), set inside a brightly colored and attractively furnished old house. On the main level there’s a small dance bar, and live music is often featured. A couple of gay neighborhood bars worth going out of your way for are Trax, a hard-to-find little dive bar in a somewhat industrial neighborhood south of downtown; and the nearby Stirrup (stirrupnashville.com), a warm and welcoming bar that caters to a diverse crowd. Nashville’s hotel selection has become increasingly interesting over the years, thanks in part to the open of the stylish and contemporary Hutton Hotel (huttonhotel.com), a couple of blocks from the West End gay bars. It’s quickly become a favorite address of visiting celebs and musicians. The nearby Hotel Indigo (hotelindigo.com) is a gay-friendly, moderately priced, and sleekly designed mid-rise. Another favorite of design-minded, hip travelers is the Hotel Preston (hotelpreston.com) - just keep in mind that it’s 10 miles southeast of downtown, by the airport. If you’d rather be downtown, consider the gracious Union Station Hotel (unionstationhotelnashville.com), which adjoins turn-of-the-20thcentury Union Station and has a gorgeous lobby and warmly furnished rooms.
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
37
Ghost Town LGBT Campout
Are you afraid of the dark?
Photo by Greg McDonald
By Sam Casselman and Carey Rutherford If you’re looking for something a little different to do this May long weekend you’re going to want to head out to the Alberta Badlands. Just fifteen minutes Southeast of Drumheller, right in the middle of dinosaur country you will find the Ghost Town of Wayne, Alberta. In the early 1900’s Wayne was a bustling coal-mining town with a population of more than 10,000. Then in the early 1930s, during the Great Depression many of the coal mines starting closing, taking Wayne’s population with them. By the mid 1950s the last mine closed leaving Wayne with a mere couple dozen souls. One of the many businesses that started to support this rapidly growing town was the Rosedeer Hotel. The hotel and its Last Chance Saloon are the last of the still operating businesses in Wayne. The hotel was built in 1913 and many say it is haunted. On the property of the hotel is a campground and this is where the LGBT Campout takes place, right in the heart of the ghost town. The original owner of the hotel passed it on to his sister who was narcoleptic. She would sleep beside the bar and patrons would refill their own drinks and leave their money near the cash register. Don’t worry, now her son Fred runs the bar and he will be wide awake and serving up the good times all weekend. The hotel and saloon are surrounded by the stunning hills of the Badlands with a beautiful creek running beside the hotel. This year is the 31st annual LGBT Campout. Sandy Page has been organizing this amazing campout for the community since the beginning. Sandy originally started going out to the Last Chance Saloon with Camp 181. Camp 181 started in 1981 and was primarily a lesbian social group that held dances. When Camp 181 stopped going out to the Saloon, Sandy decided to start a campout as she had so much fun there in the past. Sandy rents out the entire campground located right at the haunted hotel and Saloon. No running out of drinks this May long weekend! The price of camping for the entire weekend is only $25 per person; you can’t camp that cheap anywhere! If you are not big on the sleeping outside and no hook-ups kind of camping you could always rent a room in the hotel, so long as you aren’t afraid of ghosts. If you are a big chicken like me, you can also find many hotels nearby in Drumheller.
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Over the long weekend there will be a games tournament consisting of shuffle board, bean bag toss, horse shoes and a new game which involves throwing ball-rope contraptions at goal posts. Awesome prizes will be awarded to the winners of the tournaments. Friday night most campers are setting up their site and many walk around to meet the other campers or head into the saloon. Saturday evening is when the game tournaments start with shuffleboard in the saloon. The remaining tournaments are held Sunday afternoon. Fred the owner of the property then has a massive bonfire Sunday night where many campers bring their guitars and bongos. Greg McDonald, a long time campout participant says, “It’s a great time, a place where we can all have fun, no judgement and you meet so many new friends”. Greg adds the whole campsite is very friendly, “we created this 50 foot slip n’ slide, using water from the creek and a tarp from Fred, and the whole camp was watching us laughing and being crazy.” Event organizer Sandy remembers, “one of my guys got dressed up in drag, and it was the funniest thing you ever saw! There are a lot of funny things.” The campers consist of women and men, young and old. They have people in their early twenties all the way to their seventies. The weather is usually nice, but this is Alberta, the weather can change in the blink of an eye, so make sure you are prepared. There is a lot to do in the Badlands. For one, you could go into Drumheller and check out the Royal Tyrell Museum. Also, you can head out to the Badlands to do some hiking and while you are there you might just find a dinosaur bone or some interesting plantlife. It is said that the Alberta Badlands has the richest dinosaur fossil beds in the world. The drive out to Wayne is an adventure. The last few kilometers of the trip, you will cross 11 one-lane wooden plank bridges. Once in Wayne you will see the buildings from the mining days which are now abandoned. Along the way the old derelict mining equipment can also be seen. This is real Alberta history. Come out for the day or stay for the weekend!
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Travel
WorldPride 2012 All Eyes on London
By Janine Eva Trotta Seriously, how gay can London get in 2012? If the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee isn’t queer enough, “The Old Smoke” is also playing host to WorldPride in June. WorldPride, created by InterPride, is a popular celebration of all things LGBTQ that attracts revelers from … yes … around the world. This is the third installment of WorldPride, the previous celebrations took place in Rome and Jerusalem. While the past events drew hundreds of thousands of visitors, organizers anticipate more than one million people will flock to London to take part in the festivities thanks to the upcoming 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. What’s on tap for this year’s WorldPride? Theatre shows, debates, poetry readings and other events are planned but let’s get real, it’s all about the parade and parties. Parade Day is July 7th, at the end of WorldPride. This year the route will start on Baker Street and will run more than a half mile longer than usual, covering more of London’s iconic landmarks including Piccadilly Circus, where a Pride Rally will take place. Several of the UK’s brightest stars are scheduled to appear on the main stage in Trafalgar Square, including X Factor finalist Lloyd Daniels and poppunk band Twenty Twenty. In addition to the musical acts, there will also be comedy shows and dancers. In Soho, partygoers will converge at the dance stage where they’ll be entertained by London’s hottest DJs. If you’re in the right place at the right time, you might find yourself hobnobbing with Sir Elton John, Sir Ian McKellen or another A-lister who’s been known to attend London Pride. Most of the action takes place in the heart of Soho, London’s gayborhood. The yellow brick road? Old Compton Street. A street lined with the city’s most popular gay bars, pubs, sex shops and restaurants. When you see the rainbow flags and cruisy blokes, you’ll know you’re home. The most popular venues in the West End include the spacious and stylish Ku Bar, G-A-Y Bar and The King’s Arms, catering to bears and the cubs who love them. Soho will also be closed to traffic on the day of the parade and many of the clubs will be open until 4am. For gents who dig leather and fetish clubs, you’ll want to head to Vauxhall, a neighborhood south of the river. Crash is the hottest venue in the area on Saturday nights, Instinct is also a great spot if you love house and techno music. Horse Meat Disco/The Eagle London attracts a variety of gay patrons from bears to twinks. The bottom line, during pride, every visitor will find a bar or club to fit their individual preference. Getting around London is incredibly easy thanks to the city’s great public transportation system. For less than £5 you can buy a daily travel card which gives you access to the London Underground (the tube) and buses. Route maps are also available at several locations throughout the city, so you should have little trouble getting from point A to point B.
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Several high-profile companies are helping to underwrite this year’s festivities, including Smirnoff, Coca-Cola and Tesco, the UK’s largest private employer. Recently, some LGBT activists, including Hannah Dee, have criticized London Pride and its organizers for becoming a corporate sponsored event more interested in generating a profit than celebrating the achievements of the gay and lesbian community. Despite the criticism, London Pride is still a great fundraiser for organizations that benefit LGBT organizations. This year Kaleidoscope Trust was selected as the official charity partner. Kaleidoscope International Diversity Trust is a nonprofit organization that campaigns for equality for gays and lesbians people around the world. For socially-minded Marys and ‘mos who want a break from the pride debauchery, there will also be a conference on gay rights featuring several renowned speakers. England isn’t known for its great weather, but the summer months can be beautiful. Luckily, WorldPride happens at the beginning of the summer, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy the local landscape. London’s premier gay cruising area is located in the northwest part of the city in an area called Hampstead Heath Ponds. It’s no South Beach, but it’s great if you want to check out some hot locals and out of towners and get a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. There’s a men’s bathing pond located here which gained worldwide notoriety when singer George Michael was photographed here. If you don’t have a number one hit song, chances are you can fly under the radar. 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the first London gay pride parade and this year’s event promises to be biggest yet. So if you’ve never had the opportunity to explore this sophisticated, thriving metropolis, now’s the time check out the city where you are encouraged to live like a Queen.
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
39
Interview
Wil Wheaton, photos by Paramount
Crushing on Crusher
Wil Wheaton on The Next Generation, being a child actor, and his sexuality. By Jason Clevett I have a clear memory as a child of attending a parade that was marshalled by Wil Wheaton and Michael Dorn, at the time stars of Star Trek: The Next Generation as their characters Wesley Crusher and Lieutenant Worf. Fans crammed around their car for autographs and to touch their hands, especially Wheaton, at the time a teen hearthrob. Fast forward to 2012 and Wheaton, Dorn and the rest of the TNG cast will reunite at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo, April 27th – 29th, 2012. “I was really lucky when I was in my late teens, I got taken up to Calgary to do some promos for Channels 2&7 because they ran Star Trek. We came up for a charity auction and then went to the Children’s Hospital. It is difficult when you are 16 or 17, nobody has enough life experience to really appreciate anything. I remember thinking, I get to go pretend I’m on a spaceship every day and this kid just hopes that the illness that keeps him in the hospital doesn’t claim his life. I get to come up here and sit with him for a little bit and talk about video games and movies and that makes him happy. I remember feeling that I was really lucky to do that sort of thing. I am really grateful I got to do those things,” Wheaton recalled. “I am looking forward to coming back again. It is my first time at the Expo which I have heard nothing but good things about. I love Canada, I have thought about defecting since the first time I came to Calgary when I was 16 years old. I loved living in Vancouver when I was working on Eureka. Pick anything that America does that is unbelievably stupid and embarassing and destructive to the world, and then I look at Canada and there is a country that cares about people who aren’t multi-millionaires, I would like to live there. I am really looking forward to coming up and spending some time.” GayCalgary Magazine spoke to Wheaton over the phone in a rare interview. Although he has seen his fellow Star Trek cast members
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
Photo by Atom Moore individually, this will be the first time in ages that the entire cast will be together - a coup for the CCEE that will draw fans from around the world. “I love that and think it is awesome. Star Trek has been uniting people and celebrating what unites us instead of what divides us since 1966. I have always been so proud to be part of something that means so much to so many people that they will come from around the world to be entertained by us. I am really excited to see everybody. I have seen everyone individually a number of times since we all finished working together but this is the first time that all of us will have been together in a public setting in a decade.” In addition to individual photo ops and autographs the group will be available for photos and participate in a panel titled “TNG:Exposed” which is sold out. “I really hate that name, I think when you say something is exposed it implies there is something to hide. It is not a secret that we all love each other and feel incredibly strongly about how much we love each other. I wish they were calling it something like TNG: Remembered. Something a little less salacious. I am really looking forward as the only member of the cast who has made the transition from child to adult over 25 years to listen to everyone talk about things that happened when I was a kid and how my childhood memories match up or differ from their memories as adults.” It is an experience for both Wil and fans when they interact at conventions and events. Many of those he meets grew up with him on TV and film. “The last few years, two themes have emerged from people who are roughly my age. One is that they watched TNG with their parents when they were little. Whether they had anything else in common with their parents or not, they had Star Trek in common. I have lost count of the number of people who have told me it is a joyful memory of time they spent with their parents. The other thing that has risen above the standard things people talk about, I am meeting people who are doctors and scientists and engineers. I turn 40 this year and am meeting people who are roughly within 5 years of me one way or the other and they tell me that they chose their particular field of science because they thought Wesley Crusher was really awesome and they were inspired by someone they could relate to – [someone who] was young, liked math and science and could hold his own on a scientific and professional level with adults even if he was completely incapable of holding his own with those same adults on a personal and social level. That is the most awesome thing ever for me, when I meet an engineer who is involved in the space program or is a physicist because they wanted to be Wesley Crusher when they grew up.” It is not just Star Trek that has connected Wheaton to people. Personally I have worn out my VHS copy of The Secret of Nimh and had a strong connection with films like Stand By Me and Toy Soldiers. To illicit that reaction from people means the world to him. “I wrote a piece about what it means to be an artist and do work that matters to people. I had replied to a girl on twitter and exchanged a couple of messages and she made a video blog about it. She talked about what it meant to her. As an artist and creator I spend more time than I should, wondering if my work means anything to anyone. When I write a story or make a thing, I satisfy this weird creative urge that
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all artists have, this thing that is broken in our brains. It’s awesome but I would be lying if I said it was enough. The truth is creators and performers need an audience to create and perform for, which brings me back to obsessively worrying if anyone gives a shit. In my life there’s this other thing too where I have the opportunity to touch a life that I would never touch otherwise because of the things I create, like my blog and the stupid cell phone videos I do on YouTube and Twitter and things that are hard work that I am proud. When I saw this video that this girl Victoria made, I felt a little embarrassed and self conscious that a thing I did mattered to her enough to make a video blog about it. Then I thought, wait this is awesome! Look how happy and funny she is, and when our lives intersected for 25 seconds over Twitter, the result for her was this moment of extreme joy. I am incredibly grateful that I get to do more with my work than just make a thing. So when she meets a real celebrity instead of someone like me, I hope they are as awesome to her as she feels I was.” While he is proud of Star Trek and his childhood work, recent performances on shows like The Big Bang Theory and Eureka stand out to him. “I was talking to one of the assistant directors of Big Bang Theory last night during our taping. He loves Stand By Me and [was telling me] how much he loves it and said it was weird to be standing backstage and talking to me about it. He made a comment that if I never do anything else in my life, I did that and it means so much to so many people. I am super proud of Stand By Me and all of this work I did as a kid, but to be completely honest I didn’t make an affirmative decision entirely on my own to be an actor … until I was in my 20’s. All that work I did as a kid, I am proud of it and it matters but it doesn’t feel like a thing that I did because it wasn’t something I chose. It was really important to my Mom that I was an actor and she really encouraged all of that stuff. The things I have done in the last 10 or 15 years like The Guild and The Big Bang Theory are things I am super proud of as an actor and a creator. I feel really good about them because they are things I worked hard for and earned. When you are a successful actor as a child people want to put you in a box with child actors who destroy their lives with drugs because they are miserable as an adult. When I think back … I am incredibly grateful to have been part of these things that mattered to people, and the experiences were all good but, they don’t have the same personal emotional resonance with me the same way something like The Guild and Eureka has. Felicia Day and I have a web series debuting on April 2nd on her YouTube channel called Tabletop. It is a show we created together and it is a gaming show that combines everything we love from celebrity poker and dinner for five and puts us and our friends who are artists around a table playing nerdy board games. I am really proud of it and hope people come and check it out.” The CCEE features another reunion of sorts, Wheaton’s Python costar Robert Englund will also be there. “I love snakes, when I was a kid I had a ball python and as a teenager had a 12 foot Burmese python. My son has a corn snake he has hand raised from when she was 4 inches long. I absolutely love snakes and think they are wonderful, and from an evolutionary standpoint they are incredible pieces of biology. Python came along at a time in my career where I just wasn’t working much. The guy who was managing me at the time knew a production company that was making these low budget B movies. Some of them were really awful and I said no, and some of them were less awful and I said yes. I had a family to support and actors act. Python came along and I went, this is ridiculous! I can’t wait to be part of this movie! I sat down with the director and he said, look, this movie is about a 25 foot snake that wreaks havoc on a town. We aren’t taking a single frame of it seriously this going to be a fun date night movie. I was totally on board. I don’t even remember if (Robert and I) had any scenes together. When I knew he was in the movie I was excited because I am such a Nightmare on Elm Street fan. I remember meeting him and he was kind and had the same attitude about the film the rest of us had. It was stylized and everyone was in on the joke. …[The movie] was on cable a couple of nights ago and I stayed up and watched a little bit of it because I was pretty sure the scene where I get eaten was coming up. I said to my wife the next day, I don’t totally suck in this movie, I was clearly having a good time in this thing. I have nothing but good memories of working on that film.” Rumours in Hollywood are very common, and Wheaton has long been rumoured to be gay, even after he got married in 1999 to his wife Anne. Such rumours included him allegedly being fired from Star Trek for supposedly coming out. “As an adult now it is kind of awesome. All of my friends who are gay are beautiful, they are in shape and in wonderful loving relationships and are talented and amazing. It absolutely infuriates me to the point of being unable to speak when I look at people who treat everyone in the LGBTQ community like they are anything less than the hetero community. When I was really young like 14 and 15
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it kind of freaked me out because I didn’t understand and have a lot of experience. People would say, so you’re gay right? I wasn’t and I didn’t understand that I should just say, no I’m not, doesn’t matter. I got really defensive about it when I was younger and it really bothered me. What it comes down to is not that I had any problem with gays and lesbians, it is just that it drives me crazy when people don’t get their fucking facts straight. A lie gets halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes and it really drove me nuts. So as a teenager it kind of freaked me out and bothered me but since then I am incredibly flattered that, of all the really beautiful gay men in the world, there is someone who would go, Wil Wheaton is my ideal, not this incredibly beautiful man next to me.” In 2004 he wrote a blog in support of gay marriage when President Bush was considering a law making gay marriage illegal country wide. Wheaton has long had a connection with the gay community. “It is no different than fan support from anyone, it is nice that my work is appreciated. I am really grateful that I can speak with a voice that may be listened to more than a random person because of the nature of my work. The thing all artists have in common, along with that thing in our brain that is broken and makes us need to perform, we have this sense of empathy and compassion. There is no argument to be made at all that allowing a same sex couple to marry somehow could ever have any kind of effect on anyone’s heterosexual marriage. The hypocrisy of those arguments and outright lies, it is bullshit and makes me mad. One of the things I learned from Star Trek and a core value I picked up from science fiction is accepting people as they are and getting past the differences that just don’t fucking mean anything. It makes me sad that in America there is a [significant] portion of the population that is ignorant and afraid. That is a real shame. The good news is my kids’ generation couldn’t give a shit, they don’t care who you love as long as you are happy together. I believe we will see in my lifetime, if not the complete end, at least the end of institutional discrimination against gays and lesbians. Last time I checked [Canada] hadn’t completely fallen apart after same sex marriage. You look at these bullshit celebrity marriages that no one would get in the middle of, but then you have two men or women who love each other and been in a committed relationship and want to be recognized in legal ways that they have this love for each other. That anyone would stand between that is appalling to me.” As LGBT people have fought for recognition as married couples, Wheaton’s own life experience has brought him to understand the importance of this sort of recognition. “My sons are my wife’s kids and I have been in their lives since they were 3 and 5; they are 20 and 22 now. When my older son Ryan was 19 he came home from college and said, I’ve been thinking about something. You’ve been like a father to my entire life and I am who I am because of how you raised me and love what I love because you loved them and shared them with me. I feel like you are more of a father to me then my biological father ever was. I was wondering if you would like to make this relationship official and I was hoping you would adopt me and be my dad. When I got a hold of myself and stopped crying I said absolutely yes. I love him as much before he asked me to
adopt him as I do today. Our relationship is exactly the same, nothing has changed. But to anyone who says, it’s just a title it doesn’t matter, fuck you, it matters. It means something to say this is my son or in the case of a marriage this is my husband or this is my wife. It matters and is important. If someone has a gigantic problem with gay marriage, don’t marry someone of the same sex and go on with your life, it is very simple.”
Wil Wheaton http://wilwheaton.typepad.com • https://twitter.com/wilw
Wil Wheaton Appearing at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo April 27 – 29, 2012 BMO Centre www.calgaryexpo.com
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
41
Amanda Tapping
Leather, Bullets and Grace
Amanda Tapping, photo courtesy of SyFy.com
By Jade Cooper Amanda Tapping and Sandrine Holt lock lips on screen. Was it a stunt or true to the character? We chatted with the Syfy star about the kiss, her role as a director and embracing the full spectrum of our reality. Known for her role as Samantha Carter in the television series Stargate SG-1 (1997 - 2007) and Stargate Atlantis (2007 - 2008), award winning actress Amanda Tapping continues to thrill audiences with her Syfy series Sanctuary (2008 - present) as Doctor Helen Magnus, a British teratologist. Magnus and her team advocate for the people of the world to accept extraordinary creatures and people that live amongst them, known as Abnormals. Strapped with an arsenal of sonic stun weaponry, Helen Magnus attempts to house the Abnormals while containing those that threaten the human race. Her on-screen battle for understanding, tolerance and compassion for Abnormals speaks to today’s society and the need to embrace our own diversity. In “Monsoon” (Season 4 Episode 4) Magnus and Charolette Benoit (played by the stunning Sandrine Holt) share a passionate kiss with a harrowing experience. While waiting in a remote airport, both Benoit and Magnus find themselves hijacked by enterprising thieves with a hidden agenda. Magnus saves Benoit and the two rescue the hostages. The episode not only ends with a jaw dropping kiss, Magnus adds a huge cliff hanger when she says, “I haven’t been kissed like that in a very long time.” She then passionately reciprocates, hinting that there’s an ocean of information we have yet to discover about this immortal character. The kiss has received positive and negative reviews. From praise, to bewilderment, some bloggers have even wrote they will no longer watch the show. The kiss may have rattled some audiences, but Tapping is unfazed by the furor.
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
“I have always maintained that, Helen, having lived as long as she has and having the type of personality she has, that she would be a bi-sexual person. After 270 years, men are fabulous, but, there is so much more out there. I think she is a very open, sexual and engaging person.” Tapping and the producers of the show have gone though history, asking themselves, “Who would Magnus have had affairs with?” Tapping entertains the idea of people like Dorothy Parker would be of interest to Magnus. “I have always maintained that Helen, in as much as her paramours have been men, would have really amazing relationships with women and I have never shied away from that.” It is a natural assumption that the immortal character, Helen Magnus, would have explored sex and sexuality over her long life span. Tapping admitted she was surprised the kiss was a big deal. “I knew that people were going to be negative because it is two women kissing and, sadly, there are people who still find that ‘repulsive’ but, for me, it was a woman who was so lonely... and there’s this beautiful woman presenting herself (Benoit) and why wouldn’t she?! It was such a natural facet.” There have been other scenes with other actresses, where there is clearly sexual tension between Helen and the other characters. This was the first time where the producers decided to take the sexual tension that step further. Rather than risk offending the LGBTQ contingent of her fandom, Tapping sought ways to reach them in a supportive way. “For me, it was amazing, that just one little kiss would make people feel open enough to talk to me about their stories. That was a beautiful thing.” Today, the level of shock and backlash caused by the seemingly trendy same-sex kisses on television is surprising. “It is a shame. I think it is slowly changing. I think people are slowly coming around, but I do think it is a long battle and that saddens me. Sanctuary is all about embracing what people view as abnormal. It is not only embracing it, but celebrating it and protecting
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it. We have always had that agenda on the show, no matter what we are dealing with - so this was no different. There are people that think that [the kiss] is abnormal so we will always embrace that. We’ll turn it on its ear and say, maybe, what you see as normal - isn’t.” Unfortunately for the fans of Sandrine Holt, she will not be appearing again in season four. It appears this was a short island affair. Magnus is testament to the fact that women, like a fine wine, continue to get better with age¬ - or, in her case, a strong scotch whiskey. The 274 year-old character chases monsters, travels back in time and occasionally saves the world. Does Tapping think this means the glass ceiling for women of a certain age in film or television has been broken? “It has been cracked - but I don’t know if it has been totally broken. There are a lot more women in their forties, fifties and sixties on television. I think North America is coming around to the idea that the demographic is changing and that men and women like to see older women on television and not just pretty young things - not that there is anything wrong with that. I think that this is something that Europe has embraced a long time ago.” Tapping praises actresses starring in their own series like Judy Dench and Helen Mirren. “These [women] are beautiful, valid, sexy, vibrant characters and there doesn’t seem to be the same stigma of getting older in Europe than there seems to be in North America. I definitely think it’s changing when we see people like Glenn Close on television doing phenomenal work,” the career time for women onscreen is definitely getting longer. Action, leather and bullets, Helen Magnus is also a mother, compassionate, fearless, highly influential while still managing to remain demure - Tapping is inspired by her character. “I find that I am pushing myself further than I ever have before.” Tapping brilliantly conveys an even balance of femininity and the femme fatale in her role. “We are multifaceted beings and I think women have longbeen fierce protectors as well as nurturers, since time began. I think that just has been our role - sort of inbred through generations. I had a very strong grandmother who lived to a hundred and three and a half and she embodied all of that and so I feel that I may have a little of that in me. I don’t find it difficult to balance the yin and the yang of this character.” Taking a page out of her character Magnus’s book, Tapping has learned that “You CAN do it all, but the best way to do it is with a bit of grace.”
and Samantha Carter, these are women who, no matter what is going on beneath the surface, tend to keep it together. The veneer is very strong. To release that veneer, crack it open if you will, [this role] was very different for me.” When it comes to kicking and punching, Tapping says, “I’m in!” She tries to do most of her own stunts, regularly training by boxing and kick boxing. “I have an amazing stunt woman, Ashley Earl, who will do the falling off of things because I am a bit of a klutz but, for the most part, my fight sequences are a lot of practice... I have clocked a stunt man on the chin [by accident]. It’s not always pretty.” The choreography may take several days and result in only a few seconds on screen. Now a mother of a seven year old daughter, Tapping still finds time to volunteer at her daughter’s school and run a household while taking on additional roles as Executive Producer, Director and philanthropist. She has started a charity called Sanctuary 4 Kids that provides funding, computers and nutrition to kids from here to Nepal. Directing an SG-1 episode and several episodes on Sanctuary, Tapping is about to take on three episodes on Prime Evil, a brand new series. “It’s the first show where I am directing and I am not in it. I am the only woman director on this show. I am stoked to be branching out that part of my career - not that I will ever give up acting.” It appears to be a natural progression for actors to go from in front of the camera to behind it. “It was the technicality of it that really jazzed me. I’m a huge fan of the techno craze.” She is even referred to as ‘Techno Tapping.’ Tapping sat behind the monitors of SG-1 for ten years and became fascinated by the process. ”It is a different part of your brain, you get asked a hundred questions a day and it is a little stressful but it is really rewarding when you come up with a really cool shot. For me, I was painfully aware that, as a woman in this industry, my choices as an actor were going to become more and more limited. I really wanted to branch out and try different things. There are few female episodic directors in Canada and I hope to be one of them in the future.” Tapping put her career on the line when she faced the sexualization of her SG-1 character at her very first wardrobe fitting. “Actually getting the part and realizing that I was going to be able to play this kick-ass, strong, incredibly smart, female character and going down for my first wardrobe fitting and being handed a push up bra and a low cut tank top? I looked at the [costume designer] and said, what is this?! I was, very surprisingly, non-confrontational considering the characters I have played and this shocked me. I am an Air Force Captain, I carry a gun and I am an astrophysicist. Why would I wear a push up bra? Why, that just flies in the face of everything this character stands for!” Tapping told the Costume
The most difficult scene of her career was the death of her onscreen daughter Ashley in Sanctuary. “Ultimately, it was [Helen’s] decision to pull the trigger. She brought her daughter into this crazy lifestyle and tried to raise a child in this insane little bubble and protect her but also give her freedom and, ultimately, it didn’t work out in the way that Helen would have liked - obviously. I think that playing Ashley’s death was the hardest, emotionally, for me to wrap my head around.” Since filming of Sanctuary went on hiatus back in August, Tapping has played several roles that are extremely different from what her audience is used to seeing. “I just did a movie-of-the week where I play a mother who is completely off-the-rails. That was really hard because at one moment, she is really sweet and the next moment she is losing her shit.” The Lifetime movie is called Taken Back and should be out in the summer of 2012. “Having played Helen Magnus
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Designer, “I can’t do this. If they want this, then they cast the wrong girl. That was scary.” The producers backed off immediately. She ended up wearing the same black t-shirt, military uniforms and army boots her male cast members wore. She even carried the same gun. “It took a little while for the powersthat-be to warm up to the idea but, a couple of weeks in to shooting the pilot, one of the directors came up to me and said...you were right.” Tapping left us with the following motto she lives by in order to remain true to her integrity: “Live peace, speak kindness and dwell in possibility. And, at all times, carry yourself with grace.” You can see this Syfy action heroine in person at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo on April 28th, 2012.
http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2815
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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Community
Jer’s Vision Welcomes Faye Estrella Two Yummy Fundraisers for SHARP New Conference Coordinator Spreads Her Wings A Taste for Life and the Mac and Cheese Cook-off By Dallas Barnes
By Sam Casselman
By now you may recognize the name Jer’s Vision, belonging to an organization whose mandate is to “work to eliminate bullying, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of discrimination in schools and youth communities.” It could be the fact that founder Jeremy Dias was recently one of the Grand Marshals of Vancouver Pride and Windsor Pride, or that he has been a recipient of other acclaim, including a nomination for the Teen Choice Award for his humanitarian work. Maybe you have seen his name in Metro, when he was selected amongst thousands of applicants to be the National interviewer of Lady Gaga. Whatever the reason, Jer’s Vision is a visionary force to be reckoned with, and with the introduction of its newest Conference Coordinator, Faye Estrella, it can only get better.
Are you ready to eat yourself into oblivion while at the same time supporting a worthy cause? If so, you’re in luck! The SHARP Foundation has you covered in the month of April. Kicking off their annual A Taste for Life fundraiser will be the Mac and Cheese Cook-Off.
Faye Estrella is no ordinary activist. Estrella’s activism comes from a place that only a child in her circumstances would know. “When I was a kid growing up in Toronto, I loved Anne of Green Gables and Captain Planet equally,” states Estrella. “I was also harassed constantly by adults and children alike because they couldn’t tell what gender I was.” Rather than sit down and give in to other people’s ideas of gender conformity, Estrella made sure to work on making it better for those that are also suffering. “While walking down those locker-lined halls, I dreamed of the day when kids like me wouldn’t have to be afraid or ashamed anymore. We would be celebrated, accepted, and loved. It wouldn’t matter what gender and sexuality (or lack thereof) we expressed, and who we fell in love with. I guess I thought of myself as some [kind] of rainbow champion on a unicorn.” In a recent interview with GayCalgary Magazine, Estrella discussed her new position with Jer’s Vision. “I was asked to perform at the Dare to Stand Out Conference [a Jer’s Vision initiative] last year. I was doing some poetry and a spoken word performance and was so moved by what they [Jer’s Vision] were doing.” “I originally applied for the volunteer position as Queer Educator for workshops, but it was brought to my attention that there was a paid position for the Conference Coordinator, so I applied.” And, Estrella, so far is ecstatic about her new position. “It feels like I have been here for months but it has only been a couple of weeks! It has just been amazing. I am so used to grassroots, volunteer work and now I have an actual budget, along with concrete deadlines!” As for the future, there are many great things that are going on in Jer’s Vision. “I am hoping to take the Dare to Stand Out Conference program all over Canada, so that youth can rally together and be their own champions.” The Dare to Stand Out Campaign “is a series of national conferences, brought to you by Jer’s Vision, that work with youth to address issues surrounding homophobia and transphobia in their schools and communities. The best part is that participants will walk away with tools and resources to take back to their schools and communities!” In the 2011-2012 season, DTSO had 15 conferences with over 3000 youth attending, along with their teachers in Eastern Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba, Central Ontario, Northern Ontario, and Nova Scotia. Estrella’s main goal is to have the Conference reach even further, and this can only be done with the help of the public. “I am working on ... unifying them with all of the conferences, and would like to work with our attendees to choose that theme. I also want to create more effective workshops and services,” adds Estrella. In order to facilitate a conference in your own area, Estrella needs help to secure a venue, and participants. There is a budget for each conference, and delivery of keynote speakers and tonnes of sway and information are all provided by Jer’s Vision. If this sounds like something you would be interested in planning make sure to give Estrella a call. After all, as they say, “it takes a village.”
Jer’s Vision www.jersvision.org
If you think your mac and cheese is the tastiest of them all, then call the Calgary Eagle to register as a competitor. Then on April 15th, bring your best mac and cheese down to the Calgary Eagle for 6pm. Guests will be able to buy sample-size portions from each cook-off participant with all money raised going to The SHARP Foundation. Then judges will test each mac and cheese dish and judge the winner. If it’s you, you will not only have bragging rights until next year, but you will also win some prizes! Last year A Taste for Life raised more than $38,000; if you count all the additional donations, the total was more than $80,000. All these funds stay in Calgary to provide needed resources and support courtesy of SHARP’s team, to individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Many of SHARP’s clients are highly vulnerable and at risk of homelessness. Many have histories which may include mental health struggles and addictions. This year is the third annual A Taste for Life, taking place April 25th. Here is how it works. Calgary restaurants sign up with The SHARP Foundation. SHARP advertises the restaurants in places such as The Calgary Sun, social media, The SHARP Foundation website, and of course GayCalgary Magazine amonst many others. Then people like you go eat a meal at one of these fine participating establishments on April 25th, when 25% of the total bill will be donated directly to The SHARP Foundation. So all you have to do is eat! If you like, you could eat all three meals that day at a different participating restaurants. Already signed up are Metropolitan Grill, Fiore’s, Halo, Escoba, Gypsy Piqniq, Blue Vinny and many more – a complete listing of all participating restaurants can be found at the SHARP Foundation’s website. If you have a favorite restaurant that is not on the list, let the people at SHARP know so that they can try to convince them to partake. If you own or operate a restaurant and want to be a part of this fundraiser, contact The SHARP Foundation as soon as possible. So mark your calendars for April 25th, and dine out at some great restaurants!
A Taste for Life Presented by the SHARP Foundation Wed, Apr 25th, All Day • At participating restaurants. www.theSHARPfoundation.com
613-400-1875 • Conference@JersVision.org
Mac & Cheese Cook-off Sun, Apr 15th, 6pm Calgary Eagle (424a 8th Ave SE)
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Faye Estrella
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The SHARP Foundation is a Calgary organization that is committed to providing a continuum of care including housing, healthcare, and support to individuals infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. The SHARP Foundation develops services and programs for people needing palliative, long term, intermediate, and independent living resources. Their current development is a project called Carlyle Commons which will provide independent living for individuals with support resources on site. Carlyle Commons is named after the late Jeff Carlyle, the Treasurer and a volunteer for The SHARP Foundation for 8 years. Floyd Visser from SHARP says they thought this would be a great way to honor Jeff for all his amazing work with the organization.
GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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Photography ISCCA - FABulous at FAB Bar, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa188
Living Positive Presents Jeffery Straker in Concert, Edmonton
ARGRA Dance - Tequila Sunrise Party, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa195
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Photography UofC Coming Out Monologues http://gaycalgary.com/pa190
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
Misc Youth - ‘Staching it up at The Eagle Show, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa191
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Photography UofC Gender Bender 2012 - http://gaycalgary.com/pa193
TD Calgary Spring Pride Reception, Calgary http://www.gaycalgary.compa189
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Photography ISCCA - St. Patrick’s Day Pajama Party at the Texas Lounge, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa192
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
ISCCA - Out Like a Tiger at the Texas Lounge, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa194
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Directory & Events 24
DOWNTOWN CALGARY
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Calgary Outlink---------- Community Groups Aids Calgary------------- Community Groups Backlot------------------------Bars and Clubs Calgary Eagle Inc.------------Bars and Clubs Texas Lounge-----------------Bars and Clubs
6 Goliath’s--------------------------Bathhouses 9 FAB----------------------------Bars and Clubs 13 Westways Guest House----Accommodations 16 Priape Calgary----------------- Retail Stores 24 Courtney Aarbo-----------------------Services
FIND OUT!
GayCalgary Magazine is the go-to source for information about Alberta LGBT businesses and community groups—the most extensive and accurate resource of its kind! This print supplement contains a subset of active community groups and venues, with premium business listings of paid advertisers. ......... Wheelchair Accessible
Spot something inaccurate or outdated? Want your business or organization listed? We welcome you to contact us!
403-543-6960 1-888-543-6960 magazine@gaycalgary.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/CalgaryTravelRSS http://www.gaycalgary.com/EdmontonTravelRSS
Local Bars, Restaurants, and Accommodations info on the go! http://www.gaycalgary.com/Directory
Browse our complete directory of over 600 gay-frieindly listings! www.gaycalgary.com
Twisted Element--------------Bars and Clubs Vertigo Mystery Theatre------------- Theatre One Yellow Rabbit-------------------- Theatre ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects-------- Theatre Pumphouse Theatre----------------- Theatre
CALGARY
LGBT Community Directory
✰....... Find our Magazine Here
33 34 35 36 37
Accommodations 13 Westways Guest House------------------- ✰ 216 - 25th Avenue SW 403-229-1758 1-866-846-7038 westways@shaw.ca www.gaywestways.com
Bars & Clubs 3 Backlot---------------------------------- ✰ 403-265-5211 Open 7 days a week, 2pm-close
209 - 10th Ave SW
4 Calgary Eagle Inc.---------------------- ✰ 424a - 8th Ave SE 403-263-5847 http://www.calgaryeagle.com Open Wed-Sun, 5pm-close Leather/Denim/Fetish bar. 60 Club Sapien (CLOSED)----------------- ✰ 1140 10th Ave SW 403-457-4464 http://www.clubsapien.ca Dance Club and Restaurant/Lounge. 9 FAB-------------------------------------- ✰ 1742 - 10th Ave SW 403-263-7411 www.fab-bar.com Closed Mondays. Bar and restaurant. 5 Texas Lounge------------------------------ ✰ 308 - 17 Ave SW 403-229-0911 www.goliaths.ca Open 7 days a week, 11am-close
41 La Fleur------------------------- Retail Stores 43 Lisa Heinricks--------- Theatre and Fine Arts 58 Theatre Junction--------------------- Theatre
33 Twisted Element--------------------------- ✰ 1006 - 11th Ave SW 403-802-0230 www.twistedelement.ca Dance Club and Lounge.
Bathhouses/Saunas 6 Goliaths------------------------------------ ✰ 308 - 17 Ave SW 403-229-0911 www.goliaths.ca Open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
Community Groups 2 AIDS Calgary-------------------------- 110, 1603 10th Avenue SW 403-508-2500 info@aidscalgary.org www.aidscalgary.org
✰
Alberta Society for Kink
403-398-9968 albetasocietyforkink@hotmail.com http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/ group.albertasocietyforkink
Apollo Calgary - Friends in Sports
www.apollocalgary.com www.myapollo.com A volunteer operated, non-profit organization serving primarily members of the LGBT communities but open to all members of all communities. Primary focus is to provide members with well-organized and fun sporting events and other activities.
GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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Directory & Events Alcoholics Anonymous-------------------- 8pm
Calgary Events Mondays
Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW
ASK Meet and Greet---------------- 7-9:30pm
Fridays
Bonasera (1204 Edmonton Tr. NE)
Inside Out Youth Group---------------- 7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink
BBQ Social Sundays---------------------- 2pm At 4 Calgary Eagle
Church Service---------------------------- 4pm See
Leather Night------------------------- Evening At 4 Calgary Eagle
Rec Volleyball----------------------------- 7pm
Rainbow Community Church
Tuesdays
See
Calgary Networking Club-------------- 5-7pm
Illusions------------------------------- 7-10pm
See
Between Men--------------------------- 7-9pm
Womynspace---------------------------- 7-9pm
At 4 Calgary Eagle
Karaoke------------------------------ 8pm-1am At 5 Texas Lounge
See 1 Calgary Outlink
Apollo Calgary
In Town Show----------------------------- 8pm By
ISCCA at 4 Calgary Eagle
Friday, April 20th
Swimming------------------------------- 5-6pm
By Different Strokes SAIT Pool (1301 - 16 Ave NW)
Thursday, April 19th
Jun
Women’s Volleyball---------------- 7-8:30pm
Out of Town Show------------------------ 7pm By
ISCCA at Twisted Element
Saturday, April 21st
Free Pool------------------------------- All Day
Monthly Dance------------------------- 8pm By ARGRA Hillhurst-Sunnyside Comm. Hall (1320 5th Ave NW)
Thursday, April 5th
Coronation XXXVI---------------------- 4pm By ISCCA at The Westin Calgary
New Directions-------------------------- 7-9pm
Impersonation Show----------------- 8-11pm
Sunday, April 22nd
Fetish Slosh---------------------------- Evening
Heading Out----------------------- 8pm-10pm
Saturday, April 7th
Alcoholics Anonymous-------------------- 8pm
Alcoholics Anonymous-------------------- 8pm
Western Cup Dance-------------- 9pm-2am By Apollo at Hotel Arts (119 - 12th Ave SW)
Alaska Birdwater Party------------------- 2pm
Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW
Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW
Cowboy Night----------------------------- 9pm
Tough Drag Show------------------------ 8pm
Wednesdays
Saturdays
Communion Service----------------- 12:10pm
Running----------------------------------- 9am
Squirt Night-------------------------- All Night
Wednesday, April 25th
Friday, April 13th
A Taste for Life---------------------- All Day Various Restaurants
The Dutchess Bids Farewell-------------- 9pm
Friday, April 27th
Saturday, April 14th
Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo BMO Centre Apr2729
Kinky Flea Market----------------- 11am-5pm
Saturday, April 28th
See 1 Calgary Outlink
1st
See 1 Calgary Outlink
2nd, 4th
At 3 Backlot
See
2nd
Knox United Church
Women’s Healing Circle-------------- 1:30pm See
AIDS Calgary
Free Pool------------------------------- All Day At 4 Calgary Eagle with
Prime Timers Calgary
LGBT Coffee Night----------------------------7pm See
CAANS
1st
Mosaic Youth Group-------------------- 7-9pm Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW)
Lesbian Seniors--------------------------- 2pm
3rd
Buddy Night------------------------- 6pm-6am At 6 Goliaths
Swimming------------------------------- 6-7pm
By Different Strokes SAIT Pool (1301 - 16 Ave NW)
Jun
Lesbian Meetup Group------------- 7:30-9pm At 1 Calgary Outlink
See 1 Calgary Outlink
See 1 Calgary Outlink
See
1st
2nd 3rd 4th
Apollo Calgary
Coffee------------------------------------ 10am By Prime Timers Calgary Midtown Co-op (1130 - 11th Ave SW)
Curling------------------------- 2:20 & 4:30pm See
Apollo Calgary
Alcoholics Anonymous-------------------- 8pm Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW Sundays
Thursdays Kerby Center, Sunshine Room 1133 7th Ave SW
See 1 Calgary Outlink
1st
Worship Time---------------------------- 10am See
Deer Park United Church
By
Apollo Calgary
Fake Mustache at 4 Calgary Eagle
www.westerncup.com Easter long weekend, 2012.
• Badminton (Absolutely Smashing)
ISCCA at 5 Texas Lounge
By ASK Forest Heights Community Centre 4909 Forego Ave SE
Dark Knight------------------------------- 9pm
Sunday, April 29th
ISCCA at 3 Backlot
At 4 Calgary Eagle
At 6 Goliaths
Sunday Services--------------------- 10:45am
Mac & Cheese Cook-off---------------- 4pm By SHARP at 4 Calgary Eagle
Uniform Night---------------------- 6pm-6am
See See
Scarboro United Church Hillhurst United Church
Worship Services------------------------- 11am See
Knox United Church
Int/Comp Volleyball----------- 12:15-1:45pm See
Imperial Roast---------------------------- 9pm By
North Hill Curling Club (1201 - 2 Street NW) curling@apollocalgary.com Will return in September 2010. Sign up at myapollo.org to receive updates.
• Golf
ISCCA at 5 Texas Lounge
June 2012
Icarus-------------------------------------- 8pm By Calgary Men’s Chorus Rosza Centre, U of C
Apollo Calgary
Jun9
Legend: = Monthly Reoccurrance, = Date (Range/Future), = Sponsored Event
• Lawn Bowling
• Tennis
• Outdoor Pursuits
• Volleyball (Beach)
lawnbowling@apollocalgary.com
YMCA Eau Claire (4th St, 1st Ave SW) calgaryfrontrunners@shaw.ca East Doors (directly off the Bow river pathway). Distances vary from 8 km - 15 km. Runners from 6 minutes/mile to 9+ minute miles.
• Slow Pitch
slow.pitch@apollocalgary.com
• Squash
Mount Royal University Recreation squash@apollocalgary.com All skill levels welcome.
golf@apollocalgary.com
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Monday, May 7th At 6 Goliaths
Wednesday, April 18th
tennis@apollocalgary.com
• Volleyball (Recreational)
• Curling
Apr28May12
Flashlight Party--------------------- 6pm-6am
• Running (Calgary Frontrunners)
Let’s Bowl (2916 5th Avenue NE) bowling@apollocalgary.com
Cappuccino Theatre
Sunday, April 15th
• Boot Camp
• Bowling (Rainbow Riders League)
By
Worship------------------------------ 10:30am
West Hillhurst Community Center 1940 6th Avenue NW vb@apollocalgary.com
Platoon FX, 1351 Aviation Park NE bootcamp@apollocalgary.com
At 4 Calgary Eagle
Frankenstein
By
bike@apollocalgary.com
• Biking
Trans Celebration
ISCCA Voting--------------------- 12pm-12am
outdoorpursuits@apollocalgary.com If it’s done outdoors, we do it. Volunteer led events all summer and winter. Hiking, camping, biking, skiing, snow shoeing, etc. Sign up at myapollo.org to get updates on the sport you like. We’re always looking for people to lead events.
6020 - 4 Avenue NE badminton@apollocalgary.com
By ISCCA at 4 Calgary Eagle By ISCCA at 4 Calgary Eagle
At 6 Goliaths
Calgary Contd. • Western Cup 30
By ISCCA at The Westin Calgary
At 4 Calgary Eagle
By
Victory Brunch--------------------------- 11am
GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
beachvb@apollocalgary.com
• Volleyball (Int/Comp)
235 - 18 Ave SW recvb@apollocalgary.com
• Volleyball (Women’s)
YWCA Calgary (320 - 5th Avenue SE) vbwomen@apollocalgary.com
• Yoga
World Tree Studio (812 Edmonton Trail NE) Robin: 403-618-9642 yoga@apollocalgary.com $120 (10 sessions); $14 Drop-ins open to all levels. Apollo membership is required.
Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association (ARGRA)
www.argra.org
• Monthly Dances----------------------------- Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Association 1320 - 5th Avenue NW
Calgary Gay Fathers
calgaryfathers@hotmail.com http://www.calgarygayfathers.ca Peer support group for gay, bisexual and questioning fathers. Meeting twice a month.
Calgary Men’s Chorus
http://www.calgarymenschorus.org
• Rehearsals
Temple B’Nai Tikvah, 900 - 47 Avenue SW
Calgary Sexual Health Centre---------
✰
304, 301 14th Street NW 403-283-5580 http://www.calgarysexualhealth.ca A pro-choice organization that believes all people have the right and ability to make their own choices regarding their sexual and reproductive health.
1 Calgary Outlink---------------------------- ✰ B1, 1528 16th Avenue SW 403-234-8973
www.gaycalgary.com
Directory & Events Calgary Contd. info@calgaryoutlink.ca http://www.calgaryoutlink.com
• Peer Support and Crisis Line
1-877-OUT-IS-OK (1-877-688-4765) Front-line help service for GLBT individuals and their family and friends, or anyone questioning their sexuality.
• Calgary Lesbian Ladies Meet up Group • Between Men and Between Men Online • Heading Out • Illusions Calgary • Inside Out • New Directions • Womynspace Calgary Queer Book Club
Weeds Cafe (1903 20 Ave NW)
Deer Park United Church/Wholeness Centre
77 Deerpoint Road SE http://www.dpuc.ca
403-278-8263
Different Strokes
http://www.differentstrokescalgary.org
FairyTales Presentation Society
403-244-1956 http://www.fairytalesfilmfest.com Alberta Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.
• DVD Resource Library
Over a hundred titles to choose from. Annual membership is $10.
Gay Friends in Calgary
http://www.gayfriendsincalgary.ca Organizes and hosts social activities catered to the LGBT people and friends.
Girl Friends
girlfriends@shaw.ca members.shaw.ca/girlfriends
Girlsgroove
http://www.girlsgroove.ca
Hillhurst United Church
1227 Kensington Close NW (403) 283-1539 office@hillhurstunited.com www.hillhurstunited.com
HIV Peer Support Group
403-230-5832 hivpeergroup@yahoo.ca
ISCCA Social Association
http://www.iscca.ca Imperial Sovereign Court of the Chinook Arch. Charity fundraising group..
Knox United Church
506 - 4th Street SW 403-269-8382 http://www.knoxunited.ab.ca Knox United Church is an all-inclusive church located in downtown Calgary. A variety of facility rentals are also available for meetings, events and concerts.
Lesbian Meetup Group
http://www.meetup.com/CalgaryLesbian Monthly events planned for Queer women over 18+ such as book clubs, games nights, movie nights, dinners out, and volunteering events.
Miscellaneous Youth Network
http://www.miscyouth.com
• Fake Mustache
Club Sapien (609 7th Ave SW) Calgary’s ONLY Drag King Show. Early show 7:30pm, late show 9pm.
• Mosaic Youth Group
The Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW) For queer and trans youth and their allies.
www.gaycalgary.com
• Centre of Hope
Restaurants
Mystique
mystiquesocialclub@yahoo.com Mystique is primarily a Lesbian group for women 30 and up but all are welcome.
Room 201, 420 - 9th Ave SE 403-410-1180 Mon-Fri: 1pm-5pm
4 Calgary Eagle Inc.--------------------- See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.
✰
• Coffee Night
60 Club Sapien (CLOSED)---------------- See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.
✰
1213 - 4th Str SW 403-955-6014 Sat-Thu: 4:15pm-7:45pm, Fri: Closed
NETWORKS
9 FAB------------------------------------- See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.
✰
• Safeworks Van
Good Earth Cafe (1502 - 11th Street SW) networkscalgary@gmail.com A social, cultural, and service organization for the mature minded and “Plus 40” LGBT individuals seeking to meet others at age-appropriate activities within a positive, safe environment.
Parents for Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
Sean: 403-695-5791 http://www.pflagcanada.ca A registered charitable organization that provides support, education and resources to parents, families and individuals who have questions or concerns about sexual orientation or gender identity.
Positive Space Committee
4825 Mount Royal Gate SW 403-440-6383 http://www.mtroyal.ca/positivespace Works to raise awareness and challenge the patterns of silence that continue to marginalize LGBTTQ individuals. www.pridecalgary.ca
Primetimers Calgary
primetimerscalgary@gmail.com http://www.primetimerscalgary.com Designed to foster social interaction for its members through a variety of social, educational and recreational activities. Open to all gay and bisexual men of any age, respects whatever degree of anonymity that each member desires.
Queers on Campus---------------------
279R Student Union Club Spaces, U of C 403-220-6394 http://www.ucalgary.ca/~glass Formerly GLASS - Gay/Lesbian Association of Students and Staff.
Halo Steak, Seafood & Wine Bar
36 ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects 403-294-7402 http://www.ATPlive.com
AXIS Contemporary Art--------------------
107, 100 - 7 Ave SW rob@axisart.ca
Retail Stores Adult Depot-----------------------------
2nd Cup, Kensington
Scarboro United Church
134 Scarboro Avenue SW 403-244-1161 www.scarborounited.ab.ca An affirming congregation—the full inclusion of LGBT people is essential to our mission and purpose.
41 La Fleur------------------------------------ 103 - 100 7th Avenue SW 403-266-1707 Florist and Flower Shop.
Bow Trail and 37th St. SW 403-249-7799 www.jubilations.ca
305 10th Street NW http://www.thenakedleaf.ca Organic teas and tea ware.
403-283-3555
16 Priape Calgary------------------------- ✰ 1322 - 17 Ave SW 403-215-1800 http://www.priape.com Clothing and accessories. Adult toys, leather wear, movies and magazines. Gifts.
Services & Products Calgary Civil Marriage Centre
403-246-4134 (Rork Hilford) MarriageCommissioner@shaw.ca Marriage Commissioner for Alberta (aka Justice of the Peace - JP), Marriage Officiant, Commissioner for Oaths. 24 Courtney Aarbo (Barristers & Solicitors) 1138 Kensington Road NW 403-571-5120 http://www.courtneyaarbo.ca GLBT legal services.
Cruiseline
Sharp Foundation
Unity Bowling
810 Edmonton Trail NE 403-290-1973 Cuts, Colour, Hilights.
Urban Sex Radio Show
Jim Duncan: 403-978-6600 Residential cleaning. Free estimates.
403-272-2912 sharpfoundation@nucleus.com http://www.thesharpfoundation.com Let’s Bowl (2916 - 5th Ave NE) sundayunity@live.com CJSW 90.9 FM http://www.cjsw.com Focus on sexuality; gay bisexual lesbian trans gendered and straight issues here in Calgary and around the web. 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.
Wild Rose United Church
1317-1st Street NW
“Yeah...What She Said!” Radio Show
CJSW 90.9 FM yeahwhatshesaid@gmail.com
DevaDave Salon & Boutique
Jubilations Dinner Theatre
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 403-299-8888 www.oyr.org 37 Pumphouse Theatre------------------ 2140 Pumphouse Avenue SW 403-263-0079 http://www.pumphousetheatres.ca
✰
Stagewest-------------------------------
✰
58 Theatre Junction---------------------- Theatre Junction GRAND, 608 1st St. SW 403-205-2922 info@theatrejunction.com http://www.theatrejunction.com
✰
727 - 42 Avenue SE 403-243-6642 http://www.stagewestcalgary.com
34 Vertigo Mystery Theatre------------------ 161, 115 - 9 Ave SE 403-221-3708 http://www.vertigomysterytheatre.com
EDMONTON Bars & Clubs 6 Buddy’s Nite Club------------------------- ✰ 11725 Jasper Ave 780-488-6636
Duncan’s Residential Cleaning
14 FLASH-------------------------------------- ✰ 10018 105 Street 780-938-2941 flashnightclub@hotmail.com
Lorne Doucette (CIR Realtors)
5 The Junction---------------------------- ✰ 10242 106th St 780-756-5667 http://www.junctionedmonton.com
MFM Communications
12 Woody’s------------------------------------ ✰ 11725 Jasper Ave 780-488-6557
403-461-9195 http://www.lornedoucette.com
403-543-6970 1-877-543-6970 http://www.mfmcommunications.com Web site hosting and development. Computer hardware and software.
MPs Catering
403-607-8215
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
403-262-3356 www.axisart.ca
Fairytales
See Calgary - Community Groups.
403-777-9494 trial code 3500 http://www.cruiseline.ca Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY.
Vigor Calgary
✰
140, 58th Ave SW 403-258-2777 Gay, bi, straight video rentals and sex toys.
✰
• Coffee Night
403-850-3755 Sat-Thu: 8pm-12am, Fri: 4pm-12am
Theatre & Fine Arts
Canyon Meadows Plaza 13226 Macleod Trail SE 403-271-4111 www.halorestaurant.com
The Naked Leaf----------------------------
Pride Calgary Planning Committee
403-797-6564
• Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre
Bathhouses/Saunas 11 Steamworks------------------------------- ✰ 11745 Jasper Ave 780-451-5554 http://www.steamworksedmonton.com
Community Groups Alberta Bears
www.beefbearbash.com
GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
57
Directory & Events DOWNTOWN EDMONTON 5
11 6 12
N
4 14
4 Edmonton STD---------- Community Groups 5 The Junction------------------Bars and Clubs
6 Buddy’s Nite Club------------Bars and Clubs 11 Steamworks----------------------Bathhouses
12 Woody’s-----------------------Bars and Clubs 14 FLASH-------------------------Bars and Clubs
Intermediate Volleyball-------- 7:30-9:30pm
Yoga--------------------------------- 2-3:30pm
Open House----------------------------- 5-9pm
Mondays
Fridays
Saturday, April 14th
Boot Camp------------------------------ 7-8pm
Ballroom Dancing-------------- 7:30-8:30pm
Men’s Games Nights-------------- 7-10:30pm
See
Monthly Meetings--------------------- 2:30pm
BEEF Bearbash------------------------ 8pm By FAB at 5 Junction
Edmonton Illusions------------------- 8:30pm
Unitarian Church (10804 119th Street) See Edmonton Primetimers
2nd
Potluck and Games------------------- 5:30pm
Edmonton Events See
See
Team Edmonton
See
Tuesdays
Martial Arts--------------------- 7:30-8:30pm See
Team Edmonton
GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club
Youth Sports/Recreation----------------- 4pm Youth Understanding Youth
Thursdays Youth Understanding Youth
Book Club----------------------------- 7:30pm See
BookWorm’s Book Club
3rd
Martial Arts--------------------- 7:30-8:30pm See
2nd
Youth Understanding Youth
Buck Naked Boys Club
2nd
Team Edmonton
By Edmonton Primetimers Unitarian Church, 10804 - 119th Street
2nd
Bowling----------------------------------- 5pm See
Team Edmonton
Team Edmonton
Friday, April 6th
Mad Hatter’s Tea Party------------------- 9pm ISCWR at 5 Junction
ISCWR at 5 Junction
AltView Foundation
Book Worm’s Book Club
Howard McBride Chapel of Chimes 10179 - 108 Street bookworm@teamedmonton.ca
Buck Naked Boys Club
780-471-6993 http://www.bucknakedboys.ca Naturism club for men—being social while everyone is naked, and it does not include sexual activity. Participants do not need to be gay, only male.
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
Edmonton Pride Festival Society (EPFS)
http://www.edmontonpride.ca
Edmonton Prime Timers
edmontonpt@yahoo.ca www.primetimersww.org/edmonton Group of older gay men and their admirers who come from diverse backgrounds but have common social interests. Affiliated with Prime Timers World Wide.
58
Open House------------------------ 12pm-9pm Pride Centre of Edmonton (10608 105 Ave)
Capital Cabaret----------------------- 7:30pm By EVM Unitarian Church of Calgary (10804 119 Street)
Wednesday, April 11th
May 2012
Mixer-------------------------------------- 6pm
ICONIKA II-------------------------------- 9pm
By
ERBA
Sundays
By
ISCWR at 14 Flash
May4
Team Edmonton
A Naked Ode to Spring
By Bucknaked Edmonton Labyrinth Lake Lodge
Edmonton Contd.
#44, 48 Brentwood Blvd, Sherwood Park, AB 403-398-9968 info@altview.ca www.altview.ca For gender variant and sexual minorities.
HIV Edmonton (9702 111 Ave)
Saturday, April 21st
Holier Than Thou------------------------- 9pm By
Pride Centre of Edmonton (10608 105 Ave)
Friday, April 13th
Running------------------------------ 10-11am See
Team Edmonton
Sunday, April 8th
Naturalist Gettogether See
See
By
Saturdays
Monthly Meeting---------------------- 2:30pm
Youth Sports/Recreation----------------- 4pm See
2nd, Last
At 5 The Junction See
GLBTQ Bowling------------------ 1:30-3:30pm See
Men’s Games Nights
Youth Sports/Recreation----------------- 4pm
Wednesdays See
Team Edmonton
Apr1315
Legend: = Monthly Reoccurrance, = Date (Range), = Sponsored Event
Edmonton Rainbow Business Association
3379, 11215 Jasper Ave 780-429-5014 http://www.edmontonrba.org Primary focus is the provision of networking opportunities for LGBT owned or operated and LGBT-friendly businesses in the Edmonton region.
Edmonton Illusions Social Club
5 The Junction 780-387-3343 groups.yahoo.com/group/edmonton_illusions
sing@evmchoir.com
GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club
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.
✰
10608 - 105 Ave 780-488-3234 admin@pridecentreofedmonton.org http://www.pridecentreofedmonton.org
Edmonton Vocal Minority
780-474-8240
OUTreach
Pride Centre of Edmonton-------------
4 Edmonton STD 11111 Jasper Ave 780-479-2038 www.evmchoir.com
Men’s Games Nights
Unitarian Church (10804 119th Street) 780-474-8240 tuff@shaw.ca
tuff@shaw.ca
HIV Network Of Edmonton Society----
✰
9702 111 Ave NW 780-488-5742 www.hivedmonton.com Provides healthy sexuality education for Edmonton’s LGBT community and support for those infected or affected by HIV.
• Free School
10608 - 105 Ave monika\penner@shaw.ca Free School provides workshops on a variety of topics related to local activism.
• Get Tested for STIs
Free STD testing for anyone interested. For more information please contact the Pride Centre.
• GLBT African Group (Drop-In)
Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose
fred@pridecentreofedmonton.org jeff@pridecentreofedmonton.org Group for ALL gay refugees and their friends and families, from all around the world.
Living Positive Society of Alberta
• GLBT Seniors Drop-In
http://www.iscwr.ca
#50, 9912 - 106 Street 780-423-3737 http://www.facebook.com/LivingPoz Living Positive through Positive Living.
GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
SAGE building, Classroom B 15 Sir Winstone Churchill Square tuff@shaw.ca
A social and support group for seniors of all genders and sexualities to talk, have tea and offer each other support.
• Men Talking with Pride
10608 - 105 Ave robwells780@hotmail.com A social discussion group for gay, bisexual and transgendered men to discuss current issues and to offer support to each other.
• Men’s HIV Support Group
10608 - 105 Ave huges@shaw.ca Support group for people living with HIV/AIDS.
• PFLAG
10608 - 105 Ave 780-436-1998 edmontonab@pflagcanada.ca Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays: A support group for family members and friends of GLBT people. An excellent resource for people whose family members and friends have just come out.
• Suit Up and Show Up: AA Big Book Study
10608 - 105 Ave Discussion and support group for those struggling with an alcohol addiction or seeking support in staying sober.
• TTIQ
10608 - 105 Ave admin@pridecentreofedmonton.org TTIQ is mixed gender open support group addressing the needs of transsexual and transgendered individuals.
• Womonspace Board Meeting 10608 - 105 Ave wspresident@hotmail.com
www.gaycalgary.com
Directory & Events Edmonton Contd. Womonspace is a Social and Recreational Society in Edmonton run by volunteers. They provide opportunities for lesbians to interact and support each other in a safe environment, and to contribute to the broader community.
• Youth Movie
10608 - 105 Ave brendan@pridecentreofedmonton.org Movie chosen by youth (aged 14 – 25), usually with LGBT themes. Popcorn is served.
• YouthSpace
brendan@pridecentreofedmonton.org A safe and supportive space for GLBTQ youth aged 13–25. Video games, computers with internet, clothing bank, and more.
Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton
780-474-8240 tuff@shaw.ca
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.
• Badminton (Mixed)
St. Thomas Moore School, 9610 165 Street coedbadminton@teamedmonton.ca New group seeking male & female players.
• Badminton (Women’s)
Oliver School, 10227 - 118 Street 780-465-3620 badminton@teamedmonton.ca Women’s Drop-In Recreational Badminton. $40.00 season or $5.00 per drop in.
•Ballroom Dancing
Foot Notes Dance Studio, 9708-45 Avenue NW Cynthia: 780-469-3281
• Blazin’ Bootcamp
Garneau Elementary School 10925 - 87 Ave bootcamp@teamedmonton.ca
• Bowling (Northern Titans)
• Outdoor Pursuits
• Running (Arctic Frontrunners)
Emily Murphy Park, west end running@teamedmonton.ca All genders and levels of runners and walkers are invited to join this free activity.
• Snowballs V
January 27-29, 2012 snowballs@teamedmonton.ca Skiing and Snowboarding Weekend.
• Soccer
soccer@teamedmonton.ca
• Spin
MacEwan Centre for Sport and Wellness 109 St. and 104 Ave Wednesdays, 5:45-6:45pm Season has ended. spin@teamedmonton.ca 7 classes, $28.00 per registrant.
• Swimming (Making Waves) NAIT Pool (11762 - 106 Street) swimming@teamedmonton.ca www.makingwavesswimclub.ca
Sundays Summer Season starts July 12th ultimatefrisbee@teamedmonton.ca E-mail if interested.
• Volleyball, Intermediate
Amiskiwacy Academy (101 Airport Road) volleyball@teamedmonton.ca
• Volleyball, Recreational
• Cross Country Skiing
• Women’s Lacrosse
• Curling with Pride
Granite Curling Club, 8620 107 Street NW curling@teamedmonton.ca
• Cycling (Edmonton Prideriders) Various locations in Edmonton cycling@teamedmonton.ca
• Dragon Boat (Flaming Dragons) dragonboat@teamedmonton.ca
• Golf
golf@teamedmonton.ca
• Gymnastics, Drop-in
Ortona Gymnastics Club, 8755 - 50 Avenue gymnastics@teamedmonton.ca Have the whole gym to yourselves and an instructor to help you achieve your individual goals. Cost is $5.00 per session.
• Hockey
hockey@teamedmonton.ca
• Martial Arts
15450 - 105 Ave (daycare entrance) 780-328-6414 kungfu@teamedmonton.ca kickboxing@teamedmonton.ca Drop-ins welcome.
Mother Teresa School (9008 - 105 Ave) recvolleyball@teamedmonton.ca Sharon: 780-461-0017 Pam: 780-436-7374 Open to women 21+, experienced or not, all are welcome. Call for info.
• Yoga
Lion's Breath Yoga Studio (10350-124 Street) yoga@teamedmonton.ca
Cruiseline
780-413-7122 trial code 3500 http://www.cruiseline.ca Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY.
Robertson-Wesley United Church
Youth Understanding Youth
• Film Night
Bi-monthly, contact us for exact dates.
• Book Club
Monthly, contact us for exact dates.
Theatre & Fine Arts Exposure Festival
http://www.exposurefestival.ca Edmonton’s Queer Arts and Culture Festival.
The Roxy Theatre
10708 124th Street, Edmonton AB 780-453-2440 www.theatrenetwork.ca
BANFF/CANMORE Community Groups Mountain Pride
members@gaybanff.com www.gaybanff.com Serving the GLBTQS community in Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise and Area.
LETHBRIDGE Community Groups GALA/LA
403-308-2893 http://www.galalethbridge.ca Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Lethbridge and Area.
• Monthly Dances
• Sports and Recreation
• Monthly Potluck Dinners
Restaurants 12 Woody’s------------------------------------ ✰ 11725 Jasper Ave 780-488-6557
Lethbridge HIV Connection
lethbridgepridefest@gmail.com
Henotic (402 - 2 Ave S) Bring your membership card and photo ID.
5 The Junction------------------------------- 10242 106th St 780-756-5667
Gay Youth Alliance Group
Betty, 403-381-5260 bneil@chr.ab.ca Every second Wednesday, 3:30pm-5pm
• Soul OUTing
780-248-1971 www.yuyedm.ca A support and social group for queer youth 12-25. Brendan: 780-488-3234 brendan@pridecentreofedmonton.org
Room C610, University of Lethbridge
1206 - 6 Ave S
Second Sunday every month, 7pm An LGBT-focused alternative worship.
McKillop United Church, 2329 - 15 Ave S GALA/LA will provide the turkey...you bring the rest. Please bring a dish to share that will serve 4-6 people, and your own beverage.
• Support Line
403-308-2893 Monday OR Wednesday, 7pm-11pm Leave a message any other time.
galia@uleth.ca
• Movie Night
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!
Womonspace
780-482-1794 womonspace@gmail.com www.womonspace.ca Women’s social group, but all welcome at events.
Gay & Lesbian Integrity Assoc. (GALIA)
University of Lethbridge GBLTTQQ club on campus.
Products & Services
• Ultimate Frisbee
Ed’s Rec Room (West Edmonton Mall) bowling@teamedmonton.ca $15.00 per person. crosscountry@teamedmonton.ca
15239 - 111 Ave 780-930-1169 pvault@telus.net “Edmonton’s Classiest Adult Store”
• Tennis
Kinsmen Sports Centre Sundays, 12pm-3pm tennis@teamedmonton.ca
The Mix (green water tower) 103 Mayor Magrath Dr S Every Friday at 10pm
Passion Vault
• Slo Pitch
Parkallen Field, 111 st and 68 ave slo-pitch@teamedmonton.ca Season fee is $30.00 per person. $10 discount for players from the 2008 season.
• Friday Mixer
Retail Stores
outdoorpursuits@teamedmonton.ca
PFLAG Canada
1-888-530-6777 lethbridgeab@pflagcanada.ca www.pflagcanada.ca
Pride Lethbridge
RED DEER Community Groups 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!
CAANS LGBT Coffee Night
403-346-8858 (Jenn/Jill)
Central Alberta AIDS Network Society
4611-50 Avenue, Red Deer, AB http://www.caans.org The Central Alberta AIDS Network Society is the local charity responsible for HIV prevention and support in Central Alberta.
Western Canadian Pride Campout
www.eventmasterinc.net
ALBERTA Community Groups Alberta Trans Support/Activities Group
http://www.albertatrans.org A nexus for transgendered persons, regardless of where they may be on the continuum.
Theatre & Fine Arts Alberta Ballet
http://www.albertaballet.com Frequent productions in Calgary and Edmonton.
CANADA Community Groups Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition
P..O. Box 3043, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 3S9 (306) 955-5135 1-800-955-5129 http://www.rainbowhealth.ca
Continued on Page 61 www.gaycalgary.com
GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
59
Classifieds Announcements
100
Pride Church Service 10:30am, Sunday June 10 McDougall United Church 10025 101 Street & MacDonald Drive Edmonton, Alberta 780-428-1818 http://mcdougallunited.com
$20 for Research Participants - Calgary Marijuana Study University of Calgary is interested in interviewing people in Calgary who have successfully overcome a marijuana problem. If you have had a marijuana problem in the past and have been problem-free for at least 1 year, you may be eligible to participate. For more information, please visit: www.Calgary-MarijuanaStudy.ca or Email: CalgaryMarijuana-Study@ucalgary.ca or Call: 403-210-9580
Audition
215
Men 18-50 Gay/Bi/ Straight and Curious or First Timers The Great Canadian Male is looking for amateur men 18-50 years old. Are you straight but curious or bi-sexual, gay, first timer? Want to explore on camera? We are interviewing now for future production dates. All body types accepted. Scenes are 45-60 minutes in length and pay $300. Contact us by email for a model application: applications@ thegreatcandianmale.com Any questions? 403-536-6990 Monday to Friday 5 - 10 PM Saturday and Sunday 8 AM - 10PM Check out our website: www.TheGreatCanadianMale.com
Gay Talent Wanted Beauty & Mayhem Production Agency is are looking for Gay Talent to perform in Adult entertainment Productions. Call Pj @ 403 826 2670 E-mail: pj@beautymayhem.ca www.xxxbmpa.com
Help Wanted
240
Writers and Photographers GayCalgary Magazine is seeking additional freelance writers and photographers from Edmonton, Lethbridge, Red Deer, and Medicine Hat to accept monthly assignments. Must be willing and able to conduct interviews in person or by phone. Please have a writing sample ready. Contact Steve at publisher@gaycalgary.com.
org/manage/2924237997 for more details, or call/text Pete @ (403) 604-9826 or peathore23@hotmail. com.
Personals
400
Labourer 50, searching for relationship in area. Ranch hand heritage. Don’t smoke. Healthy boundaries. Handwritten reply welcomed to Box 1, Kinsella AB, T0B-2N0.
Erotic Massage
420
UltimateMaleMassage.com
Sales Rep Wanted GayCalgary Magazine is looking for a part time sales rep. Income by commission, sales experience required. Duties include contacting new advertisers and maintaining existing customers. Contact Steve at sales@gaycalgary.com.
Home to Share
350
Room Mate Wanted
Best Erotic Male Massage In Calgary Studio with free parking Deep Tissue and Relaxation Licensed, Professional Video on website 403-680-0533 mike@ultimatemalemassage.com
Models/Escorts
460
Alberta Escort Listings
New Improved Features. Free to Post and Browse. Videos, Pics, and Reviews. Join Now! Code: GCEE
Products/Services 500
Best Courier in Town!
Simple one zone, one rate, city wide~Excellent personalized customer service~Regular, rush, direct, & non-stop services~Servicing Calgary & all surrounding areas~We Delivery Everything Big & Small~Fast, friendly, reliable & courteous~Small truck loads to the dump~Pick up truck and help moving~Furniture delivery~Competitive pricing 403-827-7529 | www.mpdelivery.ca info@mpdelivery.ca
FABULOUS LGBT & STR8 WEDDINGS Rork Hilford MC, Commissioner for Oaths. MarriageCommissioner@ shaw.ca | 403-246-4134
Do You Need a Computer Hero? On-site home and business computer service. 15yrs experience. Certified, insured, BBB member. GLBT Owned. Friendly & respectful service. Call 403-444-0700, Calgary & Area.
Adult Depot Very tastfully furnished room for rent in Dover $550/month. All utilities incl + Cable & Wireless Internet. Free laundry onsite, close to amenities, & bus access. See https://post.craigslist.
Check out www.Squirt.org for the Hot Escorts in Calgary, Edmonton, and the rest of Alberta.
Large selection of gay DVDs from $9.95, aromas and toys. Open MonFri 12-11pm, Sat 12-6pm, closed Sundays and holidays. (403) 258 2777
Ads starting at $10/mo. for the first 20 words. Submit yours at http://www.gaycalgary.com/classifieds 60
GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
www.gaycalgary.com
Massage
Sex Toys Estore Edmonton
Massage in Edmonton
Gay toys, S&M, bondage, anal, lubes, transgender products, and more. 12,000 gay DVDs starting from $6.55 each. No tax. 15% off coupon code“GayCalgary” - no quotes. 1-877-915-0004 www.sextoysestore.com
Cleaning
560
517
GET A LIFE...STOP CLEANING! Get a life and STOP Cleaning your place. Let Steve do the dirty work for you. Cleaning your home or business. Prefer regular cleaning schedule. Flexable rates.
Registered Massage Therapist in downtown Edmonton. Relaxation and therapeutic massage. For appointment phone Dwayne at 780483-3190 or 780-918-5856
Travel
680
Rainbow Explorations Are you LGBT? Want to travel with others? Want to go somewhere exotic? Availability is limited at special pricing with extras. Visit www. rainbowexplorations.ca for details.
getalifecleaner.com | 403-200-7384
Education/Training 535
Need help with your Career Search? Over 700 clients in North America have come to us for Resume and Cover Letter creation plus Interview practice. For information, contact Doug at 587-335-7667 or douglas@parsonsdevelopment.ca
Health
550
My CannaMeds Organic medical marihuana products, shipped quickly, discreetly to your door. www.mycm.ca. Your #1 online Compassionate Club.
Directory - From Page 59 Egale Canada
8 Wellington St E, Third Floor Toronto, Ontario, M5E 1C5 1-888-204-7777 www.egale.ca Egale Canada is the national advocacy and lobby organization for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transidentified people and our families.
Products & Services Squirt
http://www.squirt.org Website for dating and hook-ups. 18+ ONLY!
Theatre & Fine Arts Broadway Across Canada
http://www.broadwayacrosscanada.ca
OUTtv
http://www.outtv.ca GLBT Television Station.
www.gaycalgary.com
GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
61
Q Scopes
Think ahead, Aquarius! Mars is finally turning direct on the 13th! As he starts moving forward, heal recent blow-ups and resentments. He’s opposing Neptune, so over-eagerness and hypersensitivity may aggravate raw wounds. Time is on your side. Easy does it.
ARIES (March 20–April 19): Rash impulses, touchiness
and pushing yourself too hard will only invite trouble. Resisting those demons is a huge challenge right now. Practice meditation, moderate exercise, patience and sympathy. If you can’t be nice, take a long meditative walk.
TAURUS (April 20–May 20): Your financial intuitions are
good, but you need to discuss them with your banker or accountant who might improve on them. Sexual innovation will help your partnership, but again, better to consult rather than to act on impulse.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20): Charm wins attention and
admirers, but real love and commitment take more. Think seriously about where you want to be in 20 years and discuss that with your (prospective) mate. Your boss’s insanity is not your problem; how you respond to it is.
CANCER (June 21–July 22): Listen carefully to colleagues for chances to improve working relationships. Your personal relations are a bigger challenge as you feel pulled between love and work. Right now work has to come first. Your partner will understand.
LEO (July 23–August 22): As your friends look to you for leadership it’s too easy to fall into pleasant routines. Take a creative challenge and push for something new and different. If you can wait a week or two to make any financial decisions.
VIRGO (August 23–September 22): Er… who’s being irritable
and hypersensitive? It’s too easy to blame things on your partner. Even a long, strong marriage needs clear boundaries. Clearing the air can be helpful, but solutions will come later. Be patient.
LIBRA (September 23–October 22): Your flirtatious instincts could upset your sweetie. Take care of what you already have going! A little fresh air and innovation are necessary to keep a relationship alive, but you have to work together on that!
SCORPIO (October 23–November 21): Losing some
friends could be good, but slow down and think hard about who you want in your future. A great new passion is probably just a passing fancy, but why pass it up? Just be careful of expectations and prophylaxis.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 20): Throw yourself into your work. Even if you’re feeling disconnected and just running on momentum you can get a lot done. Seeking attention and promotion will backfire. Just keep your shoulder to the wheel. Rewards will come later.
CAPRICORN (December 21–January 19): Rumblings
close to home point to domestic trouble on the horizon. Those problems aren’t serious – yet. Take some time off from work; make time your mate. Work together on changes. Flowers or dinner out are nice surprises. Redecorating on your own isn’t.
AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18): Those cuties flirting with you are probably partnered. Nothing wrong with flirting as long as you’re careful. Getting too witty will undermine caution. Think ahead! Write down those bons mots that are too incendiary for conversation.
PISCES (February 19–March 19): Domestic and professional relationships can bolster each other, but prioritize the professional for now. It’s hard to maintain focus and people are pulling you in different directions. Principles will offer direction. Focus on what is important in your life and who will fall into place. Jack Fertig, a professional astrologer since 1977 teaches at the Online College of Astrology. He can be reached for personal or business consultations at 415-864-8302 or through his website at http://www. starjack.com
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GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
www.gaycalgary.com
www.gaycalgary.com
GayCalgary Magazine #102, April 2012
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