BLOOD FOR RESEARCH 7 VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS 5 QMUNITY CONSULT 9 JAN 29–FEB 11, 201 11, 29–FEB JAN 559 OSCAR # WILDE COUP 13 @dailyxtra facebook.com/dailyxtra facebook.com/dailyxtra dailyxtra.com Smokin’In print, on screen and on stage — FREE 20,000 AUDITED Alan Cumming is on fire 14 CIRCULATION More at More 2 JAN 29–FEB 11, 2015 XTRA! VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS XTRA Published by Pink Triangle Press VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NEWS Brandon Matheson #559 JAN 29–FEB 11, 2015 Roundup EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR Robin Perelle STAFF REPORTER Natasha Barsotti COPY EDITOR Lesley Fraser EVENT LISTINGS [email protected] CONTRIBUTE OR INQUIRE about Xtra’s editorial content: [email protected] EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE Sergei Bachlakov, Victor Bearpark, Niko Bell, Nathaniel Christopher, Tom Coleman, Tyler Dorchester, Jeremy Hainsworth , Shauna Lewis, James Loewen, Kevin Dale McKeown, Janet Rerecich, Mark Robins, Steve Vaccariello, Johnnie Walker ART & PRODUCTION CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lucinda Wallace DESIGNERS Darryl Mabey, Landon Whittaker ADVERTISING ADVERTISING & SALES DIRECTOR Ken Hickling SALES ADMINISTRATION MANAGER Lexi Chuba SALES TEAM LEAD Lorilynn Barker DISPLAY ADVERTISING Corey Giles ONLINE ACCOUNT MANAGER Jessie Bennett ADVERTISING COORDINATORS Brad Deep, Gary Major DISPLAY ADVERTISING Call 604-684-9696 or email [email protected]. PROTEST CLASSIFIEDS Call 604-684-9696 or email classifi [email protected]. SPONSORSHIP & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Kero Saleib, [email protected] The publication of an ad in Xtra does not Raziel Reid’s mean that Xtra endorses the advertiser. Storefront features are paid advertising content. Action features are advertising intended award-winning to advance community involvement and political action. Printed and published in Canada. ©2015 Pink Triangle Press. Xtra is published every two novel ruffles weeks by Pink Triangle Press. ISSN 1198-0613 Address: 501–1033 Davie St, TALLULAH Vancouver, BC, V6E 1M7 feathers O ce hours: Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm Phone: 604-684-9696 Fax: 604-684-9697 10 Website: dailyxtra.com Email: [email protected] PINK TRIANGLE PRESS Editorial Still QQ Founded 1971 We’re still your paper From ink to pixels DIRECTORS Jim Bartley, Gerald Hannon, Glenn Kauth, Didier Pomerleau, Ken Popert, By Robin Perelle 4 By Kevin Dale McKeown 11 Gillian Rodgerson Feedback 4 HONORARY DIRECTOR Colin Brownlee PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Ken Popert Xcetera 5 CEO, DIGITAL MEDIA David Walberg Out in the City CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Andrew Chang Oscar Wilde coup Upfront UBC acquires two rare homoerotic novels from Giving blood — for science the 19th century 13 Deferred from giving blood to people, gay men urged to Cover story donate for research 7 Cumming attractions Alan Cumming dishes on Man found guilty in Broadway, his brave new book assault on MLA’s o ce 8 and, of course, Spice World 14 City still searching for Storefront new Qmunity site 9 Men’s grooming 16 Xtra Living 17 ondailyxtra.com Blitz & Shitz Les Ballets Trockadero Video: Figure-skating parodies dance with precision • Family law: conception • Immigration: same sex great Toller Cranston dies By Raziel Reid 18 at age 65 agreements; cohabitation or spousal sponsorship; visitor What’s On 19 marriage agreements; family visa; permanent residence; Toronto proposes disputes; collaborative family citizenship Xposed 54 new shelter beds law; separation agreements • Human Rights for LGBT youth Glitter: Whistler Pride • Wills & Estates: wills; opening party • Employment Law ISIS throws two men By Victor Bearpark 20 representation agreements; o building tower in Iraq power of attorney; probate The Brotherhood The Amina profi le: By Tyler Dorchester 21 Chasing hoaxes in 1033 Davie St. 604-251-4356 | [email protected] war-torn Syria COVER PHOTO BY STEVE VACCARIELLO MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM XTRA! JAN 29–FEB 11, 2015 3 email [email protected] comment dailyxtra.com & facebook.com/dailyxtra Comment tweet @dailyxtra FEEDBACK We’re still your paper Xtra enters new era It’s hard not to lament the passing I remember the fi rst time I picked up Xtra, EDITORIAL story, an arts piece, a feature, one of our of the print version of Xtra [“Gay when I was in high school. To have a copy regular columns, a photo gallery, a video ROBIN PERELLE Publisher Xtra to Embrace Digital, of a gay publication available at community or an editorial. Close Print,” Jan 14, dailyxtra.com]. I won’t lie: I’m going to miss We’re already telling your stories online, As with any dear old friend, we centres and schools — that spoke about our our print edition. and many of our readers — nearly double have bothered each other on more community — was a real lifeline. I’m going to miss our sturdy purple the readership of all three of our print than one occasion over the years, RE: XTRA ENTERS NEW ERA newspaper boxes marking our communi- editions combined — have already made but we have always dusted ourselves ty’s presence throughout the West End and the shift with us. o , made up and carried on. across Vancouver. I’m going to miss seeing We’re still the same Xtra that followed Although we are all conditioned Sorry to hear @dailyxtra @Xtra_VAN our community’s faces in the windows of Little Sister’s when it had the cour- and encouraged to “embrace change” ceasing print editions; excited for those boxes, announcing our presence and age to stand up to censorship and take and “adapt” to technological change, digital growth. Important paper, long celebrating our culture to all who walk by. Canada Customs to court. We’re still the I remain less than thrilled at the loss a voice for #GLBTQ communities. I’m going to miss my colleagues, people same Xtra that challenged the Surrey of this particular old friend. MP HEDY FRY @HEDYFRY TWITTER I’ve worked with for years to tell our sto- school board’s repeated attempts to ban I remember the fi rst time I picked ries. People from whom I’ve learned so gay books and has pushed school districts up Xtra, when I was in high school. I’ll miss seeing @Xtra_VAN’s incred- much, whose insight I’ve come to rely on, across the province to evolve ever since. To have a copy of a gay publication ible covers around town. I think the trust and cherish. We’re still the same Xtra that followed available at community centres and visibility was important (although I’ll I’m going to miss the feel of newsprint Aaron Webster’s accused killers through schools — that spoke about our com- read online). #longliveprint between my fi ngers. every step of the court process and chal- munity — was a real lifeline. SABRINA FURMINGER @SABRINARMF I’m going to grieve. And I know I’m not lenged the prosecutor who never said I got to know our community fi rst TWITTER alone. “gaybashing” — and ultimately convinced through print, while I remained hid- Understandable but still sad @ For the last 14 years, my life has revolved the attorney general to change BC’s pros- den in the closet. I’m sure many will Xtra_VAN newspaper among Pink around the schedule of conceptualizing, ecution policy on anti-gay crimes. have had similar stories and now, @dailyxtra was where I got my Triangle Press’s three papers to em- creating and sending an issue to press We’re still the same Xtra committed to hopefully, many will online. very fi rst paid writing job. It meant brace digital and close chapter on every two weeks. Putting an issue to bed reporting our community’s news, nurtur- So we shall go forward with the so much to me as an emerging print Feb 12. and picking it up, printed, the next morn- ing our growth, exploring our culture, exciting new and improved internet storyteller. ing never lost its thrill. celebrating our sexuality and setting our FRED LEE @FREDABOUTTOWN Xtra. I will continue to support it, DAINTY SMITH TWITTER For others, the thrill has been discover- love free. We’re still your local community participate in the debate, write let- @MISSDAINTYSMITH ing refl ections of themselves in our pages. paper. TWITTER ters and o er my comments when Family portrait defaced How many times have I heard from com- We’re also, in the space a orded to us it strays, but I will miss the old gal, I just heard about @dailyxtra. No one should ever think the fi ght munity members that our paper was a online, reaching out to other communi- warts and all, and in print. Thankful for all the support they for equality is over [“Chosen Family critical component in their coming-out ties like ours across Canada and around SPENCER CHANDRA HERBERT gave to myself and hundreds, prob- MLA VANCOUVER, BC Plaque Defaced,” Jan 12, dailyxtra. process? It’s been an honour. the world. What’s it really like to be gay ably thousands of other independent com]. Prejudice is ugly. Vigilance I can’t replace the tangible feel of gritty, in Russia right now? We had a correspon- artists. inked paper smearing our fi ngers, but I can, dent in Russia for eight months last year, I’m sad about this, but I understand and education in our community is why. Most of us now get our LGBT SHARRON MATTHEWS and will, continue to tell our community’s long after the cameras left Sochi. We got @SHARRONMATTHEWS paramount. stories online. We’re not done sharing your to ask LGBT people on the ground about news via our phones. Lately, I’ve TWITTER RON WILSON @CHEAPANDCHEERFUL stories; far from it. their lives, their fears and their joys. That, been picking up the print issue of TWITTER Xtra and then realizing that, of Going to miss seeing that purple @ Though the realities of mounting print too, has been an honour.