IN Magazine: June 2015

celebrating canada’s lgbt LIFESTYLE | JUNE 2015

EXCLUSIVE

David

Furnish On family, career, charity & life with Elton John

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MAGAZINE inmagazine.ca PUBLISHER Patricia Salib EDITOR Jim Brosseau Art director Nicolรกs Tallarico FASHION DIRECTOR Adam Webster CONTRIBUTORs Paul Gallant, Ruth Hanley, Tracy Howard, Michael Pihach, Al Ramsay, Adam Segal, Riley Stewart, Casey Williams ON the cover David Furnish photographed by Sky Arts Justin Downing Senior Account Director Woodrow Monteiro Marketing/sponsorship co-ordinator Patrick Forestell DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Reggie Lanuza Controller Miki Ogiri OUR MISSION Inspire gay men and lesbians to live life to the fullest. Expand the gay and lesbian community by valuing diversity and individual choice.

Celebrate Canada. Provide readers with compelling news, information and entertainment.

ADVERTISING & OTHER INQUIRIES 416-800-4449, ext. 100 info@intorontomag.com EDITORIAL INQUIRIES 416-800-4449, ext. 201 editorial@intorontomag.com PRODUCTION ads@intorontomag.com TALK BACK Feel free to share your comments on IN or articles in the magazine by emailing us at editor@inmagazine.ca.

IN Magazine is published 12 times per year by The Mint Media Group. All rights reserved.

182 Davenport Rd., Suite 300, Toronto, ON, M5R 1J2

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Contents

issue 61 June 2015

INFRONT

06 | WHEELS Getting to know the Acura ILX 08 | LOOKING GOOD A summer’s worth of skincare 09 | MONEY$TYLE Good times and good causes 11 | ON THE TOWN Scenes from the party circuit 12 | FITNESS PROFILE Life lessons from running 14 | ON RELATIONSHIPS When he’s not yours alone

FEATURES

22 | DAVID FURNISH FROM THE HEART Elton John’s husband talks exclusively and candidly with IN

travel

16 | MIAMI ON THE MOVE The whole LGBT-friendly city is sizzling

fashion

Adam Webster : Thompson Hotel, Toronto

26 | SUITED FOR THE POOL Make a splash with the season’s hottest swimwear

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34 | FLASHBACK Remembering the night gay rights came out

inmagazine.ca

5

19/05/2015 10:30:07 AM

INfront collective wisdom for living well

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Wh e e l s

NO SUB FOR SUBSTANCE → The Acura ILX finds its voice, and it’s quieter

By Casey Williams

A

cura found out the hard way

is quick, crisp and finally able to move

that just putting a fancy

the car with a sense of urgency.

suit and snooty logo on the

Engineers

didn’t

stop

there.

working-class Civic didn’t make the

Steering feels more direct, less like

ILX a luxury car. The early ILX was

a video game. The suspension was

noisy, rode harsh and wasn’t up to its

also retuned for less chatter over

price. In fact, many felt the Civic Si was

bumps and quicker responses during

a better all-around car for less coin.

cornering. No rough pavement could

For 2016, the ILX trades sass for substance.

shake

its

rump—something

that

wasn’t true of the previous jitterbug.

Flowing styling with a peaked grille and sculpted rear haunches give it a

Front-drive or not, it’s a much more enjoyable car to handle.

sleek profile. But designers polished

There’s no question the ILX is much

it with thin-profile LED headlights, a

improved and a slick swath of style,

grille with chrome blade and sportier

but it exists in a crowded club of

fascias. This fashion show rides on

debutantes. Prices start at $29,490, or

new 10-spoke 17-inch alloys.

a few thousand more loaded. At that

Throw shade from the flashy interior.

It’s very nice with heated leather seats,

price, the ILX will have sass served back to it in a silver chalice.

padded/stitched dash panels and silver trim on the instrument panel. Rear passengers fit, but only for trivial trips.

2016 Acura ILX

Quelling a big gripe, thicker door glass,

Five-passenger, FWD sedan

improved engine insulation and active

Powertrain 150kW/201hp 2.4-litre I4,

noise cancellation hush the ILX’s

8-spd auto transmission

raucous persona.

Suspension f/r Ind/Ind

Acura

cast

genies

to

stock

electronics. Our ride had the new AcuraWatch™ system that includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane-Keeping Assist,

Road-Departure

Mitigation

(steers car into lane) and CollisionMitigation

Braking

(applies

brakes

Wheels 17”/17” alloy f/r Brakes disc/disc fr/rr with ABS Must-have features Style, handling Fuel economy 9.3/6.6 litres/ 100km city/hwy Assembly Greensburg, IN Base price $29,490

automatically). It also has a multiview rear camera as well as pedestrian sensing.

It all affords a rather spirited driving experience. The 2.4-litre four-cylinder delivers 150kW/201 horsepower and 9.3/6.6 litres/100km city/hwy. Even better, the engine is mated to a new eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. The powertrain

Casey Williams is a contributing writer for Gaywheels.com and a frequent business traveller to Montreal. He contributes to the New York-based LGBT magazine Metrosource and the Chicago Tribune. He and his husband live in Indianapolis, where Williams is a columnist for that city’s newspaper, the Star.

TALK BACK Feel free to share your comments on IN or articles in the magazine by emailing us at editor@inmagazine.ca. inmagazine.ca

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INFRONT

Looking Good

SET FOR SUMMER → Keeping your skin fresh in the season of heat and humidity

By Tracy Howard

F

rom our mood to our clothes, summer is the season to lighten

do, though, the trifecta of sun exposure, heat and humidity can cause

up. But one of the things that shouldn’t be eased up on is a

breakouts, excess shine and skin damage—none of which you want

solid skin-care regimen. It’s easy to let down our guard amid

hanging with you at Pride or on a patio. Give bad skin the brush-off

cell-phone invitations to beach parties or convertible rides. When we

FAUX GLOW You know the drill about protecting skin with SPF, but that doesn’t mean you must forgo your glow. Clinique For Men Non-Streak Bronzer is oilfree and gives the look of a suntan without the sun damage. ($20, at Sephora, sephora.ca, department stores and clinique.ca)

with the following products suited to the challenges of summer:

POTENT PROTECTOR Just because your skin looks slicker at this time of year doesn’t mean it’s adequately moisturized. But instead of your usual moisturizer, you may want to use a serum for its lighter texture. It will be absorbed more efficiently into skin. Province Apothecary Rejuvenating + Hydrating Face Serum works on all skin types to hydrate and stimulate skin on a cellular level. This all-natural serum harnesses neroli and frankincense to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and improve skin tone, while jojoba balances sebum production and controls shine. But the biggest benefit for summer may be its antioxidant-rich formula. Most dermatologists agree that using an antioxidant serum followed by sunscreen helps fight sun damage more effectively than wearing SPF alone. ($26, at provinceapothecary.ca)

TONE IT UP Sweat and pollution can do quite a number on your face.

What to do? After cleansing, apply a toner to help remove excess dirt and shrink pores. Province Apothecary, an organic skin-care line made in Toronto, includes geranium, witch hazel and other natural ingredients in its Invigorating + Balancing Toner to help restore the skin’s natural pH, reduce blemishes, relieve redness and tighten skin. ($14, at provinceapothecary.ca)

CLEAR AS MUD While mild cleansers are smart options for most people in cooler months, foaming face washes are better at removing excess oil created by heat and humidity. New paraben- and sulfatefree GlamGlow PowerCleanse Daily Dual Cleanser is made up of separate elements of mud and oil that create a foaming lather when mixed together. Its makers say the oil gently cleans while the cleansing clay helps dissolve impurities and detoxify the complexion. ($43, at Sephora and sephora.ca)

Tracy Howard is a writer and editor specializing in lifestyle topics. She’s the creator of beautyinthemiddle.com, a blog that takes an inside-out approach to looking good and feeling good at any age.

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INFRONT

MONEY$TYLE

THE HEART OF SUMMER → To celebrate Pride, here’s a way to give back you can take to the bank

By Al Ramsay

T

he temperature is rising,

Pride Toronto for over the past

and summer is in the

decade, he said, “this initiative

air. It’s time to finally

with TD and Aeroplan is very

say goodbye to the last traces of

generous

Old Man Winter and savour

innovative

some fun in the sun!

festival to further support the

Yes, it’s the season to go

and—no in

surprise—

leveraging

our

LGBT community.”

on fabulous vacations to our

However you decide to spend

favourite destinations around the

your summer, I hope you’ll enjoy

world with friends, significant

it and find time to make even

others and families. Some of us

more special memories with

may opt for a little less travel

your loved ones. As for me, I’ll be

and to go “cottaging” instead.

staying in my hometown to enjoy

And there are those who simply

one of my favourite festivals.

prefer staying home to take

Of

advantage

beautiful

down Yonge Street during Pride

cities as they come to life in

Toronto with the now infamous

celebration of their diversity. Of

“TD Boys & Girls.” Come out

course, the grande dame of these

and join the fun of the parade—

events is Pride Toronto!

or at least wave when our float

of

their

Whatever your fancy, money

course,

I’ll

be

sashaying

passes by!

is a huge part of indulging in the

you like to do with your time and

best of summertime activities.

money. Having the right card

Therefore, as always, you need

will also offset any annual fee

to be financially responsible.

associated with it.

→ SUMMER FUN Entertainer Sofonda Cox, far left, at last year’s Pride Toronto with members of “TD Boys & Girls”

GOOD TIMES, GOOD WORKS

You can definitely be smart with

Here’s an even better idea.

will donate one Aeroplan mile

For more information on the TD

your money and have fun at the

What if I told you that in addition

to these organizations for every

Aeroplan Credit Card:

same time. One way to do both

to earning Aeroplan miles with

$1 spent. More than 15 million

www.tdcanadatrust.com/products-

is to make your credit card work

your credit card, you could also

miles will be donated.

twice as hard for you.

donate those miles to an LGBT

Given my work in diversity

charitable organizations at the

and inclusion at TD over the past

same time?

10 years, I was “tickled pink”

LOYALTY

PROGRAMS.

I

am

sure you’ve heard about loyalty

when this initiative was created.

services/banking/credit-cards/ view-all-cards/aeroplan-infinitecard.jsp To learn about the charities listed above, visit the following:

Aeroplan,

A PARTNERSHIP WITH FOUR

These are amazing grassroots

in which you earn miles and

LGBT ORGANIZATIONS. I am

organizations doing incredible

redeem them for flights and

proud to announce that TD and

work in our community, so we

www.rainbowrailroad.ca

travel perks. If you like to travel,

Aeroplan have partnered with

should all support them year-

STEPHEN LEWIS FOUNDATION

that sort of credit card would be

Egale, Stephen Lewis Foundation

round. But getting as many

www.stephenlewisfoundation.org

ideal for you. There are other

and Rainbow Railroad to donate

people as possible engaged in

credit cards through which you

miles

organizations

such a relatively easy way will

can earn points or get cash back.

when you use your TD Aeroplan

start having an impact on these

credit card.

groups this month.

programs

such

as

The key is to find a card that

to

these

suits your everyday lifestyle and

During all the Pride Toronto

then put it to work for you. In

celebrations from June 19 to 28,

Chantelois,

other words, you can let the card

for each purchase made using a

executive director, to get his

maximize its benefits without

TD Aeroplan card at any Toronto

thoughts on this partnership.

drastically sacrificing the things

merchant,

Citing TD as a main partner of

TD

and

Aeroplan

I

spoke

with Pride

Mathieu Toronto’s

EGALE www.egale.ca RAINBOW RAILROAD

AL RAMSAY is TD Bank Group’s regional manager, LGBTA Business Development.

Follow him on Twitter, @AlRamsay_TD, or call 416-983-6818.

TALK BACK Feel free to share your comments on IN or articles in the magazine by emailing us at editor@inmagazine.ca.

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INFront

on the town by Michael Pihach

4

Tom at the Farm Opening at Buddies In Bad Times

Queens Care at Pantages Hotel

1

6

2

11

5

7

9

87

10

12

Bonham Centre Awards Gala at Hart House Great Hall

3

13

14

15

→ 1. Elley Ray Hennessy 2. Nick Catania 3. Thompson Nguyen, Darcy Higgins 4. Katie Boland, Sarah Gadon 5. Brendan Healy, Michel Marc Bouchard, Kevin Sweet 6. Andrew Gouveia 7. Kevin Brault, Jim Rawson 8. Darienne Lake, Sofonda Cox 9. Miss Conception 10. Ivory Towers, Scarlett BoBo 11. Doug Kerr, Maura Lawless 12. Mark Tewksbury, Heather Alikakos, Rob Mabee 13. Rodney Rousseau, Albert Haddad 14. Scott Ferguson, David Vella 15. Greg Louganis, Mark Bonham, Charles Pachter inmagazine.ca

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19/05/2015 1:49:17 PM

DRI-FIT KNIT LS TOP, $105 DRI-FIT PHENOM VAPOR SHORTS, $90 FLYKNIT LUNAR 3 SHOES, $190 (ALL CLOTHING AND SHOES BY NIKE) (Availability: Nike Retail Locations and retailers including Sport Chek, Running Room and Foot Locker)

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Fitness Profile

Marc Yuquico PROFESSION Assistant buyer at Holt Renfrew Role Model My grandfather lived such a balanced and meaningful life. He started as a newspaper boy and went on to build successful enterprises revolving around things he loved and that helped the community he cared for. At age 87, he managed to exercise every day, despite his hectic schedule. He’s taught me that you can do whatever you want as long as you put your heart and mind toward living life to the fullest.

How Sexuality Affected Sports Activities Growing Up I went to an all-boys school, and if you weren’t good at the most popular sport, you could lose a sense of camaraderie with peers.

I channelled my energy toward being great at a unique sport, tennis, which led me to be part of the school’s exclusive varsity team.

Advice to Young People on Overcoming Sports Biases Choose a sport you can most relate to and be determined to be the best you can. Negativity will always be around, but choose to face your fears. That is what’s going to take you to the next level.

Fitness Strategy I love running outdoors three to four times a week—even in winter— while listening to my favourite tunes. I usually follow up with a yoga session to really stretch out my muscles. I also incorporate weight-training a couple of times a week. It’s important to be consistent and change it up when you get bored, and to exercise with friends and find new classes to go to so you stay motivated.

Hobbies I live to travel the world, whether it’s exploring big metropolitan cities or discovering nature’s beauty. I love taking photos of beautiful scenic views. inspiration sources I’m inspired by a lot of young successful people including my friends at home and overseas. The great thing about today is that information is available with a tap of your phone through social media accounts. Everyone these days loves to share what they do and how they achieve their successes.

Best Life Lesson So Far The secret of happiness is the acceptance of yourself.

Photography: Riley Stewart

inmagazine.ca

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INFRONT

O n Re l at i o n s h i ps

NOT JUST SEX → The pleasures and perils of open relationships

By Adam Segal

My husband and I have been together for about four years. We decided about two months ago to open our relationship to allow for casual sex with other guys. We’ve been mostly pretty happy in our monogamous world, but things have gotten a little stale in the bedroom, and we both felt that some flexibility would help us feel more satisfied. Here’s the scoop: When I’m meeting other guys, it doesn’t change my feelings for my partner, but when I envision him hooking up, all I can think is that they’ll fall madly in love and I’ll get dumped. I’ve been obsessing about this and it’s making me feel resentful every time I imagine he is out there with someone else. He seems totally fine with our new openness, and I feel stupid for feeling so hung up on this. How do I let this go and trust that everything will be okay??

Omar

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a monogamous relationship there Dear Omar: Comparing yourself and your are obviously still risks of betrayal comfort level to that of your or the possibility that one of you husband is going to drive you will fall in love with someone else. bonkers and isn’t really fair. If But in an open relationship, we you’re going to seriously engage have to face our fears of losing in an open relationship, the our partners in more tangible and conversation will need to be ongoing ways.

It’s not your fault that adapting ongoing. That will give both of you clarity about each other’s to an open dynamic is taking some feelings—and those feelings will time. We’ve been told repeatedly likely shift over time. Opening a that monogamous relationships are somehow relationship to address a In an open relationship, more loving and have greater sexual slump we have to face integrity than might be okay, our fears of losing open ones do. so long as our partners in We also live you are also more tangible and in a culture of considering ongoing ways. jealousy that whether an open arrangement really works can make it super difficult to trust for you personally. Is it your goal that connections with our partners to stay in an open relationship aren’t constantly under threat by forever? Is this a temporary their interactions with others.

If you continue to feel experiment? Are you both approaching your extra-curricular distressed, or even overly distracted by this new arrangement, it will activities in a similar way?

It took you four years to build a be vital that you speak up and trusting monogamous relationship, address any discomforts together. so an open one will need time to Otherwise, the relationship will develop. In a relationship we form suffer a fate that could be much attachments to our partners, and worse than underwhelming sex. it’s always best when those bonds feel secure and dependable.

Opening the relationship for Adam Segal, writer and therapist, works outside escapades is certainly in private practice in downtown Toronto.

Ask him your relationship or mentalstirring up your sense of safety— health question at and that makes perfect sense. In relationship@inmagazine.ca.

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Relive that first moment when you both fell in love...

No matter who you love, experience life's sweetest moments together from fine dining to wine tastings to romantic strolls along historic main streets. Come out and explore Central Counties.

www.centralcounties.ca/lgbt

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18/05/2015 3:00:15 PM

MIAMION THEMOVE More than a haven of sun and sand, a Florida icon flexes for a new era

By Jim Brosseau

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Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau

S

o this is lunchtime mid-week

district has come into its own, a hip hotel (YVE;

Miami proper, reserve an open-air table at chic

in downtown Miami. We’re

see sidebar) has lent new cool to the formerly all-

La Savina in the Mondrian South Beach Hotel. Its

awaiting our caprese salads at

business downtown, and at least two new inner-

delectable Mediterranean-inspired menu is graced

a sidewalk table outside D’oro

city malls are taking shape, poised to enhance the

with gently seasoned char-grilled meats. Save room

Caffe and feeling every inch like

luxury-shopping experience for designer-conscious

for an exquisite dessert and digestif to linger over

locals. This, after all, isn’t one

travellers.

with the last pink hues of daylight against the

of the area’s more famous tourist streets—in fact,

Take a taxi or convenient (and inexpensive)

Miami skyline.

city bus to South Beach, where almost any drop-

When night falls, the region’s steady music goes

And yet the people-watching, the musicality of

off point along vibrant Collins Avenue will be

into overdrive. Fans of live, mostly solo singing acts

seemingly every language but English being spoken

welcoming. Pick your spot on the miles of soft

savour the nightly lineups of the earthy Cabaret.

by passersby, the din of construction cranking out

sand along the tropical hues of the Atlantic Ocean.

Besides the crooners and belters who entertain

high-rises that soar toward the airline traffic above

Before, after or in between stints on the beach

at the grand piano, bartenders and waiters in this

it all create an almost exotic mix of the familiar and

(gays rule everywhere but often cluster at 12th

dimly lit lounge regularly lend their own strong

strange that borders on the intoxicating.

Street), enjoy a meal or drink at one of the many

voices to the engaging mix.

it’s not even in a historically touristic area.

For many, the mention of the Atlantic-hugging

smart cafés just steps away. Their varied menus

As night dissolves into the early morning, the

metropolis in South Florida conjures up images of

and price points are complemented by priceless

area’s popular club scene heats up. Score is always

men rocking Speedos and clubs that throb with

people-watching.

good for some unbridled fun, with frequent special

techno delirium until sunrise. And that remains an

For a rarefied version of that sport, lunch at

live performances. (An offering titled “Fifty Shades

apt description of life in sultry Miami Beach. But

Terrazza in the tony Shore Club. The poolside

of Gay” was featured during our trip.) Farther

the greater Miami area is itself pulsating with life

restaurant puts you in the middle of a Hollywood-

down bustling Washington Avenue is Twist, where

in pockets that were once overlooked by long-time

meets-South American elite served bottles of

there might be a drag show or two-for-one drinks

residents, never mind visitors. Says Paula Gomez,

Champagne at their chaise longes.

as far into the morning as 3 a.m. Friday nights are

Allow an hour or two for strolling the palm- and

generally packed. Endearing themed nights (such

fountain-dotted Lincoln Road. These long blocks

as “Bears & Hares”) are a staple at local hangout

With good reason. The renaissance that

of vehicle-free outdoor eateries and shops include

Hotel Gaythering.

transformed South Beach, giving it A-list status

several local favourites. Among them is the high-

For something a bit dressy—by South Florida’s

among international LGBT vacation destinations,

ceiling AllSaints, where the hip fashions for men

casual standards, at least—there’s the showy LIV,

continues to spread across the entire metropolitan

and women share space with its dizzying and

in the iconic Fontainebleau hotel.

area. In just the past few years, a world-class

endearing collection of vintage sewing machines.

who’s been a Miamian for all of her 30-some years: “I feel very proud.”

museum (the Pérez) has opened its doors, a design

For dinner with an unforgettable view of

Among other Miami nightspots on LGBT radar is the cavernous Club Space; its record-launch

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18/05/2015 3:02:38 PM

Philip Franchini

→ MIAMI NICE Evening overtakes the swank Art Deco buildings of Miami Beach (opening pages).

The sun rises on a soon-to-be buzzing oceanfront, above. Elegance rules the poolside La Savina restaurant and bar, above right, at the Mondrian in South Beach.

parties are talked about for days. For the more idiosyncratic fashionista, there’s House, where patrons are admonished to “save the tank tops and tennis shoes for the beach.” At R House, tropical fruits influence the extensive drinks menu, and

IN THE HEART OF IT ALL

M

ake no mistake, the neighbourhood that’s home to the sleek YVE Hotel is crowded, a bit noisy and, by day, can be somewhat tricky to navigate by car. Welcome to the new Miami!

YVE sits like a giant ice cube of a structure in the middle of old—or what pass for old—

buildings along Biscayne Boulevard, in the middle of downtown. With Bayfront Park and the Port of Miami cruise terminals just beyond, you won’t feel pinned in by the high-rises lapping the sky almost all around you. While the city views have their own appeal, rooms facing the water not only afford a sense of place but can be simply breathtaking at any hour.

The intimate lobby, where an array of international guests

visitors are likely to be surrounded by more locals

settle into sofas lining the walls, is heavy with the buzz of big

than tourists.

social and business plans. It’s like a gathering in New York’s

R House is located in Wynwood, which has

Soho with slightly less self-importance. Because of the hotel’s

emerged as one of Miami’s hot neighbourhoods. On

partnership with a local gallery, a wait for friends can be a

once-forbidding streets, pedestrians now find such

time for perusing the artwork on the walls of the lobby and an

cool places as Lagniappe, a wine bar that borrows

adjoining staircase.

While there is no concierge, per se, front-desk and bell staff

a page from New Orleans in its music, décor and

are eager to assist with everything from taxis to tea-dance

friendliness. Craft-beer fans have taken to the

suggestions. The hospitality extends to the unpretentious

taproom of the Wynwood Brewing Company, with

Biscayne Tavern, just off the lobby. Happy hours are just that,

its selection of award-winning ales.

with generous—and generously priced—drinks accompanied

Another once-sleepy part of this modern

by tasty appetizers. The restaurant is open for all three meals,

boomtown is the Brickell area. Businessmen and

and morning coffee is complimentary.

-women lunch in the sunlight by day, then groove

Suites can be more generous, but regular guestrooms are

to Latin and other rhythms by night. At the Blue

not huge. There’s nothing extraneous about the furnishings.

Martini, for one, the revues exude the energy of Las

(But then, how often do you need enough seating for a handful

Vegas and the carefree spirit of a city revelling in its

of visitors?) The tight squeezes, especially in the bathroom, could make things a challenge if you’re not in

own renaissance.

at least decent shape.

What you might sacrifice in spaciousness will be more than recouped in a stay that gives you a taste of

(For information, contact the Greater Miami

a proud city changing right before your eyes (www.yvehotelmiami.com).

Convention & Visitors Bureau, www.gmcvb.com.) inmagazine.ca

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21/05/2015 3:25:43 PM

IN THE ART OF IT ALL

W

hen one thinks of Miami, who doesn’t think of sun, beaches and

of Art Deco architecture. The pinks, limes and other pastel colours are

a party scene that crackles until light peeks over the Atlantic

accented by portals and other design elements that evoke the luxury cruise

Ocean? True, that’s the region’s inescapable—and well-

ships of another era. A casual walk on your own past the 1930s-built hotels

deserved—image. But the home of the internationally acclaimed Art Basel is

along Collins Avenue, as well as the treasures on its residential side streets,

enjoying an increasingly high profile on the cultural scene. A sampling:

will give you the flavour of the details that defined the decorative form. But

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens Often described as “the finest private house ever

for more of the district’s storied history and context, there are guided tours available, with one of the most comprehensive organized by the Miami Design Preservation League (www.mdpl.org).

34 rooms containing more than

MDC Museum of Art + Design This downtown treasure

2,500 works of art and pieces of

brims with meaning for Miami’s large

fine furniture. Its 25 acres of lush

Cuban community. Almost 90 years

gardens feature a notable orchid

old, the grand Mediterranean Revival

collection. A few hours at this

structure, with its noble, soaring

bayside haven affords a relaxing

tower, became the processing

antidote to the engagingly fast-

headquarters for Cubans who fled to

paced city into which it’s nestled

America in the 1960s. Today, visitors

(www.vizcaya.org).

are free to roam the museum’s

built in America,” Vizcaya has

Gallery Scene

airy and ornate galleries, where a photographic exhibition highlighting

Galleries representing all

Cuban-American celebrities is on view

manner of works abound.

through August (www.mdcmoad.org).

In the Design District alone, dozen boutique museums

Pérez Art Museum Miami

and showrooms for largely

The strikingly designed

contemporary offerings (www.

behemoth on Biscayne Bay

miamidesigndistrict.net).

houses a trove of 20th- and

Among the popular South

21st-century works from

Beach galleries is the Williams

the Americas, Western

McCall, home to new tropical-

Europe and Africa. The

influenced works by the painter

former Center for Fine Arts

John Dowd—whose “Florida

was relocated to its current

Williams McCall Gallery

there are more than a

Landscape (after the rains)” is pictured above (www.williamsmccallgallery.com).

Art Deco District

Herzog & de Meurondesigned home and opened less than two years ago in a $100 million-plus

It’s well worth taking a break from Miami

Beach’s sun and games to tour one of the world’s largest concentrations

building with an 1,800-strong collection, including works by Diego Rivera and other Latin-American artists (pamm.org).

Photos this page (except painting) courtesy of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau

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18/05/2015 3:03:10 PM

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19/05/2015 1:43:49 PM

David Furnish

From the Heart Pride toronto’s parade marshal puts his celebrity to work in the cause of human rights

By Paul Gallant

D

avid Furnish lived a double life during his 20s in

(It was John’s second marriage; his first, to a woman, ended in 1988.)

Toronto, saying good-night to his girlfriend before

Their two children, Zachary, 4, and Elijah, 2, were conceived by in vitro

running off to Church Street in “the village.” Though

fertilization (IVF) with a donor egg and mixture of the couple’s sperm,

he grew up in a Scarborough home where he knew

prompting Furnish and John to call for a boycott of Dolce & Gabbana

“only happiness and stability,” he didn’t trust that

earlier this year when the Italian designers suggested that IVF children

gay life in Canada would work out for him. “I look back and know I was running away,” says Furnish, now a 52-year-old film and theatre producer and chair of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

But the Prodigal Son is back, this time to lead Toronto’s 2015 Pride Parade as Grand Marshal.

Commanding the spotlight can’t come easy when you’re married to one of the most famous people on the planet. Furnish and Elton John, 68, have been together since 1993, a relationship sealed by a 2005 civil

were “synthetic.”

What kind of personality is required to be husband and business partner with one of the world’s most flamboyant celebrities?

Judging by IN’s one-on-one with Furnish, it takes quiet confidence, unflappability, an understated sense of style and a decidedly teamplayer attitude.

IN What was your gut reaction when you were invited to be Pride Toronto’s grand marshal?

union (what the U.K. offered same-sex couples at the time) and a star-

DAVID FURNISH It didn’t take me very long to think about it. I was

studded wedding last December at their home in Windsor, England.

very honoured. I grew up in Toronto and was largely based here until

inmagazine.ca

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19/05/2015 11:00:19 AM

I was 27, then I kind of ran away. Sometimes you need a little distance to appreciate things fully. I’ve seen Canada go through amazing political and social change. I didn’t think Canada was very cool when I left. It got much cooler while I was away.

IN What’s your marshalling strategy?

DF I’ve never been in a parade before. I haven’t picked out my wardrobe, though a few people have offered to make me an outfit. I’ll try to be me, really.

A lot of my friends from the States and the U.K. are coming to support me.

IN Is there a particular message you’d like to get across?

DF What I would most like to draw attention to is the 81 countries in the world where lesbians and gays are criminalized. On a human-rights level, I’m appalled by that. And then when you put these homophobic laws in place, they create a culture of fear, stigmatizing people on the basis of their sexuality. What happens is HIV/AIDS is associated with being a “gay disease.”

People don’t feel confident to present for an AIDS test, to reveal their status, to pick up their medication or adhere to it. Not only is it wrong from a civilrights perspective, it’s killing people. Elton and I met in the Oval Office with President Barack Obama [last month], and that was the first thing we brought up with him.

“I’ve seen Canada go through amazing political and social change. I didn’t think Canada was very cool when I left. It got much cooler while I was away.”

IN Do you consider yourself a role model?

DF I guess I am, yeah. [Laughs.]

IN Do you feel like a celebrity?

Photos by Michael Kovac for Getty Images

DF I was just up and down on the subway to see my parents, who live in a retirement home in North York. I sit on the subway, and I’m absolutely, perfectly fine. People don’t come up and ask for a selfie. People don’t run down the street asking for my autograph. I don’t have that kind of celebrity, and I really don’t want that kind of celebrity.

IN I’ve seen paparazzi photos of you.

DF A paparazzi photo of David Furnish walking down the street is not worth very much money. A paparazzi photo of David Furnish with Elton or with his children or with another celebrity or in what they may judge to be an incriminating or embarrassing situation, the price goes up. But my value? I just think I’m kind of a by-product. Elton is a global icon and a musical legend. I have

→ WELL CONNECTED Furnish, top, with husband Elton John, and above, with U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

a lot of profile from my marriage to him and my association with him. Where I have an opportunity to do something good with that, I’m very grateful for it.

When we travel, we’ve been fortunate that we can take the children with us.

IN How do you make time for family?

You keep the routine consistent. When Elton was doing his show at Caesars

DF The golden rule for us is, unless we’re out of town, that we never, ever

Palace in Las Vegas, we took an anteroom off his dressing room and converted

miss the boys’ bath time and story time and putting them to bed at night.

it into a bath and bedtime area with an inflatable duck tub, a rocker-glider and

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19/05/2015 1:34:17 PM

some storybooks. They put on their pyjamas, they say good-night to Daddy, and then Daddy goes on stage and does his show.

IN Are you the good cop dad or the bad cop?

DF I’m probably a tiny bit more practical in my approach with the children.

There are certain things with them that it’s very difficult for Elton to do, out in

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public, without it turning into a circus show. I’m the one who gets down on the ground and gets really rough and tumble, kicking the football.

“I’m probably a tiny bit more practical in my approach with the children.

I’m the one who gets down on the ground and gets really rough and tumble, kicking the football.”

IN Have you forgiven Dolce & Gabbana for their “synthetic” comments?

DF The reason they stung—and I’m not going to wade into a debate with anybody on traditional families, because if you want to make those judgements, history is going to prove you wrong—is that they were branding any child born of IVF as being synthetic. It is a crime to stick a label on a child the same way it’s wrong to stigmatize someone by their sexuality or the colour of their skin, by their work, by their family background, by their income. I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with them and clear

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IN Did your marriage last December change anything between you and Elton?

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DF The [2005] civil partnership sure changed things. We had no idea how the world was going to respond to that. We didn’t know if we were going to get picketed or flour bombed, but we had a real outpouring of support.

The marriage this time around was less profound. It was just so funny for me to wake up the morning after, because when you’ve been together with someone for 21 years, you don’t wake up and think, “Oh God, I hope I married the right person.”

IN At least you can officially call each other “husband.”

DF It still feels a little funny. I didn’t want to be disrespectful when I was

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a civil partner by referring to myself as a “husband,” because I didn’t want to suggest it was total equality when it was not. But now I am his husband and Elton is mine. Elton was onstage the other night. He said, “I have a wonderful life with my partner-husband.” When he came offstage I told him, “You can drop the ‘partner’ part now.”

TALK BACK Feel free to share your comments on IN or articles in the magazine by emailing us at editor@inmagazine.ca.

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FOR THE POOL

Where the smartest swimwear always makes a splash PHOTOGRAPHY BY: ADAM WEBSTER

Styled by: Nagham Cararah Grooming by: Monica Pavez Models: Mark Lutley (Sutherland Models) and Dylon Chandler (Ciotti Models) Shot on location at the Thompson Hotel, Toronto

I

n the upper reaches—literally—of luxury-hotel swimming experiences, few match the drama and elegance of taking your laps at the Thompson in downtown Toronto.

The long infinity pool is the centrepiece of day or night enjoyment of wraparound views.

The chic pool and rooftop lounge set the top-down tone for the Thompson, which continues to garner praise from knowing travellers. Its dining options—fine or casual—suit the rhythms of the guest’s schedule. Contemporary furnishings round out the Thompson’s overall hip sensibility, with city views graced by iconic downtown towers.

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21/05/2015 3:38:07 PM

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Trunk: Calvin Klein

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18/05/2015 3:18:37 PM

FLASHBACK JUNE 1969 in LGBT HISTORY

PRIDE NIGHT

T

o call it a game-changer is putting it mildly. In the wee hours of June 28, 1969, 46 years ago this month, the earth shifted for gays. That was the night of the Stonewall riots, a signal moment in the fight for LGBT equality. When patrons of New York City’s Stonewall Inn stood up to police harassment, the modern-day gay-rights movement was born. Their courage is worth remembering with each season of Pride parades. And in every other season.

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