JULY 2012 ISSUE 105 • FREE
The Voice of Alberta’s LGBT Community
MAGIC
MIKE
Calgary Fringe
Channing Tatum Joe Manganiello
Prepare to get Physical
Katy Perry
And her many dimensions
PLUS:
Scissor Sisters
Pride & Rodeo Coverage ...and more!
Business Directory
Community Map
Calgary • Alberta • Canada
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Adam Baldwin
Rugged from Firefly to Chuck
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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Table of Contents
JULY 2012
Photography Steve Polyak, Photography Rob Diaz-Marino
Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, B&J Videography Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino
Videography Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino Printers Web exPress
Printers
North Hill News/Central Web Distribution Calgary: Gallant Distribution, Distribution GayCalgary Staff Calgary: Gallant Edmonton: Clark’sDistribution Distribution GayCalgary Other: CanadaStaff Post Edmonton: Clark’s Distribution Other: Post LegalCanada Council Courtney Aarbo, Barristers and Solicitors
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Courtney BarristersInquiries and Solicitors SalesAarbo, & General GayCalgary Magazine Sales2136 & General Inquiries 17th Avenue SW GayCalgary EdmontonT2TMagazine Calgary, and AB, Canada 0G3 2136 17th Avenue SW sales@gaycalgary.com Calgary, AB, Canada T2T appointment 0G3 Office Hours: By ONLY
Phone: 403-543-6960 Office Hours: appointment ONLY Toll Free:By 1-888-543-6960 Phone: 403-543-6960 Fax: 403-703-0685 Tollmagazine@gaycalgary.com Free: 1-888-543-6960 E-Mail: Fax: 403-703-0685 This Month's Cover E-Mail: magazine@gaycalgary.com Main: Channing Tatum and crew, photo by Warne ThisTerri Month's Bros., Top Right: StevensCover and Justine Tyme, Cher and Christina Aguilera courtesy of Sony Middle Right: Katy Perry, photo by Paramount Pictures; Annie Lennox courtesy Mike Owen; Pictures, Bottom Right: AdamofBaldwin. Rex Goudie.
Proud Members of: Proud Members of:
Away for the Weekend
8 Loosen your Belt and Prepare to Get Physical
This Years’s Fringe Festival Slates a ‘Potluck’ of Sense Pleasing Performances
10 Ranch Rendezvous
Spring Valley Guest Ranch hosts 24th annual LGBT camping weekend
PAGE 8
Publisher’s Column
11 Summer is Here! Can you afford to stay cool?
11 Break the Bank
Les Girls brings Calgary another top class girl’s night out
12 Adam Baldwin
Rugged TV actor talks Firefly to Chuck
PAGE 12
Writers and Contributors
Mercedes Mercedes Allen, Allen, Chris Azzopardi, Dallas DallasBarnes, Barnes, Dave DaveBrousseau, Brousseau,Sam Jason Casselman, Clevett, Jade JasonCooper, Clevett, Andrew AndrewCollins, Collins,Emily Rob Diaz-Marino, Collins, Rob Diaz-Marino, Janine Eva Janine Trotta,EvaJack Trotta, Fertig, JackGlen Fertig, Hanson, Glen Hanson, Joan Hilty, Joan Evan Hilty,Kayne, Evan Kayne, Stephen Stephen Lock, Allan Lock, Neuwirth, Neil McMullen, Steve Polyak, Allan Neuwirth, Carey Rutherford, Steve Polyak, Romeo Carey SanRutherford, Vicente, Ed Sikov, Romeo Krista SanSylvester Vicente, Ed and Sikov, the LGBT Nick Vivian Community and the GLBT of Calgary, Community Edmonton, of Calgary, andEdmonton, Alberta. and Alberta.
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14 Alberta Kid Turned Jersey Boy
Michael Lomenda returns home in touring production
15 “EX” marks the spot
Edmonton’s Capital Ex packs some punch
16 Queer Eye - Part 1
e n zi
a g 23 The Marvellous Wonderettes a m of Katy Perry 24 The Many Dimensions 22 NAGVA
The North American Gay Volleyball Association, and Championships
Pop star talks new 3D film, kissing gay boys and fighting hate with ‘love bullets’
26 Rock On
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Publisher: Steve Polyak Editor: Rob Diaz-Marino Sales: Steve Polyak Design & Layout: Rob Diaz-Marino, Ara SteveShimoon Polyak
Director Adam Shankman and cast talk big-screen musical...and the gay kiss
Edmonton Rainbow Business Association
30 Deep Inside Hollywood Janet Jackson produces trans doc Truth
International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association
31 Cocktail Chatter
National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association
32 Should Pride Be Used As A Vehicle To Promote A Non-GLBTQ Agenda?
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One for the Flamers
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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Table of Contents Continued From Previous Page
33 Stop the Madness 34 Out of Town
Magazine Figures
Summer in Seattle
Monthly Print Quantity:
PAGE 26
36 Sister Act
Jake Shears and Ana Matronic on 10 years together, a crazy prank and having sex to their songs
38 Hats off to 100 years of cowboys (and girls) Calgary Stampede celebrates centennial in style
39 dr.a.g.
40 Channing & Joe, Stripped
Actors talk film’s gay following, wearing thongs and the real-life Magic Mike
44 Community is Responsibility
PAGE 36
Ownership is the wrong question
53 A Couple of Guys 54 Bitter Girl
e n zi
55 Directory and Events
a g a
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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
Away for the Weekend Publisher’s Column
By Rob Diaz-Marino, MSc. To put it simply, our cats have really missed us. Since the June edition came out, we have been out of town every single weekend this month. Thank goodness for our automatic food and water dispensers, and each other’s company to tide them over in our absence. But this is to be expected for the LGBT community in June, and we were along for the ride. Edmonton Pride We made our way up to Edmonton for the weekends of the 9th and the 16th to cover the Pride festivities. This being the first time we have visited our sister city since this past November, a great many people were surprised and happy to see us, as were we just as happy to see them and to be back again. When we’ve visited the city in the past, we had been staying with Steve’s sister who was doing HIV research at the University of Alberta, however this was no longer possible; the funding necessary for her to continue her research had fallen through and she was in the process of moving back home to Calgary before looking for work elsewhere. In fact, we helped transport some of her belongings back to Calgary as she was finalizing her move. So instead, we were able to make an arrangement to stay at the Coast Plaza Hotel, which we were very happy with. The hotel rooms in the building are like small condos, with a kitchenette, a small living room (with a gorgeous view if you’re on a higher floor), and a separate bedroom. Additionally there is a swimming pool and fitness centre in the building, though our weekend was too hectic for us to find the time to make use of them. So it was comfortable and a great deal more private than staying with family. As people who don’t use hotels very often, Steve and I both felt really at home here. We arrived on Friday, June 8th to photograph some ancillary bar events, such as the BEEF BearBash at the Junction, and the PURE Pride Meet and Greet at Flash. The BearBash was packed, as always, with big hairy men and their admirers, just having a fun time drinking and dancing. The next morning, the Edmonton Pride Parade was its usual fantastically colourful display of local groups and businesses, which you can watch for yourself in our online photo/video gallery (http:// www.gaycalgary.com/p23040). As for the Celebration on the Square, my only disappointment was with the looming storm clouds that hung overhead all day. Attendees were lucky to stay dry while they went about their drinking, dancing, and watching the stage show, until about 5pm when the skies opened up briefly but strongly. This didn’t kill the mood however, and the dancing continued on well into the evening.
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A good deal of politicians showed up this year to speak on stage before the main show, including regulars like Laurie Blakeman, Rachel Notley, Mayor Stephen Mandell, and perhaps surprisingly our Premier, Allison Redford! All were very well received. In the evening was the much anticipated PURE Pride dance at the Starlight room – a unique venue that afforded them 4 separate dance floors of varying sizes. Organizers tell us the event sold out of tickets the day prior to the dance. For each PURE Pride dance, they have regularly brought out well-known porn stars, among other acts, to entertain and mingle with party-goers. Last year for Calgary it was the smooth and slender Brent Everett, but this time around it was the muscle daddy Samuel Colt (interviewed in our June edition) and his younger tattooed boyfriend Chris Porter. Now, I’ve learned to keep my cool around celebrities over the years to the point where a lot of times I don’t even bother them for anything, but during the meet and greet at Flash, the two of them in muscle shirts had me blushing and stuttering like a nervous school girl as I got their autographs. Sigh. The two of them put on a VERY HOT stage performance (http://www.gaycalgary.com/ p23201) to a solid-packed dance floor. Steve and I could barely move as we filmed and photographed from the crammed front row, breathless, and probably a little stiff. We returned the next weekend to photograph some of the Pride wrap-up events, which can be seen in this edition and in our online photo gallery. We were proud once again this year to be a sponsor of Edmonton Pride.
Lethbridge Pride The weekend of the 23rd we went for a little road trip down to Lethbridge Pride. Along the way we couldn’t help stopping at the Candy Store in Nanton to stock up on a wide variety of goodies to sample over the next few months. I have something of a sweet tooth, but as a diabetic I have to take it slow when it comes to candy. Actually, I was still working on my stockpile from Easter. Lethbridge Pride hasn’t reached critical mass to put on a full-fledged parade just yet, but they’ve held a fun and well attended street festival for the past 4 years as their main event, along with several other smaller events around town that span the week leading up to it. Galt Gardens, where OUT in the Park is held, is a very scenic spot with an outdoor theatre that is perfect for the bevy of performances that occur throughout the afternoon. Later in the evening they held a Pride Dance to continue the celebration. GayCalgary Magazine has been a proud sponsor of Lethbridge Pride for the past 3 years.
GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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Continued from Previous Page ARGRA Rodeo As multimedia sponsors of the Canadian Rockies International Rodeo, a title and role created specially for us to acknowledge our yearly contributions in promoting the event, we look forward to this weekend attraction for the whole year. In the past we’ve rented a camper so that we could stay out on the grounds to do our signature brand of photo and video coverage. This year we did things a little differently, however…I guess you could say we worked smarter rather than harder. First off, we saved a bundle of money by booking at a hotel rather than renting a camper. We narrowly claimed one of the last available rooms at the Strathmore Travelodge, the sponsor hotel for the weekend. With many things taken care of by the hotel amenities, we only needed to haul a single car load out to Strathmore, rather than 2 or 3. We appreciated some of the additional perks of this hotel, such as the complimentary breakfasts, pie and cookies throughout the day. Again there was a swimming pool – this one with a waterslide – which we never got around to enjoying. But that was okay because we had a pretty mellow run this year compared to the past. After several years building an over abundance of photos and video footage from the rodeo arena, organizers encouraged us to spread our efforts to the many other aspects of the weekend: the music festival, the midway, the dances, and the campgrounds. So this meant we didn’t need to be stationed in the grandstands, and both of us were free to roam. We prepared photo presentations for the dances, though both nights were too windy to set up the inflatable screen to display them. However, with an internet connection available to us this time, we were able to post highlights from the weekend into our online photo/video gallery as they happened and blast them out on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. For instance, we posted videos of the DC Cowboys as they kicked the Friday and Saturday night dances off with two unique and energizing performances. We were happy for the opportunity to get their autographs, as they informed us they are on their final tour before they plan to retire the group. You may remember them from their audition on America’s Got Talent a few years back. In fact, they have been to Calgary for previous rodeos. The Saturday Night dance was probably the busiest we’ve ever seen for the dance hall at Strathmore. The new concept of Tornado Nightclub (a wink at last year’s brush with an actual twister) was definitely a hit! For the hundreds of people that wanted to dance, the hall was aglow with a spectacular lighting system and pounding with tunes from several rising DJs; for those who didn’t, it was a beautiful night outside the hall in the corral area where further hundreds gathered to drink and chat, or chill out by the fire pits. Organizers estimate there were close to 2500 people at the dance that night, making them the largest gay “night club” in Alberta, possibly even in Western Canada, for the weekend. It’s a rare opportunity these days for many Calgarians to experience a dance club environment where they don’t need Grindr to find other gay people in the room. During the day, the music festival took place on the Showboat stage with over 30 hours of live music and some truly fantastic performers. Local groups like Boy & Gurl, Hashmagandy, the Backyard Betties, and numerous others made appearances throughout the weekend to entertain the masses and keep the Midway lively. Saturday on the midway, among other carnival games there was the opportunity to soak the ISCCA’s current reigning Emperor, Empress, and others in the dunk tank. Speaking subjectively, Steve and I were once again agape at the many smoking hot cowboys, many of whom we only see at this event each year; some of them from outside of Alberta, and some of them from right in our own backyard. While the true cowboys and cowgirls were likely all in the arena, this weekend serves to indulge a fantasy for many of us: we’re empowered to explore our inner cowboy/cowgirl (cow…person?), and witness others doing the same. Admittedly, even I had some fun strutting my stuff in a cowboy hat, showing some skin, watching people’s reactions and even posing for photos. Though if it came to riding a bull…well, that’s where this fun roleplay would come to a screeching halt.
Online Last Month (1/2) State-Sponsored Homophobia Worldwide Problem, Says Report 40% of UN Members still criminalize same-sex sexual acts
A new international report reveals that 40% of United Nations member countries still criminalize same-sex sexual acts... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2932
Ask Dr. Eva: Weight Loss What About Surgery? Dear Dr. Eva, In your column about weight loss, you didn’t discuss surgery. I can tell you from experience that there... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2933
Ask Dr. Eva: Can you catch Cancer? Dear Dr. Eva, Can you get Hodgkin’s lymphoma from a person that has it by swallowing their semen? He didn’t tell... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2934
Jump For Glee True To Hit Show Summer TV doldrums got you down? Missing Mr. Shue, Rachel, and Kurt? Jubilations Dinner Theatre feels your... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2935
Ask Dr. Eva: Healthy and Prideful Dear Dr. Eva, How about a special GLBT health column for Gay Pride? Reader Dear Reader, Here you go. My sources for... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2936
Creep of the Week
State Rep. Jeremy Faison
Suicide is one of those things with no positives. I mean, no one kills him or herself because things are going well... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2943
Deep Inside Hollywood
Colin Firth is a coward. Noel, that is
Academy Award winner Colin Firth is going back to his roots by playing yet another gay man. A pioneer in the “who... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2947
Still Waking Up The Nation Bryan Adams delivers hit after hit at the Saddledome
“We are in for a long night. There are too many damn songs!” Bryan Adams promised early on during his June 20th... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2954
Spreading the Word, Turning the Tide: Black Clergy Work to End AIDS Pastors reinforce public health message that is social justice and faith-friendly
A new study reveals that for black clergy members, traditional barriers to talking about HIV prevention are giving way to... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2955
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Online Last Month (2/2) Creep of the Week Sean Harris
Pop quiz time: Your son, barely out of diapers, starts acting a little, well, “girly.” What do you do? If you answered... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2944
Book Marks
Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama
Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama, by Alison Bechdel. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 304 pages, $22 hardcover... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2942
Thinking Out Loud: My American Journey
Five weeks on a bike in the ‘other’ America
I’m several days into a five-week bike ride up the Mississippi, from New Orleans up to its source in Minnesota. I’m taking a... http://www.gaycalgary.com/2951
At the end of the day, it was wonderful to retire to our hotel room – to sleep on a proper mattress and bathe in a full sized shower, without the commotion of people around us all hours of the night and morning, and without the whole room rocking any time one of us needed to get up to go to the bathroom. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy camping recreationally, but the creature comforts were much appreciated when we were feeling so wiped out from running around out in the sun. On Sunday, the awards ceremony took place on the Showboat stage instead of in the dance hall as it has been in the past. GayCalgary Magazine proudly presented the buckle for All-around Cowboy this year. The final dance that night was well attended, although a flash downpour of rain likely prevented more from making it over to the hall. The rain caused several areas around the grounds to flood, and next day campers were excited to tell their stories of how they coped with the adverse conditions. Perhaps next year’s dance venue will be branded “Typhoon Nightclub” instead! All in all, it was a great weekend to celebrate our country western culture in our own gay way.
BREAKING NEWS - Bar Closures This past February, the Calgary Eagle celebrated its 10th year in operation at its current location in Calgary’s East Village. Over the past few years, the bar has endured severe inconveniences due to construction as part of the East Village Revitalization project, including the temporary closure of their entire street, and frequent closures of many streets nearby that were used to access them.
The Good and Evil of Gay Savannah Savannah, Georgia is a charming gay oasis frozen in time. America’s first planned city boasts a thriving gay and...
As if losing Club Sapien and FAB weren’t enough, the Calgary Eagle recently announced that their building has been sold and that the new owner has plans for the future with them not included – they have been given until the end of October to vacate. This means the days are numbered for Calgary’s only leather bar.
http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2953
The news came as a shock when it was given to the owners in May, but was only officially released to bar staff and media shortly after this past Rodeo weekend. Owners are still deciding how to deal with the situation, and requested GayCalgary Magazine hold off interviewing them until our next edition (August 2012), so that they can share finalized plans and details with us.
Creep of the Week Mitt Romney
As you surely already know, President Obama came out of the closet last week as totally gay – for gay marriage, anyway. Obama’s support for marriage... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2945
The OutField
Akil Patterson’s project
When University of Nebraska assistant football coach Ron Brown made anti-gay comments recently – among other things, he threatened the Omaha city council... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2950
Thinking Out Loud: WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?
Facing my cynicism about Obama’s gay marriage ‘evolution’
You’ve probably seen this week’s cheeky Newsweek cover, featuring a rainbowhaloed Obama and the tag line, “America’s first gay president.” I had no... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2952
Creep of the Week Charles L. Worley
It should be a surprise to no sentient being that by coming out in favor of marriage equality; President Obama opened the floodgates for the anti-gay...
Alberta Bar Survey Many media outlets, both LGBT and mainstream, have written articles about the decline of gay bars in their own cities, offering a wide range of theories to explain the alarming trend: everything from the weak economy, to the improving state of gay rights making gay bars no longer necessary. At the same time, individuals continue to lament the erosion of community and the loss of safe gay spaces. We at GayCalgary Magazine feel it’s time to stop guessing and start finding some real answers for our region – both Calgary and Edmonton. We intend to do this by asking the people of our community how they honestly feel about their local bar scene. We want to hear from the people who don’t go out to bars (anymore?) just as much as we want to hear from hardcore bar goers, and everyone in between. We want to know what you love or hate about your local bars - what keeps you coming out, or what has driven you away. Stay tuned for GayCalgary Magazine’s Alberta Bar Survey coming online this month, where we’ll be asking a lot of tough questions that need to be answered. The results of this survey, for better or for worse, will be shared in a future edition of GayCalgary Magazine.
This Month July will be a bit of a breather for those who need it, us included. Aside from the Calgary Stampede and Edmonton’s Capital Ex, there aren’t many other events going on for the LGBT community. A notable exception, however, is the Les Girls Break the Bank dance on July 20th. Read the article and see their ad in this edition. For more information on July happenings, check out our online Events Calendar at http://www.gaycalgary.com/events
http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2946
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
7
Preview
Redheaded Stepchild
Guys in Disguise
Burnt at the Steak
Polar Shift
Loosen your Belt and Prepare to Get Physical This Years’s Fringe Festival Slates a ‘Potluck’ of Sense Pleasing Performances By Janine Eva Trotta While last year improv seemed to dominate the theme at Calgary’s Fringe Fest, 2012 appears to be steering less cerebral and more hands on. Executive Director Michelle Gallant forecasts a palatable mix of all kinds of physical theatre – two shows up from last year for a grand total of 36 performances to choose from. “This year the trend seems to be… expressing emotion, feelings, society through movements of some sort, and engaging audiences on an emotional, primal response,” she says. Included this year is a work by a local theatrical troupe run and supported by disabled performers, “which is WAY COOL,” Gallant applauds. Getting in to the 2012 line-up was in and of itself a coup. The Fringe received an overwhelming 100 applicants for only 23 spots. GayCalgary Magazine is happy to be standing behind a solid handful of the shows that will be being performed during the nine days of Fringe in Inglewood: August 3rd to 11th. Gallant says the average Fringer sees three shows. If such is your goal this year, be sure to include one or three of these.
Burnt at the Steak Carolann Valentino tackles a subject a few Calgarians probably know something about: do I keep the six figure salary, the cozy relationship and the swank digs or do I live out my real dream? The knock-out of Italian descent plays 18 hilarious characters in “her critically acclaimed one-woman hit show” which illustrates one woman’s plight with leaving the role of ritzy restaurant manager to pursue her true passions. Valentino acts this story, pretty thoroughly life-based, through song, dance, audience improv and comedy. “I grew up in Dallas, Texas – an Italian girl no less – hence my stand up comedy name: ‘Italian Rose of Texas’,” Valentino explains. “I nailed a great summer job at a famous steakhouse in Dallas to save money for my big move.” “Little did I know that my ‘side job’ would land me smack dab in the middle of NYC in one of the largest, most beautiful steakhouses in the world.” The experience of suddenly opening a multi-million dollar eatery inspired the artist to create a cabaret show. “I would practice and rehearse after my 17 hour days in the basement of the hotel where [the restaurant] had me placed,” she says. “The
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
bellman and concierge each night would get a free late night Broadway/ comedy show.” The restaurant honchos loved the act and kept Valentino on for what turned into years of heading one of the most prestigious restaurants in the world. “I thought to myself, ‘this is perfect; I will be making over six figures… AND I can pursue my dream as a comic, singer, dancer.” But reality reared its dreary head, and soon the stress of ‘managing the monstrosity’ and auditioning or performing every second off clock took its toll. Valentino crashed. And what did she do? She gave it all up: the Trump apartment, the dream boyfriend, the bank account(s) and took off for fulltime stage life. “Since then I have experienced one miracle after another,” she says. “One of which was landing the Canadian Fringe tour.” The Calgary Fringe marks Valentino’s Canadian debut; but never fear, Edmontonians – she will be taking it north to your Fringe this summer as well.
Polar Shift Director Matt McKinney of 2150 Creative is actually putting on two shows this Fringe. Polar Shift “is a theatrical production that explores the struggle that comes with knowledge and awareness,” he says. The political comedy centers on the character Santa Claus, who decides to take corporate bigwig Coca Cola to court over the rights to his name and image. “Through a variety of characters, dance, and a masked polar bear, the play touches on themes of consumerism, the financial state of the world, western traditions, and the need for creativity in our approach to change,” McKinney describes. “This project is important to me because the subject matter pertains to what is happening in the world today.” The script for Polar Shift is based on the play A Crisis of Consciousness which was performed last year at the Soulocentric Festival in Calgary. McKinney plans to further develop the piece with a grant he received from Calgary 2012, which will show in December at the Epcor Centre’s Motel, he says. Hideout by Andrew Torry is the second piece McKinney is directing for both the Calgary and Edmonton Fringe. This one man show stars actor Brett Dahl as a “like-minded friend on the run, fists up and fighting” in a “lonely, zombie-filled world”. The dark and imaginative piece follows “a young teenager who can’t catch a break at home or school, and goes to great lengths to show us
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that although life’s greatest battles take pace within ourselves, they don’t need to be fought alone.”
Redheaded Stepchild Firey headed Johnnie Walker of Nobody’s Business Theatre acts out three ‘vaguely ridiculous’ characters in this comedic one man show. “There’s Nicholas, the titular ‘readheaded stepchild’, an awkward middle-schooler who stands out like a sore thumb; Mary-Anne, his tough, chain smoking, ex Jehova’s Witness, golf pro step mom; and Rufus Vermilion, his imaginary friend and glamorous alter ego,” Walker describes. “For our company it’s definitely been our most successful show to date.” Nobody’s Business has been performing the show since 2010 in cities all over Canada, though this is the first time the piece will be performed in Alberta. Written prior to the It Gets Better movement, Walker says the show still conveys a parallel sentiment. “It’s all about queer bullying and a young person who just so desperately needs to get to the next stage of his life where everything quirky and unusual about him will actually draw people to him in a positive way – instead of just making him an easy target for schoolyard abuse,” Walker says. Despite being a seasoned performer the actor says he still gets more than just the jitters waiting in the wings prior to a performance. “A lot of times, when I write plays, I don’t perform in them but with this one it’s hard for me to imagine anyone else doing the show,” he says. “I get to watch people laugh at the story and, often as not, watch them cry as well.”
Guys in Disguise Classic: The Silver Anniversary Edition “Join two of Canada’s foremost female impersonators – Justine Tyme and Mr. Terri Stevens – as they present the most sparkling, bedazzled, bejeweled, feathered, sequined hour of comedy ever assembled,” slates Edmonton’s known and loved Guys in Disguise troupe. The Guys in Disguise Classic started performing in 2008, embracing the seasoned groups’ roots; “presenting some of the finest drag cabaret variety entertainment to be found in North America.” Since its founding at the Edmonton Fringe Festival in 1987 the award winning troupe has produced and toured more than 30 productions across Canada and the United States. The Silver Anniversary Edition is presented in part of the Guys in Disguise 25th Anniversary season, and the Calgary Fringe Fest will be its western debut. “See Julie Andrews, Reba McEntire, Annie Lennox, Cher and more,” from August 3rd to 11th at the Alexandra Centre in Inglewood. Gallant shouts out to those who make the Fringe possible each year, contributing to its growth in variety and popularity. “…my volunteers, board, and seasonal staff, who are the backbone of the organization and with whom putting on a nine day event like this would not even be possible,” she says. “A big thanks to local media for jumping on the Fringe bandwagon and helping us spread the Fringe word to the masses (our media ROCKS)!” “Who makes the festival possible? ALL OF YOU!!!”
Calgary Fringe Fest 2012 August 3rd - 11th http://www.calgaryfringe.ca http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2957
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
9
Event
Ranch Rendezvous
Spring Valley Guest Ranch hosts 24th annual LGBT camping weekend By Carey Rutherford What is going on out there in the middle of the Canadian prairies? It’s summertime, and exploration ferments in the blood. The Spring Valley Guest Ranch in the Saskatchewan Cypress Hills presents an opportunity to scratch that itch. “I opened the guest ranch in the fall of 1988, and I had my first Rendezvous in the summer of ’89, so it’s been 24 years,” Jim Saville told GayCalgary Magazine. He admits that, “I’ve missed a couple, through the years,” but given the single-minded determination of the man and the place he has lived, it doesn’t seem worth holding such human frailties against him. “24 years ago, it was a chance for gays and lesbians to get away and for them to feel totally comfortable with their partner, or as a single, to feel totally comfortable in a gay-friendly environment for a weekend. Things have changed so much in the past couple decades as far as socializing in a gay world.” Jim wasn’t always so philosophical. “I grew up on a big ranch, and when I was out of high school I couldn’t get out of here fast enough, and I was gone for 15 years. And for all the reasons I left, I wanted to be back; with animals, and my family, and the country. And when I moved back I wanted to bring the gay life back with me to some degree, or try to. So my goal was to bring new gay people and gay friends here to the ranch once a year.” Some might ask, as his teenage persona did, why he’d want to go back there. The home page for Eastend, Saskatchewan, which is the town nearest his guest ranch, starts off by saying “Eastend is located in the middle of nowhere.” The perfect location to attract paying customers, no? “I’m just 45 minutes south of Maple Creek, off the TransCanada. So I’m in the south-west corner of Saskatchewan in the Cypress Hills.” Anyone interested in the history of the Canadian West, as Jim is, would be ecstatic over the crisscrossing histories of the NWMP, the Assiniboine, Sitting Bull, whisky and fur traders. Eastend was originally an outpost of Fort Walsh, from which the NWMP negotiated with Chief Sitting Bull. He and approximately 5000 Lakoda arrived there after smashing General Custer’s forces at the Battle of Little Big Horn. But as he notes with a laugh, it’s not all just “cowboy and Indian” stuff: “We have quite a few drawing cards around here now, with the Cypress Hills Vineyard Winery, Fort Walsh, the T. Rex Discovery Centre in Eastend and the Old Man On His Back Nature Preserve, so I’m often sharing that with the guests.” And if you want to collect eggs for him, or watch him milk cows, that can also be arranged. “I do love people. I missed that last year when I was making cheese full-time (artisan cheeses including feta, havarti, cheddar and lesser-known ones, made from the milk of his rare-breed heritage cattle): I missed my guests, and meeting wonderful people from around the world. I have a map of the world on my verandah with pins where people have come from, and it’s amazing!” And there are hikes into the coulees and to the eponymous spring, which Jim describes as peaceful and spiritual. This
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The Church at Spring Valley Guest Ranch
summer’s Rendezvous, however, won’t be quite so peaceful and spiritual, even if one of the highlights a church. “It’s 70 feet long, seats about 150 people upstairs, and it came with a full basement (when he moved it onto his property) which seats 95, so I do dinner concerts. So this year, I just got in the mail the 54 flags of the Commonwealth. We’ve had drag shows in there, and talent shows, and I’ve invited all of the queens and royalty from across Canada to come and celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee during the Rendezvous. There’s about 30 booked so far.” So the Rendezvous could double this year. “On the website is the whole story of the church move, and it was quite extraordinary, actually. Coming down into my coulee I had to build what I call my church road, a wide, huge road I had to build specially to bring this huge church into my yard. So I have a village here, with the main (1913 Eaton’s) house and the log cabins and the barn and the church. I was going to put a flag up on the steeple like Buckingham Palace, but no-one will go up there. I was going to transform my theatre into a castle.” The B&B sleeps 22, there’s plenty of room for camping, and they’ll be serving you 8 meals during the weekend which starts August 3rd. Jim mentions that people are often reserved and polite when they arrive on Friday, but are usually crying with separation anxiety by Monday when people start leaving. What with the games and the hills and the Queen’s Jubilee and the hot-tubs (“men’s and women’s,” he giggles) there will be something, as they say, for everyone.
The Spring Valley Guest Ranch, SK 306-295-4124 • springvalleyguestranch@sasktel.net www.SpringValleyGuestRanch.com The 24th Annual Ranch Rendezvous August 3rd to 6th, 2012 http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2958
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Event
Living
Summer is Here!
Break the Bank
Can you afford to stay cool?
Les Girls brings Calgary another top class girl’s night out
By Dallas Barnes
By Dallas Barnes
I am sure that you have already noticed, but summer has arrived. If you are like me, with this heat comes the costly temptation of turning on air conditioning. Dave Walton of Direct Energy took some time out of his day to chat with GayCalgary Magazine about how readers can save money while staying cool.
I don’t think the lesbian scene in Calgary has ever been so amazing! Les Girls, a major producer of ladies-for-ladies events in Calgary, brings us another party night that is bound to sellout! On July 20th, ladies are invited to join hundreds of other ladies for Break the Bank presented by Les Girls at The Bank on 8th.
From May 15th to 18th, Direct Energy conducted a survey amongst 835 randomly selected Canadian adults that live in Alberta. According to the survey, 47 percent of Albertans are expecting hotter than normal temperatures this summer, and only one out of four local households use air conditioning.
Amanda Priolo and Julie Mercier, the creators and executors of Les Girls appear to have outdone themselves with their promising 5th event. “Expect to have a great night with some amazing women,” says Priolo. “It is a safe and welcoming environment, and everyone is there for a good time. This isn’t a regular night at the bar; this night has been created for you.”
“Your air conditioner should be maintained annually to avoid costly equipment repairs and to ensure that you’re cooling your home as efficiently as possible,” says Walton. “A lot of homeowners have the attitude if it’s not broken don’t fix it towards their AC unit. Scheduled maintenance will allow it to run more efficiently and help save homeowners money on their energy bills.” Walton adds, “Installing a programmable thermostat is one of the easiest ways to regulate your energy usage and control both your cooling costs during the warm summer months and your heating costs during the cold winter months. In the summer, set the thermostat higher during the day when nobody is home, and at night when outdoor temperatures are cooler. By raising the thermostat’s temperature by five degrees Celsius, homeowners could save as much as 10 per cent on their energy bill.” This may have you rethinking your ‘stay cool’ methods at home, but make sure to keep this in mind before proceeding. Most air conditioning units older than 12 years are not as energy efficient as one’s being installed now. Walton recommends continually upgrading your system. “A more efficient 14 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) unit is recommended.” The survey turned up some other interesting findings: • While most Albertans are not overly concerned about the cost of maintaining a steady temperature, women (45%) are more concerned than men (37%) about the cost issue. • Closing the curtains or blinds (81%), opening the windows and doors (78%) and using fans (75%), are the top preferred ways Albertans keep their home cool during warm summer days. • Wearing lighter clothes at home is also a way Albertan stay cool during warm summer days (66%). So, before you decide that fans and open windows are the only way to go this summer, try a few of these air conditioning tips to make your summer that much more comfortable. For more information on http://www.directenergy.com.
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Over the past 2 years of the group’s existence, Les Girls has established a reputation for creating quality ladies events. They also strive to offer a venue for top female DJ’s from around Canada and the USA. As a female-only event, the DJ’s create an environment that is geared solely for its audience. This time around, The Bank on 8th, is playing host to the event, and this promises to be an exciting partnership. “We are excited to work with such a premiere night club. It is fantastic to have a club like that take a chance on us. They have really stepped above and beyond for our event and to cater to our community,” adds Mercier. You may never have heard of The Bank on 8th, but it has a rich history. Originally built as the Bank of Nova Scotia in 1929, it has played host to clubs The Cha Cha Palace (a gay club), The Banke, and Ricoco’s Restaurant. It still boasts the same grandeur interior from 1929, with 36 foot high ceilings and marble floors. This setting will mix well with the entertainment Les Girls is bringing in for Break the Bank, including dancers and a stage show, as well as music from Miss Erika Dee from L.A., Blair Van Riesen, and other local DJ’s. Tickets for the event are only $10.00, and are available at Grass Roots and Dick and Janes, with a limited amount of tickets kept at the door to be sold on the night of the event. There is also an opportunity to purchase VIP bottle service, but those tickets are limited. Priolo is adamant about getting your tickets early, however. “We have been overwhelmed with interest for the event, and as a result our tickets have been flying out the door.” As any community event goes, success is in part due to the contribution of supporters. Mercier adds, “Big thanks to the community for their past and continued support. Our patrons are amazing and continue to support us. Our past success has been amazing, and with your support we can now secure an amazing venue such as The Bank on 8th.”
Les Girls Presents: Break the Bank July 20, 2012, 9pm • The Bank on 8th (125 8th Ave SW) http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2959
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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Adam Baldwin
Rugged TV actor talks Firefly to Chuck Adam Baldwin, photos from Serenity
By Jason Clevett “I need a frickin’ apple box for this interview. You are the tallest interviewer ever and the cameraman is even taller!” This is my introduction to Adam Baldwin at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo this past May, and at 6’4, Baldwin isn’t short himself. With an outgoing personality and youthful energy, it is easy to like the ruggedly handsome Baldwin, no relation to the “Baldwin brothers”. Having appeared in or been heard in over 100 TV shows, movies, and video games, Adam Baldwin has built a huge career and following since he debuted in the 1980 film My Bodyguard. Whether it is as Animal Mother in Full Metal Jacket or more recently as John Casey in Chuck he has certainly stood out. What many fans remember him for is as mercenary Jayne Cobb in Firefly, and as bad guy Marcus Hamilton in Angel. That fans still connect so closely to the characters and worlds that Joss Whedon created means a lot to Baldwin. “I have been overwhelmed by the response. We had a great panel yesterday. Anytime the outpouring of love comes to any of us from FireFly and Joss’ world we really appreciate it. We’ve been welcomed into the Sci-fi world since 2002 so ten years 12
GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
now. We were just a little TV show that could, got turned into a movie and here we are 10 years later. I don’t know if there is any other story in Hollywood of a TV show that got canceled, resurrected as a movie and had 10 years of life. Star Trek had a longer run than we did. It is a testament to Joss and Nathan Fillion and the rest of the cast.” Baldwin explained his coping process when Firefly was canceled. “Lots of Vodka pal! In Appletini form. It was heartbreaking, we were devastated. We weren’t surprised, we were stuck on Friday nights at 8:00 and our ratings never really got out of the gate. We were on the bubble from the get-go so when it finally happened we weren’t surprised but we were heartbroken because it was such a close knit family.” With another cult favorite Arrested Development returning on Netflix, fans of the Whedon universe wonder if the same could happen with Firefly. “I don’t know man that would be cool. It would be up to Joss if he could set it up and wants to do it. He is busy with The Avengers now but he loved Serenity and described it as being like losing a limb.”
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Baldwin rebounded with appearances on shows like CSI:NY and Bones before joining the show Chuck in 2007 as agent John Casey. His character shared a “non-romantic” kiss with Chuck. “It was not quite a same sex kiss as a life saving kiss of life, an antidote if you will. Sucking face with Zachary Levi is one of the highlights of my career. I don’t know if it was his but it was mine.” Baldwin has done a lot in his career, but one thing he hasn’t done yet is drag. “I haven’t done drag, unlike Nathan Filion who did drag in an episode.. I am getting a little old for that now I don’t want to be Dame Edna. I would be a pretty tall queen. Should I wax or shave the legs? These are questions the gay community ponders. We should do drag together, what a drag that would be. Could you imagine, we would be a train wreck!” And in his epic drag performance, what song would he do? “French Mistake from the end of Blazing Saddles,” he replied, giving us a little sample.
http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2961
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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Preview
Photos by Joan Marcus
Alberta Kid Turned Jersey Boy Michael Lomenda returns home in touring production By Jason Clevett Through hard work and talent, dreams can come true. Just ask Stettler born Michael Lomenda, who returns home to Alberta playing Nick Massi in Jersey Boys. The touring production plays at Calgary’s Jubilee Auditorium until July 15th, then later returns to Alberta for Edmonton, August 15th to September 2nd. Lomenda’s four year Jersey journey began when auditions were called for the Toronto production. “It started with the audition process in the summer of 2008. At the time I was in the city and they had some calls. So I went in at that point and got a callback but was in the process of doing a show, so I couldn’t get back to the callback. A month later they had calls and I was doing Rocky Horror on the East Coast and flew back twice to Toronto to audition for them. I walked out of the call back thinking I did not have the job and felt really bummed about it,” he recalled. “On the opening night of Rocky Horror I got a call saying if there was a Canadian company I would be their Nick Massi. By November I was into rehearsals for the Canadian company. We ran in Toronto for almost two years and then I joined the tour in September 2011.” While the current generation sees the residents of New Jersey as Situation-esque fools, Jersey Boys is the story of Franki Valli and the Four Seasons. It has the Jersey accents and language, but no Snooki. “I can firmly assert that this is not Jersey Shore, and we are happy for it. It is the story of Franki Valli and the Four Seasons, and follows these four blue collar guys from the wrong side of the track; how they became famous with these great hits like Walk Like A Man and Big Girls Don’t Cry. It follows their journey over the course of the decades and is a rags-to-riches-to-rags story. They were just four guys from Jersey who got hit by fame and there is a lot of stuff that comes along with that. You see the trials and tribulations of being on the road and dealing with that level of superstardom.” There are parallels between the show’s story and Lomenda’s life currently. Now based in Toronto, he works to balance life on the road with being away from friends and family in Toronto and Alberta.
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“It is difficult, I am not going to lie. If you are a creature of habit in any way this can be a really difficult job. You have to make a choice to embrace change and all the positives of being on tour because sometimes the negatives can get you. There is something really cool about doing a show about guys who are on tour while being on tour. Having done the show in Toronto for awhile and now touring, it informs the way you say things on stage totally differently because you are living the reality [of what] you are playing. The lines about home and family resonate very differently then, if you are doing a sit down production in your hometown. …When you are on the road you find ways to make life on the road like home. You develop patterns and look forward to certain things. I love jumping on my bike and travelling around all these new cities and being a tourist, taking pictures and buying postards. I get to do what I love while being a tourist through the United States and Western Canada. It is all about perspective, you always find a way. When you are doing a great show like this it is hard to let those little negative things overpower what you are doing.” While being away is hard, the benefits of getting to spend time in new places is a perk Lomenda takes advantage of. The tour has taken him to Chicago and Washington, DC and will take him to Seattle and Portland. He spoke to GayCalgary Magazine while in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “I get to go and sometimes not stay in a hotel, I look around and find a nice brownstone to move into and have a kitchen and go shopping and be a bit of a regular at a local coffee shop and people-watch. As a person on tour you live for those things. I get really pumped when I am going to a city like Chicago or Portland. Even in Calgary, to be a tourist in a city I have spent so much time in is awesome. I get to people-watch and see what the people of the United States are like and explore that. There are places that I wouldn’t go to on a vacation like Tulsa, but I’ve been here and can say the people here are some of the nicest people I have met. I might not have known that if I hadn’t had this opportunity on tour.” It was 8 years ago that GayCalgary Magazine readers first “met” Michael Lomenda, who was interviewed in the December 2004 edition to promote Stage West’s production of Grease. He played in multiple Stage West shows thereafter, an experience
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Event that helped prepare him to take the leap to a massive touring production. “I am eternally grateful to Stagewest, they gave me my first gigs when I was first starting out as a performer they took me into the fold and gave me some unbelievable opportunities to perform great shows with people that work at Stratford and Shaw and Broadway, so for a young performer they gave me some incredible opportunities to learn and grow as an artist. Furthermore they employ so many actors over the course of their season that it is unbelievable. They have a full year season so I would get work for 7 months over the course of a year between Calgary and Missisauga. My goal as an actor is to work as much as possible and do the best work I can possibly do, and Stagewest gave me that opportunity to work a lot and strive to become a better artist. It is an incredible family. It is a business of course but when you work there you don’t feel like you are in a business. Kira, Darcy, Sean and Gary in Calgary are all wonderful people that enjoy producing great theatre. You can tell that because it shows in their work and the quality of their shows. I can’t say enough good things about them.” Sometimes when you see a person on stage enough times and especially if you are lucky enough to get to know them, you develop a sense of pride in seeing them accomplish their dreams. Such is the case with Lomenda, who has friends and fans waiting for him every night to say hello and congratulate him. Their support means everything. “It makes me emotional just thinking about it. As an artist you really put yourself out there and it can be a very vulnerable place to be and work at. When you meet people that are supportive of your work and really take the time to nurture you as a performer it means an unbelievable amount, it is hard to put into words. …To come across people who have been so supportive is a great thing and a safe place to be and explore and grow. It is invaluable - there are a lot of people who aren’t that way and you spend a lot of time guarding against that, so when you find those few special folks it is invaluable.” So it is with great pride and satisfaction that those who have followed his career watch him tackle Nick Massi in an amazing performance that is part of an all-out incredible show. Whether you’ve seen him perform before, love the show itself, or just want an evening out, Lomenda encourages you to check out Jersey Boys. “You are in for a really great roller coaster ride. You will be surprised at how many songs you know and how pertinent it is to life nowadays. You will be excited by the way the show is directed and the scene work. The coolest thing about this show is people come knowing Franki Valli and the Four Seasons and the music but they walk out saying wow I had no idea about the story behind the show. These guys had ties to the mob, there are characters in the show that had ties to the Watergate scandal, real heavy hitters. There are guns, smoking, drinking - a lot that went along behind the scenes that people know nothing about. So they have a great idea about what the music means to them, to know the story behind it is a super cool way to spend an evening. It is fun, people get on their feet at the end of every single show. I have the best job in the world because at the end of the show people want to dance because the music is so great and the story is so exciting and surprising and heartbreaking. It really gets people jumping out of their seats and takes them on a journey.”
“EX” marks the spot
Edmonton’s Capital Ex packs some punch By Krista Sylvester If the Calgary Stampede’s centennial celebration sounds too crazy for you this year, or you can’t get enough of those deliciously evil mini donuts, why not head up north and catch the Capital EX. Running from July 20 to the 29th, the Capital EX is Edmonton’s version of the Stampede, minus the rodeo – and it’s a lot of fun. For the first time ever, the Capital Ex exhibition is going with a specific theme: music. “We want the community to know that we’ve listened. People told us they wanted a theme for Capital EX and because music has always been such an integral part of Capital EX I think this is a perfect fit for our first themed year,” president and CEO of Capital EX Richard L. Andersen said. Musical acts Awolnation, Theory of a Deadman, Mother Mother and The Same Roberts band just to name a few, take to the stage and are sure to bring in the crowds. Tributes to Elvis and the Beatles will provide a blast from the past and there is much more in country and family acts. “People seem to be really excited about the great acts we’re bringing to the stage this year,” spokesperson Lauren Andrews said. “The musical acts are already getting a lot of attention.” But that’s not all; there is new food, new rides, new attractions and of course old favourites too. “We’re cranking it up this year. We’re cranking up the music, we’re cranking up the heat and we’re pumped up for a really good time,” Andrews added. “We’ve got a little bit of something for everyone. People will not leave disappointed.” If you’re a thrill seeker, and really who isn’t, you’re going to want to check out the Nitro; a 335-metre rollercoaster that will take you on mind-bending twists, hairpin turns and steep drops as you dip and dive through the 2-minute ride. But being in Edmonton for Capital Ex is about more than just good music, thrilling rides and delicious food. Whether you live in the city or you’re just visiting, there is a plethora of awesome things to do to make a weekend, including the Taste of Edmonton. With Northlands Park being next to the exhibition grounds, there is thoroughbred racing and other entertainment including After Dark in the Park, featuring live DJ’s and music all Friday night. The new Fusion 53 Lounge & Casino for adults only will give visitors a taste of Vegas in Alberta with Vegas style gaming, live piano duelling and other entertainment that you can’t get just anywhere. “The whole city is just electric and there is so much to do once you’re here. The days will be hot and the nights will be filled with fun things to check out,” Andrews added. If you haven’t visited Edmonton in a while, later this July might be the ideal time to do it.
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View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments Jersey Boys Calgary until July 15th Edmonton August 15th – September 2nd Tickets at Ticketmaster http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2962
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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Photography Edmonton Pride http://gaycalgary.com/pa265
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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Photography
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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Photography PURE Pride Dance at Starlite Room, Edmonton http://gaycalgary.com/pa273
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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Photography Lethbridge Pride http://gaycalgary.com/pa288
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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Photography Canadian Rockies International Rodeo, Strathmore http://gaycalgary.com/pa276
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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Community
NAGVA
The North American Gay Volleyball Association, and Championships By Carey Rutherford Clearly, T.J. Fedyk, Chair of the Calgary Bid Committee for the North American Gay Volleyball Association Championships (May 23rd to 27th, 2013), is the man to speak to about everything volleyball. “NAGVA is the premiere gay volleyball league in North America; there are tournaments in Mexico, Canada and the US, and over 3600 members with 30 tournaments this year. Each year the league starts June 1st until the end of May [of the next year], and the 31st season has just begun. Each year it ends with the championship tournament, which travels around: this past year it was in Las Vegas.” And next year, it’ll be here in Calgary. “When I was in Vegas this year for the tournament, I had to give a presentation to the NAGVA Board Committee for us to host the next year, and we were successful. It’s the third time in the 31 year history that it will be held in Canada. The last time it was held in Canada was in 2004 in Vancouver, and the time before that it was in Montreal” All of this volleyball organizing is based on ‘host city tournaments’, not leagues. A host city could have many leagues working toward competing in a tournament, even from different cities. Calgary, for example, is not currently hosting a NAGVA tournament even though it won the championship bid. “We’ve held NAGVA tournaments in the past, but this year [our team has to travel to other host cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, or Vancouver]. And for the NAGVA championship, we’re estimating between 1,000 and 1,200 players, coming from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada and the United States. It’s a big gay event for our city.”
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The nomadic participants from Calgary, T.J.’s “travelling team”, are not from a single league of play in the city. He mentions that players cover travel costs out of pocket, and have to be pretty serious volleyball players to compete in some of the leagues he plays in, while others are less competitive. So the NAGVA travelers are from Calgary, Victoria and Edmonton, and he mixes it up with different players from the other local organizations he plays volleyball with. “On Wednesdays I play at the Volleydome (co-ed intermediate competitive), Sunday afternoon is the Apollo (Friends In Sports) Inner City volleyball (men’s gay league), and I also play Monday on the men’s league out of Rally Point (mixed straight and gay).” Clearly, T.J. likes to play volleyball. “It’s my sport and that’s why I travel. I love being involved, and ever since my first NAGVA championship in Miami, back in 2008, I’ve wanted us to host the tournament. So after doing Western Cup for a couple of years (another league of competitive volleyball in Calgary), knowing that we can host an event of this size because Western Cup is so popular and amazing, and then getting some people on board who are willing to help out and be co-chairs on the committee; that’s when I finally went forward to Tourism Calgary and said, Okay, this is an event we need to push here in the city.’ And so they jumped on.” Now that they’ve won the bid, the real work begins: they need volunteers for the event itself and committee members from now until then. T.J. begs anyone interested to check the NAGVA Facebook page, or email the Calgary group directly. Their next meeting is on July 18th, so if you are interested, don’t delay! Any team that has participated in a NAGVA tournament in the past two years can enter the championship, and the initial team-pool play is based on their performance during the year. It all starts on the Friday morning, and then by late Saturday afternoon tournament play is set up based on the pool play of the last couple days, and the eliminations begin. If you lose twice, you’re gone. By Sunday afternoon, the champion will reign supreme, but before then there will be up to 27 volleyball teams from across North America bashing the balls around the University of Calgary, both in the Olympic skating oval and in the Jack Simpson gym. If a little bit of volley-drool escapes your lips at the thought, or if you’re just curious about high-level volleyball play, this will be something to see. “It’s a gay league, but the gender of the teams doesn’t matter: it can be all men, all women, or mixed. Last year, in the AA division (which is the top division), most of the players were ex university-national players, and one of the players was from the female national team that won a medal in the last Summer Olympics. So there’s a range from the top volleyball players in North America right down to Tom Jones who’s just played for a couple of years.” And after the games end, the parties begin. See for yourself.
NAGVA – Calgary Chapter calgary2013@shaw.ca NAGVA Championship 2013 July 18th, 2013 • Calgary, AB http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2965
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Review
Photos by Stage West
The Marvellous Wonderettes
The Marvelous Wonderettes Playing until August 19th Stage West Theatre Restaurant www.stagewestcalgary.com
By Jason Clevett
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The Marvelous Wonderettes is one of those shows where the talent and enthusiasm overcome the weaknesses of the script. At times head shakingly corny, the four ladies on stage – ditzy Suzy (Laura Caswell), sarcastic Betty Jean (Melanie McInenly), boyfriend stealer Cindy Lou (Melanie Piatocha) and endearing Missy (Nancy Silverman) make the show work based on their embracing of the slapstick humor and some impressive pipes.
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Set in 1958 at the Prom, the Wonderettes perform a number of hits from the bygone era while dealing with drama within their group. After intermission we fast forward to the 10 year reunion, when the girls reunite amidst lingering drama and problems. However, in the end the audience is left feeling like things wrapped up a little too easily. The jukebox musical genre can work really well, such as Forever Plaid, All Shook Up and Jersey Boys, but The Marvelous Wonderettes just doesn’t have the same heart, or strength of story. Characters and stories are tied into the songs in a clever way, such as Cindy Lou admitting she had fallen for the Son of a Preacher Man, but explaining the result with Leader of the Pack. The story itself seems to just be a thread to tie things together and at times it is a little thin. So it is in the music where the show shines. Those that know and love classic songs like Rescue Me, Stupid Cupid, Teacher’s Pet, and Lollipop will be the ones that appreciate the show the most. As food goes, when walking into the buffet room, you will immediately notice the smell of maple in the air. Make a point of following your nose to the maple dijon chicken which was incredible. The buffet has some standouts such as the cajun chucken and the cashew prawns, and make sure to get there early enough for the deep fried ice cream. For those that lived and loved the era, The Marvelous Wonderettes is a nostalgic trip down memory lane. For those whose ties are more current, in the upcoming months Stage West will have impersonators of Madonna and Michael Jackson as well as the musical revue Two Hit Wonders which may be more their taste.
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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The Many Dimensions of Katy Perry
Pop star talks new 3D film, kissing gay boys and fighting hate with ‘love bullets’ Photos by Paramount Pictures (above) and Capitol Records (right)
By Chris Azzopardi Not exactly last Friday night, but it still happened: Katy Perry called us from London, where it was nearly 1 a.m. If life really does imitate art, she smelled like a mini-bar on a night that’s soon to be a blacked-out blur, right? “Not tonight,” she insists. “I have to play and be professional tomorrow, but maybe after the show I’ll be having a couple of Shirley Temples with some adult juice in them.” We spoke with Perry just after she made a surprise appearance in London for a screening of her new film, Katy Perry: Part of
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Me 3D, a docu-concert chronicling the California girl’s evolution from gospel-singing daughter of two pastors to international pop phenom … with the most lethal boobs in the world. During our interview, Perry told us what else they shoot besides whipped cream, how the gay community can relate to her movie and why Madonna doesn’t scare her. GC: You go from pretending to kiss girls to wanting to have sex with girls, recently joking during a radio interview that you’d like to do Rihanna. What’s up with all this faux lesbianism? KP: You know, everybody’s been asking me about the duet with Rihanna and when it’s going to happen. I get that question every time I get interviewed. Obviously, we really want to do it and we want to do it in a big way, naturally; this (journalist) was doing this rapid fire of inappropriate questions of sexual things, and I just decided to throw her a curve ball. I do not discriminate against any beauty no matter what form it comes in, and Rihanna is gorgeous. I think that everybody would tap it if they could. GC: Have you ever kissed a gay boy and liked it? KP: Yes, I have. It’s so funny. This boy I pseudo dated in high school, a fantastic flamenco dancer, was in Fiddler on the Roof with me and we were dating during the production, and I had just a tiny part but I was his first kiss. Cut to 10 years later, or even more, and we’re out at this place called Rasputin, this incredible gay club in Hollywood, and come to find out, he’s making out with my stylist. He’s still in it to win it, and he’s just become a part of our crew.
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GC: You’ve been hanging out with your gay friends in West Hollywood a lot lately. What’s been your most memorable gay night out? KP: I don’t really decipher it as gay night or straight night; it’s the same night continually. I came from a really interesting perspective – interesting being the keyword, because it was obviously very suppressing and sheltering. I was set to think that gay people were an abomination, so I was not allowed to speak to anyone who was obviously fabulous and I was never allowed to associate with that type of people. Really, generally, I was never allowed to associate with anybody that wasn’t Christian. So I was kind of trapped in a bubble, and then it finally burst years later. Now I think that 90 percent of everyone I work with, from my assistant to two out of three of my managers, is either gay or lesbian. It’s been an incredible journey of acceptance and tolerance. GC: Where are your parents now on gay people? KP: My parents have actually become more accepting and tolerant now. We’ve all grown up and evolved and broadened our mindset. Sometimes people have a really picky way of eating, right? And they don’t like certain foods, but a lot of times they haven’t even tried those foods. Once they try or know or get educated and have the facts, they’re more comfortable and there’s no judgment on your shrimp cocktail. I know that sounds so strange, but it’s this simple thing. A lot of people just aren’t educated; they still have this 1950s mindset, unfortunately. GC: Are you saying that you’ve tried the shrimp cocktail and gone lesbian? KP: I don’t know if it would be appropriate for me to tell you what my straight or gay (experiences) have been in the past. (Laughs) GC: You’ve said Madonna had a lot of influence on this film, and her 1991 documentary Truth or Dare really resonated with the gay community. KP: Yes, and still continues to. GC: Do you think Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D will have a similar effect on the gay community? KP: I hope that people see that they don’t have to change themselves in order to achieve their goals or dreams, and they can accept the skin that they live in and overcome obstacles or judgments. The theme of this movie is me overcoming obstacles: where I came from, problems with my record label and my personal struggles. A lot of times, people wanted me to be like someone else or sing like someone else or write like someone else. I wanted to be the first Katy Perry, but they couldn’t accept that. So hopefully people can come away from (the film) saying, “I don’t have to change myself. I don’t have to fit in. I don’t have to be what someone else wants me to be in order to reach my goals in life.” GC: After what happened with Gaga – where Madonna mashed up “Born This Way” with “Express Yourself” for her upcoming tour and called Gaga “reductive” – are you scared of being too inspired by Madonna?
KP: No. I’m inspired by everyone. And you know, I think that the queens love a little catfight every once in a while. It’s good for the cocktails and the conversation, I’ll tell you that. GC: “Ur So Gay” and “I Kissed a Girl” didn’t sit well with some of the gay community when they came out. You obviously have a huge gay following now, but did you feel like you needed to prove your authenticity after all the uproar over those songs? KP: I never really try and try hard. I like things to roll out naturally. People like to put me in a box. From the first official single, “I Kissed a Girl,” they always said I was a onetrick pony, and I’ve always known what I was gonna do next in my play-by-play and how I was gonna roll out the moments – and “I Kissed a Girl” was the strongest song for me at the time. It was also on the tip of everybody’s tongue pop culturally, even on television shows like Gossip Girl people were talking about it, and it was becoming more of an accepted idea to be bi-curious and to be bisexual. The song just took it over the edge for the public in some ways, but I think that anybody who saw a confusing message in those songs was either looking for a fight or taking it completely out of context. Anyone that really understood the songs understood the songs for what they were. GC: Now that more gay couples are able to legally marry, what would you tell them about marriage from your own experience? KP: It’s everybody’s individual experience. I think you can be in love without walking down the aisle, or you can walk down the aisle and be in love, but everybody deserves that choice and I think that equality is very important. People ask me questions about the whole Obama thing and him coming out and saying it publicly, and I’m like, “I hope soon enough we’ll look back and say to ourselves how ridiculous it was to think this way, just like it was during the civil rights movement.” We’re embarrassed. And it is completely embarrassing. We’re a young country and we’re developing slowly; we’re not as cultured as the Europeans. But that’s OK. We’re gonna get there, and hopefully there will be more tolerance in the world very soon and we won’t make the same mistake twice. GC: You’ve shot whipped cream and fireworks out of your boobs – KP: Actually, if you look at the placement of those fireworks, they come from my spirit. (Laughs) But I know people love going straight to the tits. They’re a big target on me. GC: If you could shot anything else out of your boobs, what would it be? KP: I’m gonna shoot down hate. I’m gonna shoot down all the people that hate, that sip on our haterade, that hate just to hate. I’m gonna shoot them down. But I’m gonna shoot them down with love bullets. And they’re non-violent. They don’t even hurt you. Like a Cupid’s arrow, they just turn you into a more tolerant, loving person.
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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Rock On
Director Adam Shankman and cast talk bigscreen musical...and the gay kiss Photos by Warner Bros.
By Chris Azzopardi How do you come off a musical that has John Travolta doing drag? You make sure the next one, Rock of Ages, gets Tom Cruise in butt-baring chaps. “I thought we would cover it up with mesh or underwear,” recalls director Adam Shankman, “and I was like, ‘You do know that when I’m shooting, we’re gonna see your ass? He said, ‘Well, how is it?’ And I go, ‘It’s fantastic.’” Tom’s response? “Then let’s shoot it.”
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The all-star cast of Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Catherine Zeta-Jones and romantic leads Julianne Hough and newcomer Diego Boneta, already a famed heartthrob in Mexico, had a similar no-holds-barred attitude for the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway musical homage to the crazy ’80s. From a suite at The London West Hollywood, close to the Sunset Strip where the film takes place, Shankman told us why: “It’s my conviction that it’s all good, clean fun. You can’t tell a joke halfway and get away with it – you have to go for it. You can’t be afraid. Go big or go home.” Rock of Ages goes big every chance it has: Cruise, in grungerocker mode as Stacee Jaxx, and co-star Malin Akerman, the nosy Rolling Stone reporter, have a cheeky rendezvous to “I Want to Know What Love Is”; Zeta-Jones, a closeted rocker who tries to take down the demoralizing genre, goes back to her musical roots for her hammed-up take on “Hit Me with Your Best Shot.” And then there’s the lovey-dovey Baldwin-Brand montage … that ends in a kiss. “It’s sweet,” Shankman says of the scene, set to REO Speedwagon’s “Can’t Fight This Feeling.” “People want them to get together. People are proud that we live in a world where that can happen, and I’m not trying to sell anything. I’m just expressing this relationship; in their dark moment they find each other, and that bolsters them as characters. I wouldn’t know how to tell that story without it going to that place.” The creators of the original musical didn’t see their bond the same as Shankman. To them, it was just two dudes who really, really like each other. A lot.
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“Interestingly, on the surface, it actually does not veer from the play – but I was told by the creators of the play that they, in fact, never saw them as falling in love,” Shankman says. “They just said it was the ultimate bromance and I said, ‘That is the ultimate bromance – them falling in love.’ Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand are singing ‘ … I can’t fight this feeling anymore.’ I don’t think guys fight the feeling of being friends.” The mini-golf flashback, though? That was all Shankman. “Standing behind the other and teaching him how to putt and sinking a ball into a hole is … something,” he laughs. “All puns intended.”
“People say things,” she says, “but they don’t deliver. Six months later he showed up with this script. He believed in me.” His other reasons? “Because I’m a gay man and she’s Mary J.” Blige plays nurturing strip club owner Justice, the mother hen of the movie that has a bigger wardrobe – and more wigs – than an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race. “The giant hair, the braids, the beads, just the freedom and expression,” Blige says of why gays will dig her role. “The gay community is about freedom and expression. They hold nothing back; they just are what they are, and that’s what I believe they will take away from seeing Justice.” For the role, she threw on a Mississippi accent and completely reimagined her character so she could get outside herself. As someone who’s overcome plenty of drama in her own life, Blige had a lot to work from already. “I didn’t want her to be Mary, but I used Mary’s life experiences and who Mary is in real life to build her character, which is this woman who always encourages other women to feel better, be better and just be an example and
Casting a diva Though Tom Cruise is getting the most buzz for his rock-god role, Shankman started with a musician who has, oh, just nine Grammys to her name: Mary J. Blige. The soul diva was approached nearly two years ago at a housewarming party for Jennifer Lopez that both were attending. Shankman said he wanted her in his movie; Blige thought he was full of crap. www.gaycalgary.com
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kind of mother the younger women.” On set, that “example” was Shankman, who was so dedicated to his work that he was always working from a choreography warehouse with no air conditioning – just a table and a folding chair. Boneta doesn’t recall ever seeing him at the swanky production office. “That’s how involved he was,” Boneta says. “He was in the trenches, working, just as much as any one else was. When you have someone like that directing you, you can see that onscreen.” Somehow, too, Shankman does it all with an infectious smile. On this morning, after an emotional night at a Trevor Project screening of the film, it’s surprising to see Shankman so chirpy. “He looks like a bird when he walks, and I love it,” says Hough, looking at Diego and laughing. “He’s so happy, though, and he really loves what he does and that just translates to his work – but also to us. Everybody has to be around him every single day, and to have that kind of energy is pretty great.”
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The crazy ’80s Acid wash, mullets, parachute pants – the jokes in Rock of Ages write themselves. “The period makes fun of itself, for god’s sake,” Shankman says. “You don’t have to go out and try to make fun of the period. Shoulder pads – come on!” That was his advice to Baldwin and Brand, who were told to acknowledge their relationship not as a joke but as if they actually were falling madly for each other. “What am I gonna have them do? Hug at the end of that (scene)? That would be so anti-climatic,” he says. “It’s one of the most innocent kisses ever seen – certainly the most innocent gay kiss ever seen in a movie.” Part of the reason he went all the way with it – further than the original musical, anyway – is because of John Waters. In fact, many of the liberties Shankman took with Rock of Ages are because of the iconic filmmaker. When Shankman was originally commissioned to do Hairspray, casting John Travolta in the role of Edna Turnblad for the 2007 movie, he asked for Waters’ blessing. After some email correspondence, the two met up in Waters’ hometown of www.gaycalgary.com
Baltimore, where Shankman was filming Step Up, and Shankman remembers his advice: “You have to tell the story through your own filter, otherwise it will be a disaster. You can change anything as long as you make a good movie.” “The courage to do it all came from John Waters,” says Shankman, noting that both Hairspray and Rock of Ages beat from the same heart. “What the movies share at their fundamental core are a couple of things: nothing is worth anything without love; not comprising yourself, and consequences to comprising yourself; and you can’t stop the beat – no matter what, you can’t stop people from expressing themselves creatively. They’re strangely kindred.” But Rock of Ages doesn’t stop there: It’s also about reckless abandon, and the music of that time is a nostalgic reminder of how hang-loose people were. The 47-year-old director, who grew up in L.A., graduated in 1982 and, though this generation will find it hard to believe, couldn’t escape MTV’s constant looping of actual music videos: “Hot for Teacher,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and Whitesnake songs among them. “Whether or not you had them in your Walkman, they were everywhere,” he recalls. “I watched MTV News; that was my goto news channel. This music is so entrenched in our lives that I wanted to honor that.” Not just the music, but also the fact that people were so blithely unconcerned about … everything. Talk about an age that rocked. “That period was the last time this friggin’ country was innocent,” he continues, “because you had all the sex you wanted, there was no AIDS; you could do all the drugs you wanted, there was no rehab; you could throw TVs out of windows of hotels and people loved it.” Shankman’s upcoming projects won’t be so happy-go-lucky: The novel-based This Is Where I Leave You reteams the director with Zac Efron, who starred in Hairspray, as a deceptive bad guy. The director said the film, also featuring Jason Bateman and Goldie Hawn, was his calling. “It’s the most beautiful script I’ve ever gotten,” he says. “I had to wrestle it out of another director’s hand, literally. I needed to make this movie.” The So You Think You Can Dance guest judge is also adapting The Nutcracker into a journey of self-discovery seen through the dark-fantasy lens of Tim Burton. His other project might not ever surface: “I’ve outlined and started to write a movie on all my gay experiences in a 48-hour period. If it never sees the light of day, so be it, but I’m feeling the need to write it. It’s me continuing to wrestle with whatever gay demons I have and needing to explore them and put them on the page.” www.gaycalgary.com
If it does, the big question is: Who can top Tom Cruise?
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Gossip Lane just became must-watch TV for the fall. Jerry O’Connell will star as Herman Munster and Portia De Rossi will play Lily, while Eddie Izzard will star as Grandpa. Daisies alum Beth Grant (Sordid Lives) will play a suspicious neighbor and Cheyenne Jackson has just signed on to guest as a local Scout Master with eyes for Lily. Casting is ongoing, so expect more updates as the weeks roll on. But for now all you have to remember to do is set your DVR this fall and stop confusing them with the Addams Family. The Canyons welcomes Lohan… for now If her time shooting Liz & Dick is any indication, Lindsay Lohan might not yet be ready to return to work. Erratic behavior, car accidents, lateness, bouts of unconsciousness: all of it distracts from the project and the fact that this talented young woman is fully capable of good work. But assuming she makes it through this one and comes out the other side stronger and back on track, her next project could be fascinating, a genuine game-changer professionally. You may remember an earlier report where we said that “it doesn’t get crazier” than the combination of American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis, Taxi Driver screenwriter/Cat People director Paul Schrader and alt-porn star James Deen, but now that Lindsay Lohan has been added to the mix of what is now going to be called The Canyons, it all just totally did. Ellis describes the upcoming feature as a story about people in their 20s chasing “power, love, sex and success in 2012 Hollywood,” which sounds like the perfect vehicle for Lohan, even if her co-star is more known for focusing exclusively on the sex part of that equation. Nothing’s set in stone yet, but this one is only going to get more interesting. Kevin Smith: The Groovy Straight Bear gets animated
Janet Jackson, photo for Nutrisystem by Ruven Afanador.
Deep Inside Hollywood Janet Jackson produces trans doc Truth By Romeo San Vicente You knew you liked Janet Jackson, but did you know how much? Maybe it’s because throughout her career, she’s always been the most cautious of the Jackson clan, the least willing to turn her life into a public spectacle in between work projects. She acts, she sings, she dances, she does commercials for NutriSystem, but otherwise she keeps to herself. And alongside that wise approach to her personal life she’s maintained an activist’s stance as an ally to the LGBT community, a bond that will only deepen as she enters a new role: executive producer of Truth. That’s the title of an upcoming documentary about transgender people and their treatment around the world. New York’s Brainchild Films and director Robert Jason are behind the feature, which will focus on the lives and struggles of transgender people in North America, Latin America, Europe and Australia. In a written statement, Jackson says that she attached herself to the project to help eradicate discrimination against the trans community. This calls for a YouTube transgender flash mob dance video set to “Rhythm Nation!”
Kevin Smith was apparently kidding when he said he was quitting filmmaking. After last year’s speaking tour where he also showed his horror film, Red State, to audiences along the way, he said that his hockey comedy, the upcoming Hit Somebody, would be his last film. But you can’t keep the man away from his ardent fan base, and now it looks like Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie will be a reality in 2013. Not only is the hetero Smith an honorary gay bear by this point, having conducted hockey-themed same-sex weddings on his Smodcast podcast and produced documentaries like Malcolm Ingram’s Small Town Gay Bar, but there have never been two gayer Smith creations than the perpetually high, heterosexual life partners Jay and Silent Bob. We have no idea what the film is going to be about, but it’s almost certain to be R-rated, raunchier than everything else in the multiplex, and filled to the brim with homosexuality. If not, that will be the most shocking thing he’s ever done. Romeo San Vicente’s most shocking moment has been reposted on dozens of Tumblrs. He can be reached care of this publication.
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Mockingbird Lane gets its cast of munsters It started with, “Huh? A reboot of The Munsters? We need this?” And then we learned that Bryan Fuller, the wildly inventive creator of Pushing Daisies, was behind it and extending trust to his left-of-center credentials was much easier. And now there’s a cast so cool and so queer (and queer-adjacent) that NBC’s dramatically different reimagining of the vintage sitcom, now titled Mockingbird 30
GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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Lifestyle
Cocktail Chatter One for the Flamers
By Ed Sikov It was inevitable. How could I not flambé something? What’s more dramatic than strolling mock-casually into the dining room with a platter of something on fire? Flames catch guests’ attention better than anything, with the exception of Brad Pitt showing up at your party with no clothes on. I caution you: flaming cocktails are dangerous, because you can broil your nose if too eager, and a trip to the emergency room is no fun. Flaming drinks turn out to be dull as well, since most if not all of the alcohol burns away. You create a beautiful display but a drink with no kick. What’s the point? This is as good a time as any to announce an expansion of Cocktail Chatter’s mission statement. I still vow to help the mixologically needy, those wretched souls who panic when tending bar, but I’ll be writing a bit more about entertainment in general for Season 3. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but I’ll be more like Martha Stewart, only gay and male and without the money and the rap sheet. We opened the beach house a few weeks ago, and last Saturday, Dan and I and our housemates decided we should get better acquainted with our new neighbors. Sure, they don’t even nod when they walk past us on the boardwalk. But they’re all right out of central casting’s flat-stomach-roundrump department. So I succumbed to my housemates’ entreaties (some of which were downright embarrassing – picture Craig on the floor licking my toes), and we invited them. I prepared something I’d thought up out of the blue: a combination of ceviche, sashimi and seared salmon. It would be sashimi like in that it wouldn’t be cooked. It would resemble ceviche in that it would be preserved in a liquid for a day or two before being served, and the liquid would perform the “cooking”; mine would soak for a day in vodka. And it would be lightly seared by its own dramatic presentation: I would set my masterpiece ablaze. I don’t mean to be sexist here, but to employ a well-used folk myth to describe my decision to create this specially for the boys next door: It took balls to try this dish for company without doing a dry run first. Had the dish been anything less than a complete success, we could kiss our hot neighbors’ asses on their way out the door and be the subjects of ridicule for the rest of the summer. But it worked. Try it the next time you’re having some folks over for drinks and dinner. Either serve Drunken Flaming Salmon with the drinks (with toothpicks) or as a first course (with knives and forks).
Drunken Flaming Salmon 1 salmon filet (not a steak!) Absolut Premium vodka Fennel seeds – 1 TBS Salt-packed capers, unrinsed – 1 TBS A day before serving, place the salmon in a container just large enough to hold it, cover with vodka, add fennel and capers, and seal it. Just before serving, remove salmon from vodka, slice sharply on the bias (leaving skin), and place on a fireproof serving plate along with fennel and capers. Heat ¼ cup vodka in a small saucepan until warm. Bring the salmon into the living or dining room, turn off the lights, return to the kitchen for the warm vodka, ignite it in front of your guests, pour it over the salmon. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Whose Dumb Idea Was This Beach House? It was well into June before Dan and I came to the distressing realization that we’d be short on housemates this season and would consequently take a big financial hit. Jack Fogg had broken up with Sammy; Sammy was rooming with the volleyball boys and Jack Fogg was doing the Hamptons. (Figures.) Phil Levine found us too boring and declared his intention to find someplace else to spend the summer; it turned out to be Malaysia. There was nothing to do about it at this point. Some of the old gang would return, but all as quarter shares, not half shares. Dan was taking it more in stride than I was, but then he’s a corporate guy and I’m a writer, so he can afford to be relaxed about money and I can’t. For reasons known only to God, I talked him into taking in a one-time-only boarder named – I am not kidding – Thor. Thor (it’s hard even to type it with a straight face) wanted to stay for a weekend only, so I said sure and Dan said (to me) “Are you out of your mind?” and I said “Yes” and Thor arrived and said, “Hallo. Jeg er en utmerket kokk. Jeg vil lage middag,” which apparently is Norwegian for “Hello, I am going to take over your kitchen immediately,” because that is what he did. Friday night’s dinner demanded the use of nearly every pot and skillet in the house. Dan got so upset at the mess we were expected to clean up – the house rule is the cook gets to cook and the rest get to clean up afterward – that he stomped upstairs to our room in a huff and wouldn’t come down until Thor cried “Kom, barn! Spis middag!” which is Norwegian for “Admire my pecs while you eat.” Yes, I failed to mention that Thor had been next to naked the entire time he was in our house, having stripped down to a pair of hot pants and nothing else within minutes of arriving. He had a spectacular body, I have to admit, but it was too perfect, and his armpit hair was so blonde it looked like he’d used peroxide. Dan glumly made his way to the table just as Thor presented the single dish he’d made; why he’d had to use all the pots and pans is anyone’s guess. “Penne alla Vodka” he proudly announced as Dan and I took our seats. That’s when I stole a glance at my bottle of Absolut and gasped – it was empty! The louse had either poured it all into the sauce or used half and drank the rest. What a total waste of fine vodka. Thor will not be invited back.
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Penne alla Vodka There’s no mystery whatsoever to Penne alla Vodka. You simply make a tomato sauce from minced garlic and salt and plum tomatoes from a can (which you have roughly chopped in a food processor). Add some crushed pepper and 1/4 cup of vodka and let it cook. Boil a box of penne. Before the penne is done, add about half a cup of cream to the sauce. When the penne is al dente, drain it and dump it in a very large bowl. Add the sauce, stir in some chopped parsley if you have any, stir it well, and put two slabs of butter on top, just for the hell of it. Serve with grated Parmigiano cheese.
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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Politics
Should Pride Be Used As A Vehicle To Promote A Non-GLBTQ Agenda? By Stephen Lock The various annual Gay Pride celebrations held in urban centres all over the world tend to be inclusive events, stemming from an understanding that, as GLBTQ people, we historically have been well-acquainted with the politics of exclusion and of ‘being beyond the pale’. “Beyond the pale” being apropos here as the phrase refers to what many European centres, most notably in Russia under Catherine the Great, imposed on their Jewish inhabitants. It refers to living outside the established parameters of the city, away from ‘regular’ folk and the safety of being within the city walls. Which brings us to the possible inclusion of a group known as Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA) in Toronto’s Pride Parade. QuAIA describes itself as “work[ing] in solidarity with queers in Palestine and Palestine solidarity movements around the world... [and that] the struggle for sexual rights cannot come at the price of other rights.” Despite Israel being an oasis of liberal democracy in a region awash in dictatorship and fundamentalist Islamism, QuAIA believes Israel to be an oppressive regime and that it engages in a practice they call “pinkwashing”. Their website states, “...[I]n response to increasing criticism of its occupation of Palestine, Israel is cultivating an image of itself as an oasis of gay tolerance in the Middle East, a practice that is called pinkwashing. As queers, we recognize that homophobia exists in Israel, Palestine, and across all borders. “Queer Palestinians continue to face the challenge of living under occupation and apartheid, subject to Israeli state violence and control, regardless of liberal laws within Israel that allow gays to serve in the military, or recognize same sex marriage and adoption for Israeli citizens. QuAIA works to fight homophobia, transphobia and gender oppression wherever they exist.” Really? Then why is the organization not called Queers Against Iranian Queer Genocide or Queers Opposed To Syrian State Murder? QuAIA, along with other misinformed and too often leftist organizations, believes Israel engages in arpartheid when it comes to dealing with Palestinians. Perhaps now would be a good time to declare my biases; I am one of those ‘left-lib’ types so much of conservative mainstream media appear to believe will herald the end of civilization as we know it. I am also pro-Israel. Israel is not a Utopia on Earth. It has its problems, and I certainly do not agree with every single policy the Knesset puts out. At the same time, however, I believe I understand the history of Zionism and the process of establishing a Jewish homeland during the 19th and 20th Centuries resulting in the settlement of the area now known as the State of Israel. Prior to that it was, amongst other names, known as “Palestine” but this was never an actual nation. The term “Palestine” was used as a geographical designation to describe the region situated between the Mediterranean Sea and the River Jordan and has been also been known as Canaan (which the ancient Israelites conquered according to accounts in the Old Testament after Moses led them out of bondage in Eygpt and to the Promised Land of Canaan, the land of milk and honey), Zion, Land of the Philistines, Southern Syria and Syria Palaestina. Its borders have fluctuated throughout history, depending on which empire held sway over the territory. In modern times, the borders were first defined in 1920 and then again in 1922 during what is known as the Mandate Period - a time when the post-WWI British Empire, in consultation with Arab leaders and Allied forces,
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was facilitating the establishment of a Jewish homeland in the region. The term “Palestine” has also been used to refer to the hypothetical State of Palestine as outlined in the 1988 Palestinian Declaration of Independence which lays claim to approximately 22 percent of what is now Israel. The actual existence of such a state is in limbo and not recognized by the United Nations, many western countries, including the US and Canada, or by the state of Israel itself. What is recognized is the Palestinian Authority, established under Yasser Arafat following the 1993 Oslo peace accords between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel. The Palestinian Authority, which includes Gaza and the West Bank, is now itself split into two factions following the election of Hamas, a vehemently anti-Semitic and anti-Israel terrorist organization on one side, and the ‘old guard’ Arafatian Palestinian Authority on the other. The politics of the region are complex and the above a too-brief overview. However, to claim, as does QuAIA, that Israel engages in apartheid, like the old regime of South Africa did as official policy against the indigenous black African population, is disingenuous at best. Canada could likewise be accused of being an ‘apartheid state’ given our First Nations reservation system, and has been, but we come under nowhere near the level of antipathy Israel faces from various interests. Clearly, then, there is something else afoot when it comes to condemnation of Israel. Nowhere else in the region of the Middle East do lesbians, gay men, bisexuals or transfolk enjoy the rights and safety they do in Israel. Thousands of gay men have been murdered in Iran in public executions. Thousands more live in fear of being beaten, arrested, tortured and killed in Gaza under Hamas, and in countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, and other Arab countries of the region, most of which subscribe to Sharia law, being gay can result in imprisonment or even execution. Turkey is the only other nation in the region where homosexuality is legal, although Turkey does not recognize GLBTQ rights in civil law or same-sex domestic partnerships, let alone same-sex marriage. The social culture of Turkey, officially a secular nation but predominately Muslim nevertheless, tends to be conservative. And yet QuAIA goes after Israel. It is a form of Jew-baiting, a modern day type of pogrom all dressed up to appear ‘politically correct’ but is actually little more than good old-fashioned antiSemitism. As, I would assume, politically aware and - one would hope sensitive politico-queers, I would expect QuAIA to have a better and deeper analysis of the issues. Palestinian lesbians and gay men face far more discrimination, prejudice and violence in Gaza than they ever would in Israel. Arab/Palestinian Israelis (and, yes, there are Arabs and Palestinians living in Israel as Israeli citizens, not just Jews) are afforded the full protection of the law in the event their own community turns on them. Such protection is not at all available in any other country or region of the Middle East. Of course, QuAIA denies their position is anti-Semitic. They cite various Jewish intellectuals, such as Albert Einstein among others, as anti-Zionist - quoting Einstein as saying that Menachim Begin, a key figure in the founding of Israel, was a fascist. QuAIA also believes Israel is based on racial lines, that only Jews hold privilege to the detriment of “indigenous people” (i.e. Arab and what is now known as Palestinian people) and describes Gaza as little more than “an open air prison”. The erection of walls separating Israeli territory from Gaza and the West Bank, and checkpoints that make it difficult, if not nigh impossible, for Palestinians to move freely between Arab towns and Israeli territory is problematic. Jewish settlements in the West
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Community Bank, and the displacement of non-Jewish residents, are issues I have difficulty with. At the same time I recognize such issues are far more complex than they may appear and ‘outsiders’ not familiar with the realities of the region often come to misinformed conclusions. The one reality I am aware of is that Israel faces daily bombardment of civilian enclaves, suicide bombings, and threats against its existence as a nation, with that bombardment often being launched not only from southern Lebanon but from within Gaza itself. An argument can be made that Israel, by building walls and ‘controlling’ Gazans is in fact protecting itself and its citizens. That is its right as a nation under threat. Israel is in a constant state of high alert. It has to be when there are constant threats to ‘drive the Jews into the sea’. The other reality is that it has been Israel who has, on more than one occasion, attempted to reach a mutually satisfactory solution that would allow for the existence of Israel and the existence of a Palestinian territory, a sort of ‘bi-national’ construct. These overtures have been consistently rejected by Palestinian interests. QuAIA is, of course, within its rights to believe whatever its members wish and, in a liberal democracy like Canada, also free to say whatever it believes to be true. Their possible inclusion in a Gay Pride parade is somewhat more problematic. As a gay group, of course they should be included. No one questions that, I shouldn’t think. The issue is their position on Israel or perhaps more correctly their position on Jewish occupation of formerly Arab land. One simply cannot separate the concept of “Israel” from the reality of “Jew” and the complex history of the Jewish people. It is my belief modern day Israel is the Jewish homeland to which the world’s Jews have returned after a Diaspora that lasted for centuries. QuAIA doesn’t. And that’s fine. The question then is, does this issue have any place in a Gay Pride celebration? The same question could be asked of any group whose mandate goes beyond “GLBTQ”. If this was a group of GLBTQ Palestinians, I would not have an issue over their inclusion so long as the focus of the group was on being queer and Palestinian, for instance, and not on the issues they may have towards Israel. Likewise, an organization like Kulanu, a group for GLBTQ Jews, should be included not because they hold any particular position on Israel but because they offer a social network for GLBTQ Jews that honours and respects both the members’ Jewishness as well as their orientation. To use the platform of a Pride parade to promote an unrelated political agenda, whatever it may be, strikes me as - I’m not sure what the term would be - inappropriate? Pride parades are grounded in political expression. That is the origin of these parades. So having a political agenda is not the issue so long as it is a queer political issue even though Pride parades have long ceased to be “political” in any sort of specific sense. QuAIA’s mandate is not about being GLBTQ; it is about having a position on Israeli policy and, as such, has little/nothing to do with being queer or with queer politics. QuAIA has been denied involvement in Toronto’s Gay Pride Parade before and their application to be included in this year’s celebration is currently before a review board. This process has created controversy over how binding any decision would be. If the board denies QuAIA’s application and the organization shows up anyway, who can legally enforce their eviction? It becomes a civil matter involving the police...and probably a significant delay to the start of what should be a celebratory event for our community. If the permit is accepted what, if any, conflict might arise from the presence of QuAIA and, say, Kulanu in the same event? Or between QuAIA and any other group or individuals offended by their antiIsrael position? These are important questions that must be considered by any Pride committee.
Stop the Madness By Carey Rutherford Mz. Rhonda wants to Stop the Madness. “I feel that schools, churches, and the workforce, need to hear the message that gay people will not tolerate bullying, bashing, homophobia and discrimination anymore,” states Calgarian Ron Eberley, better known as Mz. Rhonda in drag. “I feel that my schtick is to do it as Mz. Rhonda and not as Ron, though it might be a deterrent to some opportunities to speak. But I think it will add character to the presentation.” “I know this [abuse] is going on out there, but I think the [straight] world is ignoring that fact, that a lot of people think Calgary and Alberta is free of gay-bashing, etc. I disagree.” Mz. Rhonda tells us she has been busy promoting her campaign: she has contacted and provided commitment forms to the city (including councilor Farrell and mayor Nenshi), the province (education minister Johnson and premier Redford), and educational institutions (the Catholic school board and Rundle College). These pledge forms that she is asking them to sign and display are pretty clear: “I hereby pledge to speak out against [bullying, bashing, phobia and discrimination]; Gay people have the right to live and work in our community; We must love one another, not hate; I also pledge to live in peace with all people.” Some might feel that such sentiments don’t need to be written out and signed so obtrusively, yet at the same time, the same problems wouldn’t exist today if everyone already behaved this way. As an ordained minister (formerly of the Rainbow Community Church in Hillhurst) she has a direct connection not only to the secular challenges faced by the community, but also the spiritual ones. “As a church worker, when you look at scripture, it’s a love story not a hate story. So I think churches need to be awakened to the stronger sayings from scripture being used today. Love thy neighbour as thyself. Well, if you don’t love me as a gay person, you really don’t love yourself all that much. Even if I’m your enemy as a gay person, you’re meant to love your enemies. So I embrace my faith.” She also mentions LGBTQ difficulties in senior homes: “This is the end of your life, and you should be comfortable... I just want everyone to realize that we have the right to be who we are, because they certainly have the right to [do the same].” Of course, as any former member of the Imperial Court System, Mz. Rhonda has seen many of these different aspects firsthand; from a young man growing up in Northern Ireland and the faith that he developed, to the family he and his former wife raised here in Canada. Unfortunately, his discovery of his gay persona caused the end of his family relationships, but after entering the drag community and meeting Wayne Eberly, he eventually re-married. In fact, he claims they were one of the first gay couples in Canada to do so, after lobbying long and hard for the right. So Mz. Rhonda is familiar with the bullying, bashing, homophobia and discrimination in all of its forms, and she wants to do what she can to Stop the Madness.
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
33
Out of Town Summer in Seattle
Seattle’s skyline, with Mt. Rainier in the background.
By Andrew Collins This city sculpted by Puget Sound and Lake Washington and crowned with leafy hills abounds with lively diversions, both indoor and outside, plus a sunny and mild climate from June through well into October, making it one of the country’s most enchanting summer destinations. It’s actually a cool getaway year-round popularity (yes, even during the grayer, wetter winter months), with superb restaurants, offbeat shops, and a mix of accommodations for all budgets. Downtown with its dashing, postmodern skyline - contains a mix of enticing museums, historic blocks, and trendy retailentertainment strips. The city’s many visiting gays and lesbians are often drawn to Seattle’s GLBT hub, Capitol Hill. Students, dot-comers, latter-day hippies, and young families of all persuasions live in this lofty, leafy neighborhood a 20-minute walk or short cab ride east of downtown. Cutting-edge music, liberal politics, coffeehouses and microbreweries, computer technology, and environmentalism are among the ties that bind Capitol Hill’s disparate populations. The best way to enjoy Seattle is to set aside a few hours each day, and focus on a particular neighborhood and its corresponding draws. Start by touring downtown, with its landmark Pike Place Market, a sprawling 1907 structure abuzz with fishmongers and food marketers of every ilk. If you 34
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love to eat or cook, the halls of gourmet goodies are reason alone to while away an afternoon here. You’ll also find scads of genuinely interesting shops, such as art galleries, bath and beauty shops, clothiers, jewelry and crafts makers, and indie booksellers. Other appealing attractions downtown include the Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center and the Seattle Aquarium, which are down along Puget Sound’s salt-aired piers, and the acclaimed Seattle Art Museum. North of downtown you’ll find the loft-style galleries, restaurants, and music clubs of Belltown, and beyond that, the 600-foot Space Needle, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012, and ranks among the nation’s most distinctive buildings - you can take an elevator to the top for breathtaking views of the skyline, Puget Sound, and the surrounding Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges. The Capitol Hill neighborhood has few formal attractions, but several commercial pockets are excellent for shopping, club hopping, distinctive dining, and people-watching. Pine and Pike streets hold many gay bars, plus some live-music halls and coffeehouses, and Broadway Avenue bustles with a youthful mix of straight and gay-popular businesses. Set aside some time to explore verdant Volunteer Park, home to an exotic-plant-filled conservatory, a 75-foot water tower affording panoramic city views, and the outstanding Seattle Asian Art Museum. Make a point of checking out some of the city’s enchanting off-the-beaten-path neighborhoods, such as Madison Park, with its gay-popular beach along Lake Washington as well www.gaycalgary.com
as the University of Washington Arboretum; the University of Washington-dominated U District; Fremont, a former hippie haven that’s now home to a mix of creative spirits and young professionals; and Ballard, whose roots as a Scandinavian fishing community are still very much evident (it’s a great neighborhood for seafood dining). This latter area has become one of the top Seattle neighborhoods outside downtown for edgy dining and diverting indie retail. One theme that unites virtually all of the city’s most intriguing districts is delicious food - Seattleites take eating seriously, and restaurants here strive to feature local - often farm-to-table produce, cheeses, seafood, meats, wines, and jams and honeys. Two of the nation’s most celebrated openly lesbian chefs, Christine Keff and Tamara Murphy, are based here. In South Lake Union, Keff dazzles foodies with her fresh, artful creations in Flying Fish, a festive and contemporary seafood joint serving such knockout fare as spearfish with maple-sherry glaze and sautéed kale. Murphy runs Lower Capitol Hill’s much-heralded Terra Plata, which opened in late 2011 and is a fine place to sample creative, beautifully prepared market-driven dishes like sea scallops with smoked tomato vinaigrette, and roast pig with chorizo, clams, and smoked paprika. Another of the city’s highly regarded chefs is Tom Douglas, who runs a powerful mini-empire comprising several acclaimed eateries, from diminutive Dahlia Bakery - which is perfect for artisan breads, divine sandwiches, and tempting tarts - to the more substantial Lola, whose updated Mediterranean fare (such as braised young-goat tagine with artichokes and fava beans) dazzles gourmands. Capitol Hill has several notable restaurant faves, among them openly gay rising-star chef Jason Stratton’s Cascina Spinasse, a stellar neighborhood trattoria serving boldly flavorful Piemontese cuisine; welcoming Poco Wine Room is scoring high marks for its terrific wine list and well-conceived American cooking; and the gastropub Quinn’s, which can be counted on for tasty, modern takes on stick-to-your-ribs classics, like crispy-skin half chicken served with a toasted brioche, wild mushrooms, spinach, and chicken-liver mousse. Grill on Broadway has for years been a gay tradition for brunch, afternoon cocktails, and late-night dining on eclectic American cuisine. Just down the hill in Madison Valley, stylish Cafe Flora virtually redefines vegetarian food with its complex, sophisticated cooking. Most of the city’s gay nightspots are in lively Capitol Hill, including the ultra-popular and brand-new (in May 2012) Social nightclub, a swanky gay dance club that adjoins a stylish restaurant and lounge called Evo. Longtime mainstays of the gay scene include R Place, great for dancing and drag shows; the cruise-y Cuff Complex, which draws a masculine, bearish bunch; the leather-themed Seattle Eagle; and Neighbours, a favorite dance club. Lesbians favor the Wildrose Tavern, a spacious bar with DJs and dancing that’s been going strong since the mid-’80s. A quirky, retro-glam hole in the wall, Pony plays fun music and attracts a diverse bunch, from gay hipsters to students to older dudes who appreciate the throwback-to-the-’70s gay-bar aesthetic. CC Attle’s, which moved to a handsome new space in 2011, is a friendly spot drawing an eclectic, mostly 35-andolder crowd, and cozy and fun Diesel is Seattle’s newest bear bar. The stylish, mod Lobby Bar is a top happy-hour pick with a kitchen turning out tasty victuals, as is trendy and new-ish Saint John’s Bar, which serves drinks all evening and dinner late, plus an excellent brunch. Accommodations in Seattle include a high number of spirited, avant-garde boutique hotels. Among these, consider the playful, art-themed Hotel Max (hotelmaxseattle.com), a snazzy yet moderately priced hotel whose public areas and guest rooms feature the artwork of more than three dozen provocative Pacific Northwest artists. On the ground floor, the Max’s restaurant, Red Fin, can be counted on for expertly prepared sushi and tasty Pan-Asian cuisine. The intimate Hotel 1000 (hotel1000seattle.com), with its verdant rooftop garden
and minimalist, high-tech rooms done in tranquil, muted hues, has quickly is a magnet among travelers. Just a 10-minute walk from the gay-bar scene on Capitol Hill, the discreetly elegant Hotel Sorrento (hotelsorrento. com) is one of the Northwest’s grande dames. The ornately decorated Italianate Revival building contains 76 rooms, each with a different layout and décor, the live music, readings, and similarly arts-minded events are staged regularly in the classic wood-paneled lobby. In up-and-coming South Lake Union, a short walk from the Space Needle, the stunningly designed Pan Pacific Seattle (panpacific.com) has spacious rooms with tall windows, HD Plasma TVs, and deep soaking tubs; it’s in a modern complex with a Whole Foods, the super Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar, and the full-service Vida Spa. Many of the city’s gay visitors regularly stay at one of the three properties downtown run by the hip and GLBTsupport Kimpton brand, including the whimsically decorated Hotel Monaco (monaco-seattle.com), the plush Alexis Hotel (alexishotel.com), and the wine-themed Hotel Vintage Park (hotelvintagepark.com). The Hyatt Olive 8 (olive8.hyatt.com), a soaring eco-friendly tower at the base of Capitol Hill, has alluringly modern rooms and beautiful fitness center, 65-foot saline pool, and spa. A more affordable but quite hip option is the Ace Hotel (acehotel.com/seattle), a fun and frugal, Euroinspired lodging with futuristic-looking rooms - it’s one of the best, and gay-friendliest, bargains in the Pacific Northwest. Andrew Collins covers gay travel for the New York Times-owned website GayTravel.About.com and is the author of Fodor’s Gay Guide to the USA. He can be reached care of this publication.
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
35
Sister Act
Jake Shears and Ana Matronic on 10 years together, a crazy prank and having sex to their songs Photos by Neil Krug
By Chris Azzopardi Never ones to take themselves too seriously – their new video, “Baby Come Home,” has them camping it up in nun gear – Jake Shears and Ana Matronic of Scissor Sisters let loose in our recent interview. Who’s gayer? Jake has the worst table manners? The band thought Ana was murdered and tossed in the trunk of a car? Check out what the Sisters, who just released their fourth album, Magic Hour, revealed about life on the road – and life with each other. GC: Does this album have as high of a libido as Night Work? Jake Shears: There’s sexy music on it, but it’s not sexually aggressive. The last record was very aggressive in a certain way; this one is much more romantic – about relationships and friendships. The stuff that’s sexual is pretty funny; this record definitely has a pretty strong sense of humor. Ana Matronic: Night Work, in addition to being really sexual, was about Jake finding his creative footholds again. Sex and creativity come from the same place; they’re instincts that you can hone but they are intrinsic to you. You can really only control them. You can’t pick who you fall in love with or are attracted to, and you can’t pick aesthetically what you’re attracted to or into. You can only develop it. That’s why I think it was not only a desire to talk about desire but a real tapping into that creative force. GC: The last album, Night Work, took nearly four years to release; this one only took two. How were you able to get this album out so quickly? Jake: This one we made in six months. It was a pretty laidback process, and I wasn’t feeling wound up or stressed out and wanted to make music that wasn’t over-thought. I just wanted to make a happy record that was fun to write that meant something. It was super natural and the creativity was definitely flowing, which you can never take for granted. It came really easy. Ana: For me, songwriting is never very laid-back; that’s the thing that I really fret about. When I get to relax is when the show is together and we’re performing. But from my perspective, and watching Jake in the studio, this is his most confident moment
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in the studio, I believe. He had a really clear sense of what he wanted and where he wanted to go with things. GC: What’s the weirdest inspiration for a song off Magic Hour? Jake: There’s a song called “The Secret Life of Letters” about creative block. I don’t know if that’s the weirdest inspiration, but it’s weird, because the song itself is about not being able to write a song. When I wrote that, it was the only way I could write a song, so that’s a special and interesting song to me. Ana: “Let’s Have a Kiki” was directly inspired by an experience I had of going to a party; it was raining and the cops had busted it and it was in a loft downtown. It was partly inspired by that and it was partly inspired by the fact that Jake and I love to have house parties. That really is our favorite way to have fun. Put on a mix, get our friends together and have what we refer to as a “Micro Rave” at my house. GC: Do you have hotel parties on the road? Ana: Sometimes. More often than not we have them in the bus. We have what we call “Back Lounge Raves” or “Front Lounge Raves” and, since we’re almost always traveling with Sammy Jo (their touring DJ), we just put him to work and dance on the bus. GC: What’s your favorite line on this album? Jake: One of my favorite lines on this album is, “Love your mama’s Cadillac / Had it since the dawn of crack.” GC: Where did that come from? Jake: Out of my ass. Look, all these songs just come out of my ass. I seriously make it up as I go along. (Laughs) GC: You’ve said people in your life inspired this album. Does that include your husband, Chris? Jake: Chris always plays into it. I wrote him a song when we started dating and he told me it sounded like it had been written by a 12-year-old girl, and I told him, “I’m never writing you a song ever again.” (Laughs) I never stuck to that. But yeah, of course: There’s “Best in Me.” We’re going on our ninth year, and I don’t know how he has the patience. It amazes me and I really feel like the luckiest man in the world to have him. I don’t think it could be anybody else. GC: Are you saying you’re a difficult person? www.gaycalgary.com
Jake: Yeah. To be with and to be a partner with, I think I’m probably very difficult because I’m never home, and it does get really hard. It can really bum me out sometimes – I know it bums him out sometimes – and it’s tough to live apart for extended periods, but then you also don’t take for granted the time you have together when you are together. On the other hand, I don’t think I’d be in a relationship with somebody that I’d have to live with 365 days a year. I don’t think I could be that. It’s about striking a balance. GC: What’s a song of yours that turns you on? Jake: Ew, none of them! Gross. I can’t even imagine. No, no. There’s not one that exists. GC: You’ve never had sex to any of your music? Jake: No! Years ago I remember I was making out with some guy – this was, like, 10 years ago – and one of my songs came on shuffle and it was awful. It ruined the mood. GC: How did the passing of Donna Summer and Robin Gibb, who’ve been very influential on Scissor Sisters, affect you? Jake: I feel bad for the families and their loved ones, but I don’t get as sad about death when it’s someone who has experienced and had such an incredible life as Robin Gibb and Donna Summer, who have gifted the world with so much outrageously incredible work. I just get reflective. The band’s been talking about this a lot, and Babydaddy and I have always been massive fans of Donna Summer and Robin Gibb and the Bee Gees and the crazy direct influence it had on us – it’s just something to celebrate. Ana: It’s not often that I get teary over the passing of celebrities, but Donna did make me shed a few tears because she did mean a lot to the gay community. The day she died we played a show in London, so I took some time to pay tribute to her. In New York City it was illegal in the ’60s for men to dance alone together in a space, so men had to be with women dancing. That was one of the many laws that inspired the Stonewall riots. The ’70s were the first time that men could be on a dance floor with other men, and the soundtrack to freedom was Donna Summer. We’re talking people who couldn’t be out at work, walk down the street feeling safe and hold the hand of the person they love, and they’re rejected by religion. The one place they can be free is the nightclub, and Donna Summer’s voice was the voice of gospel. She made dance music spiritual. GC: What’s your idea of a magic hour? Jake: The best hour that I’ve ever had in my life is always that hour before sunrise – that’s kind of what the album is named after. There’s nothing that makes me happier than having been out all night with my friends or with my husband and then the sun’s about to come up and you’re at someplace really beautiful. Those are my favorite moments. It could be the hour after sunset, like right when the sun is setting or right before sunrise. It’s the time when there are no shadows. GC: What are your tour essentials? Jake: Usually my Kindle, which I don’t have on this trip; I’m actually reading real books. I’m a book lover, but the Kindle is a fucking godsend for me when I’m running around. My PlayStation Vita is always with me. I’m a pretty light traveler. I can exist off very little. I’ve been living out of a suitcase for so long that I don’t really bring a ton. I’m a bit of a hippie like that. Ana: Oh, I have about 50 pounds of tour essentials. (Laughs) I am not a low-maintenance gal by any means. I do my own makeup and hair and the whole nine, so I have to carry around a lot of stuff. If we have one show, I have two bags. And I’ll show up and people are like, “You know, we’re only gone for a week.” And I’ll go, “Do we have a show?” “Yes, we have a show.” Then I have two bags. That is the rule. GC: Who’s gayer? Jake: We’re both pretty gay. I think I’m probably gayer than Ana. I couldn’t exactly put my finger on why. Maybe because I’m gay. (Laughs) Ana: Good question. It’s a tie, to be honest. His sex is a lot gayer than mine.
Continued on Page 43 www.gaycalgary.com
GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
37
Event
Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show 2011, photos by GayCalgary Magazine
Hats off to 100 years of cowboys (and girls) Calgary Stampede celebrates centennial in style By Krista Sylvester It’s not often you can wear jeans to work, take a Friday off for a (non-gay pride) parade or get a free breakfast for 10 days straight, but the Calgary Stampede seems to include all quadrants of the city. And who doesn’t want to bend the rules a tad, or take part in a little bit of Stampede nonsense, whether it’s at the grounds or across the city. Calgarians continue to indulge in their vices even after vowing not to go down to the grounds, and this year’s 100th anniversary centennial party is one you won’t soon forget. This year, “cow town” will be celebrating as a whole with Light up the City presented by TransAlta, which will literally be lighting up the skies in all colours of the proverbial rainbow. There are five viewing locations across the city including Elliston Park, Heritage Park, McCall Lake, Canada Olympic Park and of course Stampede Park. The 12-minute international-level fireworks display is the largest and most sophisticated ever produced in Canada, and will not only be coordinated across the city, but also synchronized to music through its media partners at Corus Entertainment. All you have to do is turn your radio dials to Country 105, Q107 or Am770 while you watch the show. Whether you love fireworks or not, this is one colourful display you won’t want to miss. But the park is where most of the actions will be taking place – minus the countless parties at various city watering holes – and this year you can start things off with a bang on a brand new ride, in honour of the centennial. Calgary Stampede spokesperson Jennifer Booth says this year’s hot new attraction is the longest temporary zip line in Canada at 950-feet, where visitors will experience the grounds from new heights, travelling up to 60 km/hr. “We are thrilled to have this experience on the park for our guests,” Booth says, adding the lines are 118 feet in the air. “It’s definitely going to be a thrilling ride.” The $40 experience is definitely going to be a hit with about 100 riders per hour, equating to over 1,000 each day, but Booth is confident the Centennial Zip Line will run efficiently with riders having an option to book the time they want to go. “People won’t have to wait in line for hours for this ride, which is a bonus, they can pick their time and go do what they want and come back.” Another must-see attraction this year is the Enmax Corral show called Tails. Three horses, one legend, Tails takes the audience on a mythical journey. “The horses are really the stars of this show,” Booth says. “There will be special effects and amazing tricks – it’s really quite a production.”
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While everyone loves the rodeo, be sure to stick around afterward for this year’s TransAlta Grandstand Show featuring the handsome and talented Alberta-born Paul Brandt. The show features elaborate song and dance from hits of the past 100 years with comedy, daring acrobatics and more. “It’s a fast-paced, exciting finale that will entertain the audience throughout,” Booth says. “It’s going to be amazing.” And we can’t forget about the food. With 17 new offerings for us to try, plus old staples – hello Mini Donuts – you’ll likely be eating a lot. Deep fried wagon wheels? Check. Cotton candy cupcakes? Got that. Taco pizza? Okay! Sausage… on a stick? Sign us up! Don’t worry; you can work it off later. But even if you have food allergies, Booth says you can still get in on the culinary action. “People are more aware of their food sensitivities now and we want to make sure everyone has a chance to eat,” Booth says. “There are a number of options for people with gluten or wheat allergies this year.” Lastly, we can’t talk about the Stampede without mentioning the musical acts. For the price of admission you can take in shows on the Coca-Cola stage, including: Miss “Call Me Maybe” herself, Carley Rae Jepson; the catchy Dragonnette, soulful K’naan; rocking Our Lady Peace and country singer George Canyon. But there is so much more, not even considering the Nashville North stage where you’re sure to see lots of hot guys in tight jeans and sexy ladies in boots. Then there are the many musical acts happening across the city, including of course, Garth Brooks, the Beach Boys, electronic music DJ Morgan Page and so, so much more. If cowboys aren’t quite your thing but guys in uniform are, you might want to check out the Canadian Navy display at the park, as they are also celebrating their centennial year. Hello, sailor! “This year is unlike any other and we really just wanted to knock it out of the park,” Booth says. “We want to see smiles on people’s faces. This is a city where you can step off of the plane and the feel something is happening... The whole city embraces the Stampede spirit and that’s what it’s all about. We’re really excited to celebrate with the city.”
Calgary Stampede July 6th to 15th, 2012 • www.calgarystampede.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2975
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Review
dr.a.g. By Jade Cooper “In the early days of theatre, male actors played both the male and female roles. They were either dr.a.g. (dressed as girl) or dr.a.b. (dressed as boy). Drag has become a diverse form of expression that challenges, entertains, and educates by pushing boundaries, while embracing beauty, comedy and glamour. The performers in this book are evidence of that diversity, captured by some of the top photographers working in today’s world.” - Excerpt from Dr.a.g Be prepared to gasp at the turn of every page! Your coffee cup shall runneth over with respect for these performers’ embodiment of their art. Dr.a.g., available worldwide, is an exceptional collection of iconic performers, photography and glimpse at the art of morphing into famous personalities and divas of the night. Turning books into movies is an old adage, but the author, Christopher Logan, turned this adage on its ear, producing a book on the same subject as his film in order to raise funds for film production. “Independent film is quite special to me. I think it breaks trends, pushes boundaries and expands the definition of what is normal. It allows what we never knew to become everyday and that’s awesome. Things we never knew existed are now common place and included.” The book is a clear reflection of Chris’ beliefs, bringing larger-than-life images to coffee tables from North America, to France, Italy and beyond. If the film is anything like the book, I will certainly be first in line at the ticket office. Capturing faces of fame, costumes galore and epitomizing glamour, Dr.a.g. boasts a rare photograph by Walter Melrose, of Jimmy James’ Marilyn that has never been seen until now. “The shot is featured on the back cover and is a prime example of the beauty and art of photography, and drag,” says Chris. Jim Bailey is the only female impersonator to appear on the Carol Burnett Show or to sing a command performance for the British Royal Family of “Over the Rainbow” as Judy Garland. Gracing the pages of dr.a.g. are international drag icons such as: Lady Bunny, Jackie Beat, Charles Busch, Joey Arias (NY), Nina Flowers, Bebe Zahara Benet, Ongina, Shannel, Raja and Tammie Brown - cast and crew from RuPaul’s Drag Race (LA) and Joan Jullian of Belgium, Courteney Act of Australia and Carlos Bieletto of Mexico. Canadian performers featured in the book include: Christopher Peterson, a Canadian Drag Icon who sings live as forty different celebrities; Jaylene Tyme, one of Vancouver’s premiere make-up artists who teaches at the Blanche MacDonald School of Make-up; Raye Sunshine, a genius at make-up and styling with the ability to make imitative art appear fresh, new and effortless; Vegas Van Cartier, an up-and-coming performer who continues to defy limits, providing a greater understanding of drag; and Guy LaBrecque, a phenomenal hair designer who stuns audiences with the intricacies and delicate beauty of his work. “It’s hard to put into words. That’s why he (LaBrecque) is in the book. People need to see him,” said Chris In addition, Cotton is a club promoter, event planner, fashion stylist/goddess, promoter, producer, who manages more in a day than most people do in a year; and Mado, a seasoned performer from Montreal who truly can make the audience believe that it’s alright to be gay - someone who is sure to leave a legacy. This book was a labour of love and collaboration, as every performer and photographer donated their work to the project. Austin Young was key to the success of the book’s cover and several photo spreads. Chris fondly referred to Austin as a, “Pop pin-up goddess, gothic glam photography genius.” The book was “a love fest of social networking,” for Chris. Using Facebook to initially contact each performer, Chris was then connected with photographers through the performers, “And that was it. Very friendly and straight forward.” Chris attributes the early success of the book to the reputations and notoriety of the performers and the skilled photographers. The performers in both NY and LA were instrumental in securing Tectum Publishers. A copy of dr.a.g. tucked under his arm, Chris was at ELEVEN Nightclub in West Hollywood with Lady Bunny when GayCalgary Magazine caught up with him. From there, Chris took off to Long Beach with Coco Peru, Pomona with Tammie Brown and finished this book tour in Las Vegas to see Frank Marino’s Divas Las Vegas and the cast, many of whom are featured in the book. Born and raised in Ottawa, Christopher Logan moved to Vancouver after attending acting school at The Stella Adler Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood. The book is available online and will be in stores soon!
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
39
Channing & Joe, Stripped
Actors talk film’s gay following, wearing thongs and the real-life Magic Mike Photos by Warner Bros. Pictures
By Chris Azzopardi “Wearing a thong is a pain in the ass” escapes Joe Manganiello’s mouth with complete disregard to the glaring innuendo. “Oh god. I can’t believe I just said that.” Who can blame him? Avoiding double entendres about Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh’s unexpected – but completely acceptable – foray into the male-stripper world is hard (see?). Magic Mike stars Manganiello of True Blood, homo heartthrob Matt Bomer, Matthew McConaughey and Channing Tatum, the latter being the movie’s muse after it was revealed that the gay-loved dreamboat wasn’t just busting a move in 2006’s breakout role Step Up – before acting, he was pocketing dollar bills for his dance moves, too. One of Hollywood’s hottest actors, known for melting hearts in Dear John and The Vow, was suddenly faced with a pole-dancing past. His stripper alias? Chan Crawford. “That’s so lame,” Tatum says in our recent interview. “I didn’t choose it. But Crawford? What am I: Cindy Crawford’s brother?” In his late teens, the stint lasted a mere half-year – and though it’s all “pretty foggy,” he also remembers it being a “weird world” – but it was enough for Soderbergh to get behind the idea of turning Tatum’s dollar days into a bigscreen event with salacious stripteases, a penis pump and a military fantasy come to life. “I just hope it’s fun for everybody: gay, straight, male, female … animal,” Tatum says. “I just want people to go and 40
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get a picture into this world, because I don’t think it’s ever been done on screen – never like this.” Never so hot, anyway. G-strings and rip-away costumes aside, there’s enough titillation in the names themselves to get the hormones doing their own little dance: Dallas (McConaughey), Ken (Bomer) and, perhaps the most stimulating besides Tatum’s titular character, Manganiello’s Big Dick Richie. “Apparently they said they wrote the script with me in mind. I don’t know who they talked to,” he says, as if to suggest that his pseudonym isn’t necessarily a sham. But is it? “You know, it’s interesting because people say, ‘Aren’t you worried about the expectation of playing this character and what’s going to be expected from you the rest of your dating life?’ And I say, ‘I’m just gonna revel in the curiosity.’” And so will we.
Magic Mike: Almost Gay? What if the strippers in Magic Mike were all gay? Expect a totally different – probably X-rated – movie, agree Manganiello and Tatum. But for bros who are all hetero to hang in … thongs? “It’s pretty hilarious, to be honest,” Tatum says. “You just accept it and forget that you’re hanging out in these banana hammocks.” Manganiello, who plays a hunky werewolf on True Blood, couldn’t forget – that thing was a constant reminder of how much he hates stuff in his butt. “Werewolves don’t wear underwear because they’re just gonna lose them anyway, www.gaycalgary.com
so there’s that,” he says, “but prior to that, no – I’ve never had a thong on, ever. So this was my inaugural voyage.” And not just with thongs (to which he notes, now, “I’ve officially hung the thong up”). The boys went to L.A.’s Hollywood Men, a self-proclaimed man “buffet” in Southern California, to check out the scene. The clientele was mixed: Tatum observed lots of women – but also gay men. “It wasn’t just straight or gay,” Tatum recalls. “Females and males could go. The only reason in the movie it’s just women is because that was my experience.” Mostly, anyway. He did reveal to us that, once, he danced fully clothed on a platform at a gay bar. “We talked about making it more of a diverse crowd (for Magic Mike), but it just always felt contrived. I never knew how to do it correctly.” Do what you know, they say, and this is what Tatum, 32, knew: that he was 18 and living in Florida (the film takes
place in Tampa, where it was also shot) when he decided to drop out of college football – and strip. The rest, though, isn’t at all real. “Magic Mike is a completely fictitious character,” he says, “but there was a Magic Mike in my group. He was a fantastic dancer and performer, but this has nothing to do with his actual life.” For the other actors, that it’s so far removed from reality – shocking for the level of hotness in the movie – was part of the allure. “It’s just male wish fulfillment,” says Manganiello. “You hang out, get drunk, do a bunch of drugs with your buddies all day, and then you get out there on stage and grind on a bunch of women and have them grope you and stuff money down your pants. Then you take them all home, or into the parking lot or backstage or wherever, and you sleep it off, wake up, lift some weights and go back. It’s good work we’re being given.” And it’s good eye candy we’re being given. Is Manganiello clued into just how good? “I have a NewNowNext Award
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from the Logo channel,” he says, “and I spoke at the Human Rights Campaign as a straight man in favor of gay marriage. I’m well aware of the gay fan base.” As Alcide on the Alan Ball juggernaut, he really got our blood flowing – though, Manganiello says, the gay community first latched onto him during VH1’s So NoTORIous, because Tori Spelling “is somewhat of a gay icon.” “But definitely True Blood,” he continues. “That’s when I really felt it.” Tatum has done some pretty gay stuff in his career, too. Besides a goof-off scene in Magic Mike where, in Marilyn Monroe drag, he tries charming the sister of his new stripper-in-training (played by Alex Pettyfer of I Am Number Four), he also simulated butt sex on Jonah Hill in his bigscreen comedy reboot of 21 Jump Street. The hard question comes: Which is gayer? He silently deliberates, and then makes his decision: “Humping Jonah, probably.” As for the Marilyn scene, of all the things in the movie that weren’t make-believe, one of Tatum’s best roles might be as the blonde bombshell ... because this wasn’t his first time doing her. “I actually did that in my real life to a buddy of mine. It was his birthday and he was at Denny’s and I 42
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totally bum-rushed the table and embarrassed the hell out of him in public.” And his reason for dressing as Marilyn should be obvious, but we ask anyway. “Because she sang ‘happy birthday’ to the president. Come on.” Channing, you’re so gay. “Damn right – and proud of it!” he kids. Drag queen, stripper, lovebird – no wonder these ladies at the revue, and the gay men watching them, want to put a few bucks in his thong. There’s no alpha male in him. “I don’t think you need to act tough, and I don’t think you need to cry to show you’re emotional and have feelings; that’s not the case either,” he says. “I love my life and I’m about as happy as I could ever be, and so I’m bringing that to my characters.” Coming up is a movie with Mark Ruffalo about Olympic wrestlers called Foxcatcher. Tatum teases, “That gets pretty dirty.” Two words: damn right.
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Interview - From Page 37 GC: Tell me about the best prank you’ve pulled on each other. Jake: Oh god. She was in Florida and she called me and Babydaddy and said there was a stalker that had been showing up at the gigs and she was really freaked out, and then she forgot to finish the prank for some reason and didn’t call us again for a week. We couldn’t get ahold of her. We thought she was dead in the back of somebody’s trunk. Ana: And they got me back for it. Because they were really concerned and they were going to file a police report, they in turn had our manager write an email to me and say, “Oh, by the way, we’re sending cops by the person’s house.” And I was like, “Oh my god, no! Don’t do that!” I’m making frantic phone calls and nobody’s picking up. They fucking got me back. And that cured me of wanting to play any pranks. But he’s way better at this shit than I am. I don’t really tease people that often because it makes me feel really guilty. GC: Something we don’t know about the other? Jake: God, that’s hard. Ana has the craziest memory of anyone that I’ve ever come into contact with. She can remember dates, or something you were wearing one afternoon before some concert in, like, Russia. She has a really crazy memory. Ana: Do you know that he writes just about one piece of fiction a year? He studied creative writing, and every year he writes something other than a song. GC: What’s your biggest pet peeve about the other?
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Jake: Of course there’s a gazillion, because we live on top of each other and we’ve literally lived on top of each other for 10 years now. You learn to take the pet peeves and laugh at them – and laugh at them when the other person’s not listening. (Laughs) We don’t fight that much anymore. We used to bicker much more than we do now. We’re a lot happier now on the road with each other. It’s not so intense. Ana: Oh yeah, totally. We’ve grown up a lot. And touring with him and being confronted with people on a daily basis in a very small space – i.e. the tour bus – will get you dealing with things in a very direct and quick way. We’re very good at arguing now. GC: But that doesn’t answer the
question. Ana: Do I really have to say this? You’re stirring a pot. He has horrible table manners. Just terrible. That’s all I’m gonna say. (Laughs)
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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Trans-Identity
Community is Responsibility Ownership is the wrong question By Mercedes Allen It’s not a 24/7 responsibility - nobody can be “on” all the time, and if they are, their life isn’t going to be all that happy. But it is a responsibility to be aware of what is happening, how our actions are positively or negatively contributing to it (harm reduction), and whether the solutions being proposed are ones we can support or oppose. You don’t always like, get along with or even understand your neighbours in a community. It’s important to try, by stepping outside the limitations of your own experiences from time to time, but a community is not a “Borg” that thinks and acts alike. Similarly, no one is entitled to dictate the rules of a community. The community is ultimately shaped by its residents, including those who move in and out. It will tend to follow general will, but not for lack of individuals promoting their own vision. I’ve written before on umbrella thinking, and how “in-orout” frameworks, territorial ownership, and one-group-withone-need-and-one-solution narratives cause harm. The same goes for the perennial question of whether “trans(*?) is a part of LGBTTIQQAK...” That’s an ownership question: as in “should I care, or not give a whit?” It’s the wrong question. I’ve also faced an assertion that trans issues are predominantly feminist issues. Absolutely, there’s a lot of overlap. There have also been exclusions and essentialist borders drawn, and some needs which don’t coincide - and occasionally even conflict. Ownership is the wrong question. Ownership slips into that you’re-in-or-you’re-out mindset that umbrella activism is guilty of, and encourages groups to come into conflict. But we are individuals. We are not any one characteristic alone - neither do we fit any characteristic definition exactly, nor could we reside under one umbrella exclusively. I am a woman. I am in a lesbian relationship. I am omnisexual. I have a trans history. People once “read” me as gay. I was raised with male social conditioning (even though it didn’t “stick” very well). I am Métis. I was raised in white culture. I am Canadian. I am English. I am French Canada -positive. I am (responsible, consensual) sexual minority -positive. I have a limited history in sex work. I am socially progressive. I am a believer in blended socialism (i.e. at one time, fiscal progressive conservatism, before it was hijacked by neo-liberal / far right capitalism fetishism). I am at times mobility challenged. I am self-educated. I am one of the working poor. I am ex-Pentecostal. I have a personal kind of spirituality. I have a few other thousand characteristics that
define me in ways that will at times coincide and conflict with every single one of my readers. These characteristics would never fit under a single umbrella. I am an individual. So are you. Ownership is the wrong question. Alliance should be the question. Do we work together? We all share a global community, like it or not, so it’s more useful to look for ways to meet collective needs than create and enforce borders. Community is also global. It’s not a question of who belongs or doesn’t, nor a question of whether we can opt in or out - we can be anti-social and withdraw, but that doesn’t help anyone, ourselves included (and if we do that, then we can’t expect the status quo to change to what we’d like it to be). Throughout my writing I’ve tried to view things universally. I’ve also touched on decolonialism. Transphobia, homophobia, misogyny, racism, ableism, age-ism, body morphology bias (i.e. fatphobia)... are part of a larger system of oppression, which singles out people for (usually as the endgame) isolation, poverty and disenfranchsement. It’s worth understanding the nuances and differences, just as it is worth recognizing how the intersection of those oppressions is exponentially debilitating for people, because that all provides ways to structurally dismantle those oppressions. But micromanaging who fits or doesn’t is not helpful. True, substantive change is not driven by prescriptive (and sometimes paternalistic) solutions, although things like legislation can help reduce the harms, and are among the few available remedies for emerging communities - which is why I still support those things. I’ve been at plenty of trans support meetings where people start sounding off about “drunk Indians” or “those pakis” or making fat jokes. Transphobia is a part of a more global issue of oppression, and we’ve all failed at times (myself included - there’s a reason I use “we” rather than “you” or “they”) to effectively dismantle that 24/7. Transformative change is not turning and lashing out at another group. Much of transphobia and homophobia routinely gets justified by religion, but making faith the villain is also the wrong answer. Affirming people of various faiths have a role to play in ending oppression, and we have a parallel role to play in watching their backs when they do, and to stand up for affirming allies. You’re an atheist? That’s cool, but you still have to grant the same dignity to a religious person that you expect them to grant you. True transformative change comes from changing our own thinking, and then challenging that of those around us. I was attracted to writing because of the ability to challenge and to be challenged. Sometimes we fail it (sometimes catastrophically), and gradually and inevitably get scared to put ourselves back out there again. But that frontier is where change happens. It starts within us, and then moves on to questioning and challenging those around us. It doesn’t mean we can’t have a sense of humour or cynicism, but we do need to parse what we’re thinking and saying based on how it could be received. And it doesn’t mean that we all have to agree; we just have to listen. And step outside the comfort zone of our own experiences. Because community is a responsibility.
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GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
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Photography Backlot 2nd Anniversary Party, Calgary
Buddys Fun Ball Game, Edmonton
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Buddys Awards Night, Edmonton http://gaycalgary.com/pa285
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Photography BEEF Bearbash at Junction, Edmonton
Colour Yourself Proud Pride Dance, Edmonton
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PURE Pride Kick-off Party at FLASH, Edmonton http://gaycalgary.com/pa270
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Photography ISCWR Gay Edmonton Pageant at FLASH, Edmonton
Major League Bass Ball at Bohemia, Edmonton
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ISCCA Drag H2O at Backlot, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa287
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Photography Queer Prom, Calgary
Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy show at Junction, Edmonton
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Photography Last Stand Parties at Backlot and Calgary Eagle http://gaycalgary.com/pa299
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Wet Jockey Contest at Calgary Eagle http://gaycalgary.com/pa290
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Directory & Events 24
DOWNTOWN CALGARY
43 41 4
37 34
2 33
16
35
36
3
5 6
1
N
13
1 2 3 4 5
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 13 Westways Guest House----Accommodations 16 Priape Calgary----------------- Retail Stores 24 Courtney Aarbo-----------------------Services 33 Twisted Element--------------Bars and Clubs
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 650 gay-frieindly listings! www.gaycalgary.com
Vertigo Mystery Theatre------------- Theatre One Yellow Rabbit-------------------- Theatre ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects-------- Theatre Pumphouse Theatre----------------- Theatre La Fleur------------------------- Retail Stores
CALGARY
LGBT Community Directory
✰....... Find our Magazine Here
34 35 36 37 41
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 (CLOSED)-------------------------- ✰ 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
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.
• Western Cup 31
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Directory & Events Squash------------------------------ 7:30-9pm
Rec Volleyball--------------------------- 7-9pm
Women’s Volleyball---------------- 7-8:30pm
Mondays
Thursdays
ASK Meet and Greet---------------- 7-9:30pm
Alcoholics Anonymous-------------------- 8pm
Free Pool------------------------------- All Day
Lesbian Seniors--------------------------- 2pm
Calgary Events
By
Bonasera (1204 Edmonton Tr. NE)
Inside Out Youth Group---------------- 7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink
Yoga----------------------------- 7:40-9:15pm See
Apollo Calgary
Tuesdays
Calgary Networking Club-------------- 5-7pm See 1 Calgary Outlink
1st
Between Men--------------------------- 7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink
2nd, 4th
Bootcamp--------------------------- 7-8:30pm See
Apollo Calgary
Karaoke------------------------------ 8pm-1am At 5 Texas Lounge
Fetish Slosh---------------------------- Evening At 3 Backlot
2nd
Alcoholics Anonymous-------------------- 8pm Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW
Knox United Church
Women’s Healing Circle-------------- 1:30pm AIDS Calgary
Free Pool------------------------------- All Day At 4 Calgary Eagle with
Prime Timers Calgary
LGBT Coffee Night------------------------ 7pm See
CAANS
Kerby Center, Sunshine Room 1133 7th Ave SW
3rd
1st
Mosaic Youth Group-------------------- 7-9pm Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW)
See
Apollo Calgary
Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW
Running----------------------------------- 9am
Swim Practice (June)------------ 7:30-8:30pm
Coffee------------------------------------ 10am
At 6 Goliaths
By Different Strokes SAIT Pool (1301 - 16 Ave NW)
Swim Practice (Jul/Aug)--------------- 7-8pm
By Different Strokes SAIT Pool (1301 - 16 Ave NW)
JulAug
Bootcamp------------------------------- 7-8pm See
Apollo Calgary
Lesbian Meetup Group------------- 7:30-9pm At 1 Calgary Outlink
1st
Alcoholics Anonymous-------------------- 8pm Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW
ISCCA at 3 Backlot
Illusions------------------------------- 7-10pm
1st
Womynspace---------------------------- 7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink
2nd
New Directions-------------------------- 7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink
3rd
Heading Out----------------------- 8pm-10pm See 1 Calgary Outlink
By Prime Timers Calgary Midtown Co-op (1130 - 11th Ave SW) See
4th
Apollo Calgary
At 4 Calgary Eagle
Stampede Cowboyz Party---------------- 8pm By 3 Backlot at Vinyl (213 10th Ave SW) Thursday, July 12th
Fake Mustache---------------------------- 9pm By
Curling------------------------- 2:20 & 4:30pm Apollo Calgary
Alcoholics Anonymous-------------------- 8pm
Misc Youth at 4 Calgary Eagle
Friday, July 13th
Pistols and Pearls-----------------------------9pm By
ISCCA at Texas Lounge
Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW
Carol Cattell Golf Tournament----------- All Day
Sundays
Saturday, July 14th
Worship Time---------------------------- 10am
Dark Knight------------------------------- 9pm
See See
Fundraising BBQs------------------------ 5pm See 1 Calgary Outlink
Apollo
By
Deer Park United Church
Worship------------------------------ 10:30am
Fridays
By
By
See
Wednesday, July 11th
Saturdays
Buddy Night------------------------- 6pm-6am
At 4 Calgary Eagle
Communion Service----------------- 12:10pm See
May17Jun27
Leather Night------------------------- Evening
Wednesdays See
Apollo
Scarboro United Church
Sunday Services--------------------- 10:45am See
Hillhurst United Church
Worship Services------------------------- 11am See
Knox United Church
Int/Comp Volleyball----------- 12:15-1:45pm See
Apollo Calgary
BBQ Social Sundays---------------------- 2pm
Womonspace
At 4 Calgary Eagle
Thursday, July 19th
Fake Mustache Request Show-------- 9-11pm By Misc Youth Dickens Pub (1000 - 9th Ave SW) Friday, July 20th
Break the Bank--------------------------- 9pm By Les Girls The Bank on 8th (125 8th Ave SW)
Camping Trip---------------------------------2pm
At 4 Calgary Eagle
By Apollo Outdoor Pursuits and
Church Service---------------------------- 4pm
Saturday, July 21st
See
Rainbow Community Church
Swim Practice (June)------------------- 5-6pm
By Different Strokes SAIT Pool (1301 - 16 Ave NW)
Misc Youth July 22, 5pm
Queer Dance Party----------------------- 9pm At 4 Calgary Eagle
Saturday, July 28th
Underwear Party------------------------- 9pm At 4 Calgary Eagle
Legend: = Monthly Reoccurrance, = Date (Range/Future), = Sponsored Event
Calgary Contd. • Badminton (Absolutely Smashing) 6020 - 4 Avenue NE badminton@apollocalgary.com
• Running (Calgary Frontrunners)
bike@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.
• Boot Camp
• Slow Pitch
• Biking
Platoon FX, 1351 Aviation Park NE bootcamp@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)
slow.pitch@apollocalgary.com
www.argra.org
• Bowling (Rainbow Riders League)
• Squash
Mount Royal University Recreation squash@apollocalgary.com All skill levels welcome.
• Monthly Dances------------------------------
Let’s Bowl (2916 5th Avenue NE) bowling@apollocalgary.com
• Curling
• Tennis
• Volleyball (Beach)
calgaryfathers@hotmail.com http://www.calgarygayfathers.ca Peer support group for gay, bisexual and questioning fathers. Meeting twice a month.
• Volleyball (Int/Comp)
http://www.calgarymenschorus.org
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
golf@apollocalgary.com
• Lawn Bowling
lawnbowling@apollocalgary.com
• Outdoor Pursuits
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.
56
tennis@apollocalgary.com beachvb@apollocalgary.com West Hillhurst Community Center 1940 6th Avenue NW vb@apollocalgary.com
• Volleyball (Recreational)
Langevin School (107 6A St NE) recvb@apollocalgary.com
• Volleyball (Women’s)
YWCA Calgary (320 - 5th Avenue SE) vbwomen@apollocalgary.com
GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Association 1320 - 5th Avenue NW
Calgary Gay Fathers
Calgary Men’s Chorus
• 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
• Rehearsals
Weeds Cafe (1903 20 Ave NW)
Temple B’Nai Tikvah, 900 - 47 Avenue SW
Calgary Sexual Health Centre---------
1 Calgary Outlink---------------------------- ✰ Old Y Centre (303 – 223, 12 Ave SW) 403-234-8973 info@calgaryoutlink.ca http://www.calgaryoutlink.com
✰
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.
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.
www.gaycalgary.com
Directory & Events Calgary Contd. • DVD Resource Library
Over a hundred titles to choose from. Annual membership is $10.
Gay Friends in Calgary
http://www.gayfriendsincalgary.ca Organizes and hosts social activities catered to the LGBT people and friends.
Girl Friends
girlfriends@shaw.ca members.shaw.ca/girlfriends
Queers on Campus---------------------
279R Student Union Club Spaces, U of C 403-220-6394 http://www.ucalgary.ca/~glass Formerly GLASS - Gay/Lesbian Association of Students and Staff.
✰
24 Courtney Aarbo (Barristers & Solicitors) 1138 Kensington Road NW 403-571-5120 http://www.courtneyaarbo.ca GLBT legal services.
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.
1227 Kensington Close NW (403) 283-1539 office@hillhurstunited.com www.hillhurstunited.com
810 Edmonton Trail NE 403-290-1973 Cuts, Colour, Hilights.
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
403-272-2912 sharpfoundation@nucleus.com http://www.thesharpfoundation.com
The Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW) For queer and trans youth and their allies.
Mystique
mystiquesocialclub@yahoo.com Mystique is primarily a Lesbian group for women 30 and up but all are welcome.
• Coffee Night
Good Earth Cafe (1502 - 11th Street SW)
NETWORKS
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.
Pride Calgary Planning Committee
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
www.gaycalgary.com
12 Woody’s------------------------------------ ✰ 11725 Jasper Ave 780-488-6557
MFM Communications
Unity Bowling
Let’s Bowl (2916 - 5th Ave NE) sundayunity@live.com
Urban Sex Radio Show
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.
Vigor Calgary
403-255-7004 www.vigorcalgary.ca Violence in Gay Male Relationships (VIGOR) is a committee of professionals dedicated to increasing the awareness of gay men’s domestic violence and the services available to them.
Wild Rose United Church
Bathhouses/Saunas
403-543-6970 1-877-543-6970 http://www.mfmcommunications.com Web site hosting and development. Computer hardware and software.
11 Steamworks------------------------------- ✰ 11745 Jasper Ave 780-451-5554 http://www.steamworksedmonton.com
SafeWorks
Community Groups
Free and confidential HIV/AIDS and STI testing.
Alberta Bears
• Calgary Drop-in Centre
www.beefbearbash.com
Room 117, 423 - 4th Ave SE 403-699-8216 Mon-Fri: 9am-12pm, Sat: 12:15pm-3:15pm
AltView Foundation
• Centre of Hope
Room 201, 420 - 9th Ave SE 403-410-1180 Mon-Fri: 1pm-5pm
• Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre
1317-1st Street NW
1213 - 4th Str SW 403-955-6014 Sat-Thu: 4:15pm-7:45pm, Fri: Closed
“Yeah...What She Said!” Radio Show
• Safeworks Van
403-850-3755 Sat-Thu: 8pm-12am, Fri: 4pm-12am
Restaurants 4 Calgary Eagle Inc.--------------------- See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.
✰
60 Club Sapien (CLOSED)---------------- See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.
✰
9 FAB (CLOSED)------------------------- See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.
✰
Retail Stores Adult Depot-----------------------------
41 La Fleur------------------------------------ 103 - 100 7th Avenue SW 403-266-1707 Florist and Flower Shop.
The Naked Leaf----------------------------
403-283-3555
16 Priape Calgary------------------------- ✰ 1322 - 17 Ave SW 403-215-1800 http://www.priape.com Clothing and accessories. Adult toys, leather wear, movies and magazines. Gifts.
Services & Products Calgary Civil Marriage Centre
Theatre & Fine Arts 36 ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects 403-294-7402 http://www.ATPlive.com
AXIS Contemporary Art--------------------
403-246-4134 (Rork Hilford) MarriageCommissioner@shaw.ca Marriage Commissioner for Alberta (aka Justice of the Peace - JP), Marriage Officiant, Commissioner for Oaths.
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
Fairytales
Jubilations Dinner Theatre
http://www.edmontonpride.ca
403-262-3356 www.axisart.ca
Edmonton Pride Festival Society (EPFS)
Bow Trail and 37th St. SW 403-249-7799 www.jubilations.ca
Edmonton Prime Timers
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
✰
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.
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
727 - 42 Avenue SE 403-243-6642 http://www.stagewestcalgary.com
Book Worm’s Book Club
Howard McBride Chapel of Chimes 10179 - 108 Street bookworm@teamedmonton.ca
7-104 Dept. of Educational Policy Studies Faculty of Education, University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G5 http://www.fyrefly.ualberta.ca
107, 100 - 7 Ave SW rob@axisart.ca
✰
#44, 48 Brentwood Blvd, Sherwood Park, AB 403-398-9968 info@altview.ca www.altview.ca For gender variant and sexual minorities.
Buck Naked Boys Club
See Calgary - Community Groups.
140, 58th Ave SW 403-258-2777 Gay, bi, straight video rentals and sex toys.
305 10th Street NW http://www.thenakedleaf.ca Organic teas and tea ware.
Lorne Doucette (CIR Realtors)
5 The Junction---------------------------- ✰ 10242 106th St 780-756-5667 http://www.junctionedmonton.com
403-461-9195 http://www.lornedoucette.com
CJSW 90.9 FM yeahwhatshesaid@gmail.com
• Fake Mustache • Mosaic Youth Group
Duncan’s Residential Cleaning
14 FLASH-------------------------------------- ✰ 10018 105 Street 780-938-2941 flashnightclub@hotmail.com
Jim Duncan: 403-978-6600 Residential cleaning. Free estimates.
Sharp Foundation
HIV Peer Support Group
Bars & Clubs 6 Buddy’s Nite Club------------------------- ✰ 11725 Jasper Ave 780-488-6636
DevaDave Salon & Boutique
Scarboro United Church
Hillhurst United Church
EDMONTON
Cruiseline
2nd Cup, Kensington
http://www.girlsgroove.ca
34 Vertigo Mystery Theatre------------------ 161, 115 - 9 Ave SE 403-221-3708 http://www.vertigomysterytheatre.com
403-777-9494 trial code 3500 http://www.cruiseline.ca Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY.
• Coffee Night
Girlsgroove
403-797-6564
activities. Open to all gay and bisexual men of any age, respects whatever degree of anonymity that each member desires.
5 The Junction 780-387-3343 groups.yahoo.com/group/edmonton_illusions 4 Edmonton STD 11111 Jasper Ave
Edmonton Vocal Minority
780-479-2038 www.evmchoir.com
sing@evmchoir.com
GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
57
Directory & Events DOWNTOWN EDMONTON 5
11 6 12
N
4 14
4 Edmonton STD---------- Community Groups 5 The Junction------------------Bars and Clubs
Cycling--------------------------- 6:30-7:30pm
Edmonton Events
See
Mondays
Boot Camp------------------------------ 7-8pm See
6 Buddy’s Nite Club------------Bars and Clubs 11 Steamworks----------------------Bathhouses
Team Edmonton
Yoga--------------------------------- 7:30-8pm See
Team Edmonton
Team Edmonton
Thursdays
Martial Arts--------------------- 7:30-8:30pm
Youth Sports/Recreation----------------- 4pm
Team Edmonton
See
Swim Practice------------------- 7:30-8:30pm See
Team Edmonton
Team Edmonton
Book Club----------------------------- 7:30pm
GLBTQ Bowling------------------ 1:30-3:30pm GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club
See
BookWorm’s Book Club
3rd
Martial Arts--------------------- 7:30-8:30pm
Youth Sports/Recreation----------------- 4pm See
Youth Understanding Youth
Swim Practice--------------------------- 7-8pm See
Wednesdays See
Fridays
Sundays
Men’s Games Nights-------------- 7-10:30pm
Running------------------------------ 10-11am
Edmonton Illusions------------------- 8:30pm
Yoga--------------------------------- 2-3:30pm
Youth Sports/Recreation----------------- 4pm
Ballroom Dancing-------------- 7:30-8:30pm
Saturdays
Monthly Meetings--------------------- 2:30pm
See
Men’s Games Nights
Youth Understanding Youth
See
Team Edmonton
Intermediate Volleyball-------- 7:30-9:30pm See
See
GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club
Naturalist Gettogether See
Buck Naked Boys Club
tuff@shaw.ca
HIV Network Of Edmonton Society----
✰
InQueeries
inqueeries@gmail.com Student-run GLBTQ Alliance at MacEwan University.
Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose
http://www.iscwr.ca
Living Positive Society of Alberta
#50, 9912 - 106 Street 780-423-3737 http://www.facebook.com/LivingPoz Living Positive through Positive Living.
Men’s Games Nights
Unitarian Church (10804 119th Street) 780-474-8240 tuff@shaw.ca
OUTreach
University of Alberta, basement of SUB outreach@ualberta.ca http://www.ualberta.ca/~outreach Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender/transsexual, Queer, Questioning and Straight-but-not-Narrow student group.
Pride Centre of Edmonton-------------
✰
10608 - 105 Ave 780-488-3234 admin@pridecentreofedmonton.org http://www.pridecentreofedmonton.org 10608 - 105 Ave monika\penner@shaw.ca
58
2nd
Monthly Meeting---------------------- 2:30pm By Edmonton Primetimers Unitarian Church, 10804 - 119th Street
2nd
See
Team Edmonton
See
Team Edmonton
See
Team Edmonton
Unitarian Church (10804 119th Street) See Edmonton Primetimers
2nd
Saturday, July 28th
Entertainer of the Year 2012------------- 8pm By
ISCWR at 5 Junction
Bowling----------------------------------- 5pm See
Team Edmonton
Team Edmonton
Legend: = Monthly Reoccurrance, = Date (Range), = Sponsored Event
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
2nd
Youth Understanding Youth
Edmonton Contd.
780-474-8240
2nd, Last
At 5 The Junction
Tuesdays See
12 Woody’s-----------------------Bars and Clubs 14 FLASH-------------------------Bars and Clubs
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 Seniors Drop-In
• Womonspace Board Meeting
10608 - 105 Ave wspresident@hotmail.com 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.
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.
• Youth Movie
• Men Talking with Pride
• YouthSpace
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.
• TTIQ
10608 - 105 Ave admin@pridecentreofedmonton.org TTIQ is mixed gender open support group addressing the needs of transsexual and transgendered individuals.
GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
10608 - 105 Ave brendan@pridecentreofedmonton.org Movie chosen by youth (aged 14 – 25), usually with LGBT themes. Popcorn is served. 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)
Ed’s Rec Room (West Edmonton Mall) bowling@teamedmonton.ca $15.00 per person.
• Cross Country Skiing
crosscountry@teamedmonton.ca
• Curling with Pride
Granite Curling Club, 8620 107 Street NW curling@teamedmonton.ca
• Cycling (Edmonton Prideriders) Dawson Park, picnic shelter 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
www.gaycalgary.com
Directory & Events Alberta Events
Saskatchewan Events
Thursday, July 26th
Friday, August 3rd
Camp fYrefly--------------------------- All Day
Ranch Rendezvous--------------------- All Day At
Jul29
Spring Valley Guest Ranch
Aug6
Edmonton Contd. • Martial Arts
15450 - 105 Ave (daycare entrance) 780-328-6414 kungfu@teamedmonton.ca kickboxing@teamedmonton.ca Drop-ins welcome.
• Outdoor Pursuits
outdoorpursuits@teamedmonton.ca
• Running (Arctic Frontrunners)
Kinsmen Sports Centre running@teamedmonton.ca All genders and levels of runners and walkers are invited to join this free activity.
• 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.
• 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
• Tennis
Kinsmen Sports Centre Sundays, 12pm-3pm tennis@teamedmonton.ca
• Ultimate Frisbee
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
Mother Teresa School (9008 - 105 Ave) recvolleyball@teamedmonton.ca
• Women’s Lacrosse
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
Womonspace
780-482-1794 womonspace@gmail.com www.womonspace.ca Women’s social group, but all welcome at events.
www.gaycalgary.com
Youth Understanding Youth
780-248-1971 www.yuyedm.ca A support and social group for queer youth 12-25.
LETHBRIDGE
various LGBTQ friendly groups/individuals together for fun, and to promote acceptance in our communities.
Community Groups
rdcprideoncampus@gmail.com A group of LGBTQ persons and Allies at Red Deer College.
• Sports and Recreation
Brendan: 780-488-3234 brendan@pridecentreofedmonton.org
Restaurants 5 The Junction------------------------------- 10242 106th St 780-756-5667 12 Woody’s------------------------------------ ✰ 11725 Jasper Ave 780-488-6557
Retail Stores Passion Vault
15239 - 111 Ave 780-930-1169 pvault@telus.net “Edmonton’s Classiest Adult Store”
Products & Services
GALA/LA
403-308-2893 http://www.galalethbridge.ca Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Lethbridge and Area.
• Monthly Dances
Henotic (402 - 2 Ave S) Bring your membership card and photo ID.
• Monthly Potluck Dinners
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. The Mix (green water tower) 103 Mayor Magrath Dr S Every Friday at 10pm
Robertson-Wesley United Church
University of Lethbridge GBLTTQQ club on campus.
780-413-7122 trial code 3500 http://www.cruiseline.ca Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY. 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!
Gay & Lesbian Integrity Assoc. (GALIA)
Room C610, University of Lethbridge
Gay Youth Alliance Group
Betty, 403-381-5260 bneil@chr.ab.ca Every second Wednesday, 3:30pm-5pm
Lethbridge HIV Connection
Second Sunday every month, 7pm An LGBT-focused alternative worship.
1206 - 6 Ave S
• Film Night
1-888-530-6777 lethbridgeab@pflagcanada.ca www.pflagcanada.ca
Bi-monthly, contact us for exact dates.
• Book Club
PFLAG Canada
Monthly, contact us for exact dates.
Theatre & Fine Arts Exposure Festival
http://www.exposurefestival.ca Edmonton’s Queer Arts and Culture Festival.
BANFF/CANMORE Community Groups Mountain Pride
members@gaybanff.com www.gaybanff.com Serving the GLBTQS community in Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise and Area.
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.
Community Groups Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition
P..O. Box 3043, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 3S9 (306) 955-5135 1-800-955-5129 http://www.rainbowhealth.ca
Egale Canada
8 Wellington St E, Third Floor Toronto, Ontario, M5E 1C5 1-888-204-7777 www.egale.ca Egale Canada is the national advocacy and lobby organization for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transidentified people and our families.
Products & Services Squirt
Pride Lethbridge
http://www.squirt.org Website for dating and hook-ups. 18+ ONLY!
lethbridgepridefest@gmail.com
RED DEER Community Groups
The Roxy Theatre
10708 124th Street, Edmonton AB 780-453-2440 www.theatrenetwork.ca
galia@uleth.ca
• Movie Night
• Soul OUTing
ALBERTA
CANADA
• Friday Mixer
Cruiseline
Pride on Campus
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!
Theatre & Fine Arts Broadway Across Canada
http://www.broadwayacrosscanada.ca
OUTtv
http://www.outtv.ca GLBT Television Station.
Central Alberta AIDS Network Society
4611-50 Avenue, Red Deer, AB http://www.caans.org The Central Alberta AIDS Network Society is the local charity responsible for HIV prevention and support in Central Alberta.
LGBTQ Education
LGBTQeducation@hotmail.ca http://LGBTQeducation.webs.com Red Deer (and area) now has a website designed to bring
GayCalgary Magazine #105, July 2012
59
Classifieds Announcements
100
The Calgary Police Service Sexuality & Gender Diversity Chief’s Advisory Board is currently accepting applications for new members. We are dedicated to working with the LGBT communities to promote effective two-way communication; promote education and awareness; identify and resolve crime and safety concerns; increase police awareness of Sexuality & Gender Diverse Communities; and to increase the communities’ awareness of police related issues. If you are interested in applying or would like more information, please contact Cst. Andy Buck at pol4792@calgarypolice.ca
Responding to Biblical Bullying Sunday, June 10, 2012 @ 12 noon, McDougall United Church, 10025 101 Street & MacDonald Drive, Edmonton, Alberta. The luncheon presentation will focus on skills that can help people who experience Biblical bullying. Donations for lunch appreciated. (780) 428-1818 http://www.mcdougallunited.com Pride Church Service 10:30am, Sunday June 10 McDougall United Church 10025 101 Street & MacDonald Drive Edmonton, Alberta 780-428-1818 http://mcdougallunited.com
Audition
215
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
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Erotic Massage
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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.
Volunteer
LL Howe Furniture Refinish, Repair and Resale. Ph: (403) 714-9431 E: Lester_345@hotmail.com
Best Courier in Town!
285
CJSW 90.9 FM Volunteer!!!
CJSW 90.9 FM is Calgary’s Campus and Community radio station, spinning only the best in underground music, showcasing stories and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else, and connecting you to the Calgary Community. The best part? All of it is done by volunteers - folks just like you. At CJSW, we’re proud of our commitment to diversity in our programming, and also in our volunteer base. CJSW is a welcoming environment that celebrates all kinds of people. If you’ve ever wanted to get started in radio, learn more about music, find out how to edit audio, and get experience that looks great on a resume, drop us a line. You’ll be signed up to attend an orientation, and from there you can help us keep CJSW awesome. E-mail Geneviève, our Office and Volunteer Coordinator at office@cjsw.com, or call (403) 220-3902 to find out more!
Artwork
Products/Services 500
300
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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
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Alberta Escort Listings
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
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Q Scopes
Use your power for good, Aquarius! The planets are all conspiring to promote misguided charm offensives, codependency running amok and disastrous efforts at wit. Restraint, humility and foresight are important, rare commodities. If you can stay grounded, considerate and focused you’ll be ahead of the game.
ARIES (March 20–April 19): What looks like true love could
just be co-dependency or the need for human contact. The only relationship you should be starting now is with a shrink, a 12step group or a charity where you can be of service.
TAURUS (April 20–May 20): As new ideas challenge longheld values you need to make some adjustments in thought and attitude. Don’t resist new thinking, but beware the zeal of the convert. Baby… bathwater… An independent mind can meld new ideas with the old.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20): Growing and expressing yourself in new ways could throw a challenge to your friends. Maybe you need new friends. Still, be gentle with the old ones. You might need to make some apologies along the way. CANCER (June 21–July 22): Urges to protect your partner
and your friends (or your partner from your friends) may be a projection of your own doubts and insecurities. In uncertain times your instinct is to protect hearth and home. Open alliances will serve you better than defensiveness.
LEO (July 23–August 22): Feeling moody and disconnected? Make time to hide out and take care of yourself. Perhaps the best way is to take care of others. Some local charity would be glad for your help.
VIRGO (August 23–September 22): Your work can inspire
brilliant, provocative insights, but may not be the best place to share them – at least not at first. Think ahead and consider those inspirations carefully before presenting them to your boss or clients.
LIBRA (September 23–October 22): Home and partnership
are real-world enterprises, never matching the ideal. That gap can make you cranky, triggering upsets in your relationship. Mars entering your sign can feed your irritation. Moderate exercise (be careful not to overdo it!) will help you keep balance.
SCORPIO (October 23–November 21): You can’t avoid demands at work or niggling arguments, but you can stick to your principles and hold your head high. Scheduling time alone, preferably with the one you love, will keep you from burning out. SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 20): A new found
sense of clarity and ambition can make you a bit too critical and outspoken. Think carefully about repercussions; take the long view before speaking. You’d do better to welcome advice than to offer it.
CAPRICORN (December 21–January 19): Make an extra
effort to be nice to colleagues. Your own efforts to push ahead might make trouble for them. Remember you’re all on the same team. Listen to their needs. The road to real success is slow, sure and cautious.
AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18): Precocious brilliance may win a date but could upset a more serious relationship. Your mouth is a powerful weapon; be careful where you aim it and resolve to use your power for good. That requires a bit of restraint and humility. PISCES (February 19–March 19): A surge of libido can
open up erotic sensitivities you’d never considered but could also bring more trouble than fun. Pushing limits is one thing, tossing them away is another. Hold tight to your commitment to integrity and safety. 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 62
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