May 2006 Issue 31

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www.gaycalgary.com 2 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 Established originally in January 1992 as Men For Men BBS by MFM Communications. Named changed to 15 GayCalgary.com in 1998. Stand alone company as of January 2004. First Issue of GayCalgary.com Magazine, November 31 2003. Publisher Steve Polyak & Rob Diaz-Marino, [email protected] Editor Rob Diaz Marino, Table of Contents [email protected] 5 Our Gay Roots Original Graphic Design Deviant Designs Letter from the Publisher Advertising Steve Polyak [email protected] Contributors 8 Russell’s Cobalt Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, Nina Tron, Turkey In Tuscany Or Beauty In The Beltline Stephen Lock, M. Zelda, Jason Clevett, Jerome Voltero, Darryl A. Aarbo, Alykhan 16 Velji, Nico Hofferd, Kevin Alderson, Shone 12 Trevor Knight Abet, and the Gay and Lesbian Community of Calgary “Coming Out” to a City Near You Photographer 15 The Oblongs Steve Polyak and Rob Diaz-Marino Angus Oblong’s Exhibition at QUAB Gallery Videographer Steve Polyak and Rob Diaz-Marino 16 Map & Event Listings Please forward all inquiries to: Find out what’s happening GayCalgary.com Magazine Suite 100, 215 14th Avenue S.W. 23 Gay Legalese Calgary, Alberta T2R 0M2 Sexual Harassment Phone (403) 543-6960 or toll free (888) 543-6960 25 Q Scopes Fax (403) 703-0685 “Trust in friends, Cancer!” 37 E-mail [email protected] 26 Adult Film Review Print Run Monthly, 12 times a year Masthead continued on page 4 27 Anti-Bullying Law Passed by Regina City Council 28 Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones But Names Can Affect My Career Path 30 The National Day Against Homophobia 31 The Calgary Humane Society New Location, More Happy Endings

Continued on page 4

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 3 Continued from page 3 32 Q Puzzle “Movies That Fell Short” 33 Vincent in Brixton Artists Early Years Captured in ATP Season Closer 51 34 Queer History? In Calgary?? 35 Just Ask Nina! Continued from page 3 The Dish who dishes advice Copies Printed Monthly, up to 10,000 copies. 36 Calgary International Spoken Word Festival Distribution points 200 points in Is Your Conscience Queer? Calgary, largest distribution points for any Gay publication in Calgary. Also distributed coast to coast across Canada 37 Fundraising Photos in select locations in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal, Regina, Saskatoon, 40 Bitter Girl Winnipeg, and other places across Canada. Please call us if you would like to be a 40 A Couple of Guys distribution point. Distributed by DLRJ Distributions, Canada 41 United Nations Rejects Application Post and by GayCalgary.com In Violation of their Own Rules Deadline for Ad Bookings 25th of the month (unless otherwise stated) 43 FairyTales 2006 60 Deadline for Ad copy 28th of the month Queerly Canadian Film Festival (unless otherwise stated) 45 Wed-Rock Legal Council Courtney Sebree Aarbo, Barristers and Solicitors Challenging U.S. Ignorance Printers North Hill News 48 Everybody Loves Ray’s Mom This Issue Cover Model Empress 30 Dyna Popular TV family reborn at Jubilations Myte Jackson Jones, photographed by Steve Polyak and Rob Diaz-Marino at La 51 Haddock and Hoof’s Fleur, #103 - 100 7th Avenue SW. Bringing East Coast Seafood to Calgary The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of GayCalgary.com or 52 Queer Eye - for the Calgary guy (or gal) the contributors of the magazine. Events that happened around Calgary People photographed or interviewed, writers, advertisers, contributors and 60 Classifieds Ads anyone else involved with this publication are not necessarily gay, lesbian, bi, bi-curious or trans gendered. They can be straight people that are gay friendly. June 2006 No part of the publication may be reprinted without the expressed permission of the Press editor-in-chief. Deadlines Copyright 2006

AAdd SpaceSpace BookingBooking - WWednesdayednesday MayMay 24th24th 20062006

AAdd SubmissionSubmission - FFridayriday MayMay 26th26th 20062006 PPressress DeadlineDeadline

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4 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 Our Gay Roots Letter from the Publisher

of community support – we are inadvertently continuing their By Rob Diaz-Marino and Steve Polyak legacy. Back in Junior High and High School, admittedly Much of the gay and lesbian information present in the Glenbow Archives were contributed by the successors of the Social Studies was my least favorite subject of late Doug Young, who died in 1994. He was a founder of the them all. Though I had a lot of memorable teach- original Gay Calgary magazine, and from what we could tell, ers that went out of their way to make it fun for a very active member of the community. We found a collec- me, I still felt a sense of dread whenever I wrote tion of his notes and scribblings, some of which even depicted the early conceptions of AIDS Calgary Awareness Association. a test - I never felt confi dent of my answers like Surprisingly enough, we also found his passport which con- I did in Math or Science. In the end I managed tained a photo of him; a stout and kind-faced man with a full to scrape through with good marks, though my beard, long hair and glasses. I took a moment to really look at teachers could feel my aversion to reading up on him and I was caught in a powerful emotion as I realized that we are recording tomorrow’s history the same way that he and current events, taking clippings of articles and numerous others did for us. I could see the faces of the next political cartoons and interpreting their signifi - generation staring at our photos in exactly the same way we cance, and heaven forbid using the library to do were staring at Mr. Young’s, and I felt humbled by this rare historical research! Though today I still consider glimpse at the big picture. It made all of our struggles and the issues of today’s gay community seem so small and far away, myself mostly a Math and Science kind of guy, I and truly it reaffi rmed to us that we are fi lling an important have to admit that gay issues in the news have role in gay society. fi nally awakened an interest in current events, political cartoons, and apparently even research. A few months ago Steve stumbled across mention of a “Gay Calgary” magazine that existed back in the early 70’s, of which the Glenbow Museum had several copies archived! Our reader’s survey helped to ascertain that there was signifi cant interest in an article about Calgary’s Gay History, and so this issue features Stephen Lock’s pilot article on this topic on page XXX. Naturally we still had our own curiosities to satisfy, so we spent an afternoon in the Glenbow archives looking through as many of the early gay publications that we could get our hands on. Though I didn’t have much time to fully read any of the articles, it blew my mind to see ads for businesses that no longer exist – bars like the Green Room, Moosie’s, Trax, BBX, The King’s Arms, the fi rst incarnation of the Backlot; even bathhouses like Jays and David’s. I saw an ad for an event that occurred in the Green Room on the night of my 3rd birth- day, the grand opening of Victoria’s Restaurant and Beswick House, program guides for Coronation III, hand-drawn maps of the gay bars in downtown Calgary, and notes on what to do if you were caught in a bar during a Police raid. I saw a lot of headlines that involved serious misgivings with the police, far beyond anything that we’ve seen recently. Though it was only 30 years ago, it was a different time with different hot-button issues. For us, we naturally paid closer attention to the array of gay publications that existed during the period, such as The Lavender Times, Reach, Clue, Broach, and Gay Horizons (successor to Gay Calgary). We were blown away to see that the downtown map, business listing, and events listing (ideas we ourselves had hashed out and placed in GayCalgary.com Magazine since day one) were commonplace in many of these older magazines. Call it re-inventing the wheel, but we felt oddly proud that our own magazine goes down a similar path

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 5 We would like to extend our gratitude to the Glenbow Mu- Homos are Sexual seum for being so helpful, supportive, and downright enthusi- astic about our new historical articles. The April 13th issue of Xtra! West was appropriately titled “The Sex Issue”. The imagery used on the cover and through- Apollo Western Cup out the paper was specifi cally chosen to push the envelope, challenging our gut response toward self-censorship in homo- This year’s Western Cup was a roaring success as we’ve erotic images. come to expect from Apollo, the World’s longest running organized gay and lesbian sporting event. Steve and I had to “Sex defi nes us” writes Matt Mills. To take the sexuality split up to photograph at all 6 events: Swimming, Bowling, out of homosexuality is to deny our very reason for sticking to- Curling, Badminton, Volleyball, and Running. Though there gether - diversity is divergent if not for that one factor that we was an abundance of participants, we were surprised to see so have in common. A policeman, construction worker, cowboy, few spectators there to cheer on their friends or their favorite Indian, leather daddy and marine would NEVER cross paths team. I doubt this will be the case next year however, since in the straight community, yet the Village People symbolize big things are in the works for next Western Cup 2007, as that it is possible for us. We applaud Xtra! West for having they team up with GLISA to create the fi rst North American the balls (yes, we saw them) to make a stand for our right to Outgames! We watch the Olympics on TV, and now it’s time freedom of speech and sexual expression. to take advantage of this amazing event happening in our own back yard. As a local publication in conservative Calgary, GayCalgary.com Magazine has been burned in the past for Mark Tewksbury hosted his book launch in conjunction much less. Our former distributors refused to deliver our with Western Cup Weekend. He spoke at the Victory Brunch February 2004 issue because of a suggestive Cruiseline ad on about how he had immersed himself in his sporting activities the back cover. We were forced to go through each copy with to avoid his feelings as a gay man. I’m sure this sentiment a black pen to blot out the offending part of the picture before struck home as most people in the room were moved to tears. they would do the job we had paid them for. Next issue was For Steve, he can identify because he did something similar the last straw however, when 3000 copies of our magazine and with computers while growing up, becoming a “geek” to dis- the money we had paid them were swallowed by the distribu- tract from his feelings and isolate himself from the people that tor for a much tamer ad showing 3 men kissing. They labeled could hurt him. For me, I was lost in composing music on the that ad, and in fact many of our event photos, as pornogra- computer for several years – a hobby that I haven’t returned to phy…yet they didn’t bat an eyelash when delivering equally since I came out of the closet. It makes me wonder if all of the edgy straight magazines. We have lost locations in Calgary exceptional gay talent so many of us possess is a result of this because the word “Gay” appears on the cover, inciting com- struggle that we go through. plaints that children may see it…but what is stopping those same children from picking up a copy of Maxim Magazine, or Coronation 2006 the countless other virtually pornographic straight magazines As usual, it was an emotional step down for the former the next time their parents take them to Safeway? If a child Emperor Dion and Empress Argintina. Our congratulations wants to see men in underwear, they need to look no further to Dyna Myte (featured on this month’s cover) and Wolfgang than Men’s Health, or other men’s fi tness magazines. This is VonBearstein, our newly elected Empress and Emperor 30. a huge double standard that needs to be challenged, but as a smaller magazine we are resigned to the fact that there are Nina Tron and backup dancers Selma Body and Jaylee times we cannot afford to argue. made Calgary proud with their command performance of Madonna’s Vogue – snapping fans and all! They rented some Sadly, the biggest opposition to expressing our sexuality killer costumes and put extra special effort into the choreogra- is oftentimes from our own kind. Aside from these isolated phy, resulting in a spine-tingling performance that received a complaints from straight people, we have received far more standing ovation. objection from our own community members, feeling that we should “tone down” our publication to avoid offending the This year Steve and I did our usual job of photographing straight community. Gay people will never be accepted by and videotaping for the over 6-hour show. My back wasn’t straight people if we are embarrassed to let them see who we as sore as it has been in previous years since I fi nally found are, even if it takes them a little getting used to. No wonder a comfortable set-up that didn’t require me to hunch over the so many parents fear the possibility of their child turning camera the whole time. We saw some great numbers, fl irted out gay, they lose their son or daughter to a community that with some hot guys, and heard the lamest gay joke ever (sorry refuses to let them in too. Though we walk a fi ne line some- Michael, cute delivery but no cigar). times with GayCalgary.com Magazine, I pray that we will never Camera-sick forget about our gay identity. After a month with two major events, the Coronation and This Month Apollo Western Cup, Steve reported that he had taken over The month of May sits right between the bustle of April 28,000 photographs! We don’t keep everything – Steve must with Apollo Western Cup weekend and the Coronation, and sort through them to fi nd the diamonds amongst the coal. the busy months of June and July with Pride and the CRIR. Many shots that are blurry or otherwise spoiled are deleted, Nonetheless there are still a few major events to keep you but the hard task can be choosing among the good ones for entertained, so don’t think you’re off the hook. Go and check the photo sections. out the details for the Fairytales Film Festival (article on page From close to 100 fabulous shots for our cover this month, XXX) and the Herland Film Festival to make sure you don’t we had to narrow it down to exactly one. Special thanks to miss them! Aside from that, check our events listing for other Dyna Myte – I’m sure she set some kind of record being in community events this month. drag at 9:00 in the morning. We also thank La Fleur fl oral If you’re looking rather to express your opinion, write a letter to the publisher boutique for lending us their space as the colorful background by E-mailing [email protected]. If you’ve got something good to say for the photo shoot. about someone or something, then that’s awesome! If you’ve got something bad to say about someone or something…well, just try to keep those claws sheathed!

6 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 7 RUSSELL’S COBALT Turkey In Tuscany Or Beauty In The Beltline Kelly out. By Shone Abet So how is it then, that Russell’s Cobalt is alive and well and Have you ever walked into a high end salon and full of Russell’s spirit? Why it is because of Kelly’s determina- tion of course. Kelly wasn’t about to walk away, especially found more Prada than personable service, more when he had rights; rights as benefi ciary of Russell’s insur- attitude than artistic expression? Well I have, ance and rights as Russell’s husband. So with that in mind, and I for one have no interest in that kind of and the promise to carry on Russell’s legacy, Kelly opened pretense. Thankfully, once you get out of the Russell’s Cobalt. The salon’s previous life was a dining area so Kelly completely gutted and rebuilt it from the ground up, downtown core most Calgary salons aren’t terri- including the polished concrete fl oors and refurbished bath- bly pretentious, but it’s a beautiful day when you room area. It’s no surprise then that it was only a matter of stumble on the one that leaves you planning your weeks before the old Cobalt was out of business and both staff next return. and patrons jumped shop. Even I, who never met Russell per- sonally, can say he would be proud. The salon is industrial If you’ve been into Russell’s Cobalt in the heart of Calgary’s in style, but warm with charm. A fl oor to ceiling chalk board beltline community, you already know their artistic fl air, houses quotes that friends and customers remember Russell colourful personality, and great customer service will have you saying, from “Turkey in Tuscany” to “I’m a beautician, not a coming back over and over again. At least that’s what the ma- magician.” jority of customer’s will tell you since they not only returned, I suspect if you knew Russell, the very mention of his name but followed the gang to their new digs across from the Safe- probably has you smiling right now. He was full of life, love way on 8th Street and 12th Avenue South West. and from what I understand, the sassiest sense of humor this Yes, Pretense be damned, this place is laid back, fun and side of Uranus. With Rus- full of character! I had the pleasure of chatting with Kim, sell’s zest for life and Kelly’s Barb and Kelly this past weekend and found the story behind warm and welcoming person- Russell’s Cobalt both tragic and deliciously heartwarming. ality Russell’s Cobalt can only continue to succeed. So if Barb, the salon’s manager, has a smile that could knock you’re looking for a change of your socks off, and the creative ambition to be both a stylist pace from pretentious “poo- and esthetician. Barb’s fashionista attire is all about the levis poo head(s)” to a warm and and she’s thankful the salon owner Kelly Zook, “like a book delightful experience, I sug- but with a zed”, is the kind of boss we’d all like to share… gest you take Kim’s lead and not too intrusive, but far from detached, and appreciative of head to 735 12th Ave. SW, everything she brings to the table. Kelly is warm, friendly, and where the staff at Russell’s happy to pitch in whenever needed. Cobalt will be happy to spend Another stylist at the salon, Kim, is also thankful for her their time making you look work environment. The salon is open and friendly, so it is no beautiful and feel like one of wonder that she would be there. Kim left Cobalt for something the family. a little more certain and landed herself in Prada Pretense Hell, Russell’s Cobalt is currently so when Kelly opened Russell’s Cobalt all three, Kim, Barb, hiring. For more information and Kelly were happy to be re-united. or to book an appointment, So what’s so tragic about that you ask? Well you may have call 228-7822, and be sure to noticed that while the salon’s new name is Russell’s Cobalt I tell them I sent you! have yet to mention Russell. Russell wasn’t able to sit around Russell’s Cobalt - Hair & the salon and talk with us on Saturday because earlier last Aesthetics year Russell succumbed to cancer and left both Cobalt and his 735 12 Avenue SW loving husband Kelly behind. The two married early last year Calgary, AB, CANADA on BC’s west coast and couldn’t have done it without friends T2R 1J7 and family to witness their nuptials and cheer on their new (403) 228-7822 life together. Unfortunately however, wedded bliss was short, and with a terminal diagnosis Russell began planning for his passing. He did his best to take care of all the necessary pa- perwork, and sold the salon to Kelly in order to keep his legacy alive. And as if this wasn’t enough for Kelly to digest, it took an even shorter period of time for members of Russell’s fam- ily, once supportive of the two together, to express that Kelly had no place with them or with caring for Russell’s business. Sadly, they owned part of the salon and were able to push

8 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 9 10 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 11 Trevor Knight “Coming Out” to a City Near You

By Jason Clevett Community | Spotlight You’ve been out with friends, but right now you aren’t really thinking about them. Instead, you takes his show on the road with The Coming Out Tour, which will feature Knight, local talent from each city as well as are listening to the tall, good-looking guy whose Calgary’s own Nina Tron and former Canadian Idol contestant been talking to you for the past few minutes. As and Juno Award winner Dave Moffat of The Moffats. you stare into his deep blue-gray eyes, you soon “I’ve been performing hypnosis shows for fi ve years but realize that you would be willing to do just about never as a gay performer, hence the name The Coming Out anything he asks you to do. No, you aren’t hook- Tour. Performing at Pride events has such huge potential that ing up at the bar, you’re rapidly slipping into a it shouldn’t just be The Trevor Knight Show but an event of its own with the hypnosis show being a portion of the full event. state of deep relaxation courtesy of hypnotist It will be a variety show type of performance, which as far as Trevor Knight. we know there has never been a touring event of its kind in the gay community, which is exciting. As time goes on we are “I’ve been doing magic and illusion shows since I was a little looking to make The Coming Out Tour grow more into a highly boy – I was doing kids birthday parties when I was nine or ten. anticipated festival in all of the gay communities – an annual When I was sixteen I developed my magic show into more of a event during pride week.” Vegas style illusion show – ducks, doves, rabbits, cutting girls in half all that fun stuff,” Knight told GayCalgary.com. As he The show will debut in the prairies for Pride celebrations in grew older he began to take an interest away from magic and June. into the world of Hypnosis. “We start June 9th in Winnipeg and visit Saskatoon before “I have been hypnotized many times myself and love the coming to the Currie Army Barracks in Calgary June 16th. experience so much I wanted to share it with people. I had We wrap up the fi rst leg of the tour at the Shaw Conference a festival in Fort McMurray that I was going to be doing an Centre in Edmonton,” Knight said, adding that dates were in illusion show and they offered me additional space in another the works for Pride celebrations in Toronto and Vancouver. theatre for a different show. At that time I had a friend who “Calgary will be the largest show in the tour as the show is had taken hypnotherapy courses and taught me. I debated being produced out of Calgary. We really want to include the bringing her with me and doing a dual hypnosis show so I gay community and let them use this tour as a chance to booked the venue, asked her about doing the show… and she showcase their talent. The majority of the talent that the gay said no. It forced me to put together my own hypnosis show. community has seen is female impersonators, which by all I had about four months to put together my show; I had the means is great entertainment. But we are really excited to add knowledge to do it but had never actually done it. We went to something new and showcase things that people have never Fort McMurray, invited the audience members onstage and seen before.” worked towards taking them towards a state of hypnosis. The entire time I was going ‘Please let someone go under.’ We had People have many misconceptions about hypnosis, such as 15 people go up and fi ve went under, including two who were the belief that being able to go under means you have no free my friends.” will, or that a hypnotist can make you do anything they want. Not true, says Knight. While Knight’s fi rst show had its bugs, it was that night that he began his true training into being an entertainer and ”It’s correct in that you cannot force someone do something hypnotist. they would not do, but it is in the power of suggestion. All hypnosis is is a state of relaxation where your subconscious “That night I met a man named Robert whose knowledge is in control of your mind and body. When it is in control you was unbelievable. After my show he sat me down and said are prone to suggestion, you lose all your inhibitions, it is like ‘This is what you did wrong’ and listed three things that were getting pissed drunk without actually getting drinks or the so simple I had overlooked them. The next day I changed nasty hangover. As a hypnotist one of your jobs is to develop a those few things and all twenty people that came on stage rapport with each subject on stage and determine how far you went under. I spent the next year learning from him because can take a person before they go out of their comfort zone. I do his knowledge far exceeds all the hypnotists I have met put not want someone who is so embarrassed that they don’t want together - he took my assistant Jolene, who had never been to come on my stage again, I want them to come back and run put under and that I had been trying to get under for three to come on stage again because it is fun. You really have to months, and put her under in two seconds fl at. He had devot- judge it and determine who will do what.” ed his life to the art and knowledge of hypnosis but unfortu- nately he had a brain tumor. Although he is still around today Not surprisingly, Knight has received unusual requests from he hasn’t retained as much of the talent.” people when they fi nd out he is a hypnotist, but states that he only uses his powers for entertainment and good. Knight will be recognizable for those who attended his two shows in 2005 at the Twisted Element. This summer, Knight “I’ve been asked many times if when I date people I hypno-

12 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 tize them. I have never hypnotized someone I have been with. When some people fi nd out you are a hypnotist their fi rst reac- tion is ‘Oh my god, hypnotize me, I’ll do anything you want.’ Anybody that I have an interest in personally, I won’t allow myself to hypnotize them because I wouldn’t want any sub- liminal messages to be part of the reason why my relationship is with that person. The thought crosses your mind sometimes performing in straight clubs, there are sometimes guys where you might be tempted to put in a message that ‘You’ll come to room 204 twenty minutes after the show’ but I wouldn’t actu- ally do it.” While only 24, Knight has been performing for years and as with any kind of improvised work, has many funny stories to tell. People have run from the stage chasing their penis, bruised their knees from orgasming, and one participant in a wheelchair started racing towards the end of the stage towards what he thought was an alien. Despite Knight putting him under, his chair kept going and Knight and his assistant had to dive to catch him. ”I have really dropped my microphone numerous times in laughter, or had to walk off stage to catch my composure. The show for me is as enjoyable as it is for the audience, and you can’t help but burst out in laughter. For example, I had as girl with very large breasts who had to go to the bathroom, and told her that when she came out of the bathroom her breasts would be fl at. She came out of the bathroom she looked like her puppy dog had died. I asked what was wrong and she said ‘They’re gone. They’re gone, and they were bought and paid for.’ The last show we did at Twisted Element (bar owner) Cliff told me not to hypnotize his bartenders. I told him I wouldn’t, not knowing that some of his bartenders were already on stage hypnotized. I told everyone on stage that when they heard a piece of music they would drop everything and run to the stage. Sure enough, three of the bartenders were work- ing after the show, the music played and they dropped their drinks they were serving, left the tills open and went running to the stage. Poor RJ and Cliff both had to be behind the bar bartending.” It’s been a fun journey for Knight, who is looking forward to continuing his work this summer with both his own show and The Coming Out Tour. ”I started young but I am glad because I learned so much. With hypnosis a huge part of it is the belief factor, your audience has to believe you have the knowledge to hypnotize people. Hypnosis is called a power but it is just knowledge, the same knowledge anyone could go to the library and learn. Within half an hour I can give someone the knowledge on how to hypnotize someone. People come up to me and say ‘Were you born with the ability to do this?’ No, I read some fricken books and went to school. The magic is where being an enter- tainer comes in, to make people see it as magic.

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 13 14 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 The Oblongs Angus Oblong’s Exhibition at QUAB Gallery

By Rob Diaz-Marino Review | Art Angus Oblong’s series of dark and twisted tales in the guise of children’s books, “Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales”, are just the foundation of his warped empire. Together with Bruce Helford (The Drew Carey Show, Roseanne), Angus brought us his bizarre view of the world to Television in the animated series, The Oblongs. Featuring the vocal talents of Will Ferrell as Bob Oblong, The Oblongs serves as a portrayal of an unusual nuclear family whose physical challenges may have more to do with society’s ills than we want to admit. the characters. There’s the father Bob Oblong who is missing his arms and legs, mother Pickles Oblong who wears massive For anyone that’s seen the cartoon show, it is hard to forget wigs to cover her bald head, Biff and Chip the competitive Siamese twin brothers, Beth the baby with the lumpy stalk growing out the top of her head, and Milo who suffers from attention defi cit disorder. But wait, there’s more! QUAB Gallery will be hosting Angus’ 1st Canadian exhibition from May 1st to 27th. Angus himself will be present for a book signing at their reception on May 4th (5-8pm), along with 2 free live comedy events with FUN- NYFEST Calgary Comedy Festival. It’s sure to be a hoot! QUAB Gallery Art Central #202 100 7th Ave SW (403) 261-2855 www.quab.ca

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 15 Events Listing Find out what’s happening

shown. Student Rates unavailable 8pm to 4am 1127 - 17 Ave SW • (403) 244-6537 O20 Brian Mahoney & John McNeill Calgary Listing Weekends. 4310 - 17 Ave SE • (403) 273-2701 See our ad on page 32 Accommodations Calgary’s largest selection of adult DVD, VHS, toys #10, 6020 - 1A St SW • (403) 259-4141 O and magazines. Re/Max Reality Professionals Foxwood B&B 12 Businesses 1725 - 12 St SW • (403) 244-6693 B&D Emporium Inc. O14 Courtney Sebree Aarbo O24 Alykhan Velji Accommodation review in GayCalgary.com See our ad on page 45 See our ad on page 24 See our ad on page 13 Magazine August 2004 - Issue 10 Business review in GayCalgary.com Magazine July 1138 Kensington Road NW • (403) 571-5120 (403) 617-2406 http://www.thefoxwood.com 2004 - Issue 9 http://www.csalaw.ca Interior Decorator Westways Guest House O13 829 17th Ave SW • (403) 265-7789 Business review in GayCalgary.com Magazine 216 - 25 Ave SW • (403) 229-1758 http://www.bndemporium.com August 2004 - Issue 10 Adult Depot Accommodation review in GayCalgary.com Adult clothing store and accessories specializing in Barristers & solicitors See our ad on page 7 Magazine June 2004 - Issue 8 fetish, leather, latex, Gothic, punk, and corsets. 140, 58th Ave SW •(403) 258-2777 Christopher Wittke, AMP http://www.gaywestways.com 1514 14th St SW •(403) 264-7399 O23 Barbies Shop O48 (403) 451-8648 • Toll Free (877) 718-0884 Bathhouse and Sauna’s Sex toys, and Straight, Bi, Gay video rentals See our ad on page 27 Mortgage Agent http://www.adultdepotstore.com 1518 4th Street SW • (403) 262-8265 Goliath’s O6 Cruiseline Adult clothing store, shoes, Gothic, punk, fetish, See our ad on page 9 Adult Source See our ad on page 64 custom corsettes and more. 308 - 17 Ave SW • (403) 229-0911 Business review in GayCalgary.com Magazine (403) 777-9494 trial code 3500 Open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day October 2004 - Issue 12 Bay, the O29 http://www.cruiseline.ca 7 Days a Week, Specials on Lockers and Single 10210 MacLeod Trail S • (403) 271-7848 200 - 8th Ave SW • (403) 262-0345 Phone chat room & talking classifieds for 18+ Rooms for Students. Valid student ID must be 1536 - 16 Ave NW • (403) 289-4203 http://www.hbc.com 2770 - 32 Ave NE • (403) 250-8225

16 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 Deva Dave Salon O32 More Better Buses Wedding Commissioner Sunday - Beer Bust 4-8pm. Two Big Beef bones 4th Floor, (403) 651-1692 $5.95. $2.00 Draft (12oz) Canadian. Thomas Cook Travel 1304 4th Street SW • (403) 290-1973 Providing unique, comfortable & affordable Wednesday - Free Pool See our ad on page 35 http://www.devadave.com transportation. Charter us for: High School Thursday - Get Boned. Two Big Beef bones $5.95 Wade Wiley Graduations, Senior Groups, Pub Crawls and and Wing Night. 20 cents per wing Doug R. Glasser (403) 253-8494 Sporting Events Friday - Dark Night - “Feel your way around and See our ad on page 15 The Woman’s Bookshop come in the Dark” 9625 MacLeod Trail SW • (403) 278-2900 Priape Calgary O16 2030 34th Ave SW • (403) 240-3210 Toonie Sundays (First and last Sunday of every Re/Max Reality Professionals See our ad on page 16 Books, Gifts, Art for both Women and Men. Pride month) - $2 Pizza Slices and $2 Draft 1322 - 17 Ave SW • (403) 215-1800 Ho Ho Ho Inc. O38 products. Business review in GayCalgary.com Magazine May Loading Dock O7 CLOSED 2nd Floor, 2004 - Issue 7 Z-Group 318 - 17 Ave SW Scotia Centre Downtown• (403) 398-4685 http://www.priape.com Voice over IP (VOIP) phone service and long The Christmas Store Clothing and accessories. Adult toys, leather wear, distance Metro the Club O8 CLOSED Kimmie’s Mobile Massage movies and magazines. Gifts. (403) 770-1940 213 - 10 Ave SW (403) 999-2070 Professional Relaxation Massage Professional massage therapists that come to your Money-Pennies O9 See our ad on page 37 home or office Clubs and Bars See our ad on page 25 (403) 510-7572 1742 - 10 Ave SW • (403) 263-7411 La Fleur O41 Male to Male massage by appointment only O BackLot 3 Open Mon-Fri 11:00am-close; Sat & Sun 10: See our ad on page 13 See our ad on page 23 Rev. Nadene Rogers 30am-close #103 - 100 7th Avenue SW See our ad on page 7 209 - 10 Ave SW • (403) 265-5211 Business review in GayCalgary.com Magazine (403) 266-1707 Open 7 days a week, 4pm-close (403) 247-0602 January 2004 - Issue 3 Florist Shop Business review in GayCalgary.com Magazine March http://www.weddingsmyway.com http://www.money-pennies.com 2004 - Issue 13 MaxWell Reality - Dale Erickson GayCalgary.com Internet Terminal Location* Marriage Commissioner GayCalgary.com Internet Terminal Location* (403) 253-5678 O Russell’s Cobalt O45 Pulse (Formerly Detour) /Arena 5 CLOSED MaxWell Real Estate Agent Calgary Eagle Inc. O4 318 - 17 Ave SW See our ad on page 23 See our ad on page 35 MFM Communications 735 12th Avenue SW • (403) 228-7822 424a - 8 Ave SE • (403) 263-5847 See our ad on page 44 The Rekroom O10 CLOSED Hair & Aesthetics Open Wed-Sun 5pm-close (403) 543-6970 213a - 10 Ave SW Business review in GayCalgary.com Magazine http://www.mfmcommunications.com Sol Sourced Weddings February 2004 - Issue 4 Web site hosting and development. Computer See our ad on page 8 Texas Lounge O6 http://www.calgaryeagle.com Hardware and Software. (403) 270-9480 See our ad on page 50 http://www.solsourcedweddings.com GayCalgary.com Internet Terminal Location* 308 - 17 Ave SW • (403) 229-0911

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 17 Open 7 days a week, 11am-close for non-members. 26-week Annual membership Rehearsals for the Calgary Men’s Chorus will now Swim Club. Check the GayCalgary.com web site for updated are available take place weekly on Wednesday nights and will Non-Profit review in GayCalgary.com Magazine event calendar information. resume on March 1 at 7:00pm. Rehearsals will be Rainbow Riders Bowling League - Let’s 10 Pin March 2005 - Issue 17 Business review in GayCalgary.com Magazine located at Woodcliff United Church, 5010 Spruce Bowlerama, 2916 5 Avenue NE, Wednesday’s at 6: November 2004 - Issue 13 Drive SW (just north of Bow Trail on 50th Street Wednesday - 7:00 to 8:00 PM at YWCA (Fitness 30pm. Season is from September to April. League SW). on Fifth), 320 - 5 Avenue S.E. not the Eau Claire Tuesdays - Karaoke fees are $15.00 per Night. Shoe rental is $2.00 YMCA $5.00 Wednesdays - Hi-Ball Specials Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition / Coalition Unity Bowling League - Let’s 10 Pin Bowlerama, Sunday - 6:00 to 7:00 PM YWCA (Fitness on Fifth), Saturdays - Karaoke santé arc-en-ciel Canada 2916 5 Avenue NE, Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Season 320 - 5 Avenue S.E. not the Eau Claire YMCA $5.00 Sundays - Beer Specials (selected brands) See our ad on page 29 begins September 18, 2005. League fees are P.O. Box / C.P. 3043 Don’t Buy In Project $15.00 per day. Shoe rental is $2.00 Saskatoon SK Canada S7K 3S9 http://www.dontbuyin.ca Twisted Element O33 Apollo Curling League - 15th season of Apollo 306-955-5135 This Calgary Police Service Initiative aims to 1006 11th Ave SW - Front Entrance• (403) Curling will began in October 2005, with the same toll -free / sans frais 1-800-955-5129 encourage youth to working towards an inclusive 802-0230 general format as last year. Games are at the North fax/ télécopieur 306-955-5132 environment in which diversity is embraced in their See our ad on page 5 and 63 Hill Curling Club (1201 - 2 Street N.W.) with two http://www.rainbowhealth.ca schools and community. Wednesday to Sundays 9:00pm to close draws on Saturdays: 2:20 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. and http://www.santearc-en-ciel.ca http://www.twistedelement.ca Egale Canada at the Inglewood Golf and Curling Club, Saturdays GayCalgary.com Internet Terminal Location* CBCA Sexual and Reproductive Wellness Centre #310, 396 Cooper at 12:30 p.m 304, 301 14th Street NW Ottawa, ON K2P 2H7 Twisted Element Lounge O33 Inner-City Volleyball - YWCA, 320 - 5th Avenue (403) 283-5580 1-888-204-7777 toll free See our ad on page 5 and 63 SE, Sundays, 4:00 - 6:30PM. Cost: Apollo yearly http://www.cbca.ab.ca Stephen Lock – Regional Co-Director (Male) 1006 11th Ave SW - Backdoor Entrance • (403) membership: $15. 12 week league fee: $55. CBCA offers counselling and educational services Prairies/NWT/Nunavut 802-0230 Drop-in Fee: $6 Apollo members. $8 Non-Apollo that help people consider their sexual and (403) 708-5302 cell phone Tuesday to Friday 4:00pm to close Members reproductive choices in informed and responsible www.egale.ca Saturday and Sunday 9:00pm to close, use front ways. [email protected] entrance Outdoor Pursuits - WE DO IT OUTDOORS. Skiing, RU a lesbian, gay, bisexual, two-spirited or queer http://www.twistedelement.ca hiking, camping, biking. Any outdoor sports. Why Egale Canada is the national advocacy and lobby youth, ages 17-24? RU interested in helping make do it alone when you can do it with a group. organization for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, Calgary a safer place for people of diverse sexual Weekends and weekdays, all year round. Drop trans-identified people and our families. Community Groups and Organizations orientation? If UR, we are looking for dynamic us a line. Membership fees are pay-what-you-can, although volunteers for our Anti-Homophobia Program. Aids Calgary O2 pre-authorized monthly donors are encouraged (and This program is intended to raise awareness 200, 1509 Centre St South • (403) 508-2500 ARGRA – Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo get a free Egale Canada t-shirt). Egale has several and understanding among students about the Non-Profit review in GayCalgary.com Magazine Association committees that meet by teleconference on a experiences of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, two spirited, March 2004 - Issue 5 See our ad on page 34 regular basis; membership on these is national with transgendered, queer and questioning youth. If http://www.aidscalgary.org Hotline: (403) 541-8140 members from every region of Canada. http://www.argra.org you are interesting in sharing your experiences with Alpine Frontrunners Club Calgary Non Profit Group review in GayCalgary.com other youth, and are available days, please call us Fake Mustache (403) 660-6125 Magazine June 2004 - Issue 8 at 283-5580 and ask for an Educator or contact Calgary’s ONLY Drag King Show [email protected] Soda Lounge: 211 - 12th Ave S.W. Artists for the Quality of Life [email protected].. (403) 923-3953 The AFCC was formed in 1991 after individuals who (403) 890-1261 Choices [email protected] participated in the Gay Games in Vancouver decided http://www.artistsforqualityoflife.com (403) 508-2500 Ext. 107 or A benefit show for the Miscellaneous Youth Network, they wanted to form a club to promote health and Between Men and Between Men Online [email protected] Fake Mustache is guaranteed to please! Come see fitness in the gay community. Sean (403) 234-8973 or [email protected] http://www.m2mchoices.ca/ our boys strut their stuff at Soda, the first Thursday The club has a membership of approximately 20. http://www.glcsa.org/ Choices provides tailored prevention and education. of every month (May 4th) and twice in Pride, on These members are active in Team Calgary which Peer support, sexual health education for gay Choices employs a harm reduction philosophy to June 8th and June 22nd. $5 cover. $2 cover under supports athletes going to the Gay Games. or bisexual men, as well as those who may be educate men and HIV/AIDS and STDs, so they are 18. Advance tickets availabel at Barbies Shop. The AFCC hosts a Pride Run as part of Gay Pride uncertain or questioning their sexuality. Discussions able to make the best decisions for themselves. Week, every June (on Father’s Day). As well, we All Ages show starts at 7:30. 18+ show starts range from personal relationship or life issues, to send teams to the Banff Mountain Ekiden race Different Strokes at 10:15. sexual health and well-being. held the Saturday after Canadian Thanksgiving http://www.differentstrokescalgary.org in October. Mondays - Meetings at Money-Pennies from 7pm Gay Prairie Alumni AFCC Fun Runs: Tuesdays. Eau Claire YMCA. 200 to 8:30pm Barklay Parade SW (4th street and 3rd ave SW) Calgary Humane Society June thru October, at 6 pm. Outdoors. See our ad on page 42 Saturdays. 9 am. Eau Claire YMCA. (403) 250-4455 Brunch follows; location varies. http://www.calgaryhumane.ca Join our mailing list: calgaryfrontrunners@coo llist.com Animal Adoptions and for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Apollo Calgary Friends in Sports Non-Profit review in GayCalgary.com Magazine April Calgary Gay Fathers 2004 - Issue 6 (403) 777-9499 ext 2090 http://www.apollocalgary.com [email protected] http://www.geocities.com/calgaryfathers Badminton - at Western Canada High School (641 17th Ave. SW), Sunday afternoons in the MAIN Peer support group for gay, bisexual and GYM, 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Drop-in Fee: $8 for questioning fathers. Meeting twice a month each 2.5 hour session for Apollo members or $10 Calgary Men’s Chorus (403) 262-6295 http://www.calgarymenschorus.org

18 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gayprairiealumni/ safe environment with a variety of resources and and elsewhere. It is a fabric rainbow banner May 20 - Coffee Hour at Timothy’s 1610 – 10 St. This group is for all gay/lesbian/transgendered activities. approximately 5 feet wide, and the goal is to make S.W. Meet at 10:00 AM alumni of Prairie Bible Institute and/or Prairie it 3.2km (2 miles) long, in order to break the world ISCCA – Imperial Sovereign Court of the May 23 – Bridge Night at Neil’s . Please call Neil High School in Three Hills, Alberta. It’s purpose record (set by a group in Florida at 1.25 miles)! Chinook Arch if you wish to attend. Meet at MoneyPennies for is twofold: First, social -- to renew old friendships It contains the 6 colours of the pride flag: Red, See our ad on page 7 and 13 their Tuesday Special prior to cards and make new ones. Second -- to talk about Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple. The project http://www.iscca.ca our common experiences as gay people at a is youth run, but anyone can help!. May 24 – Free Pool at the Eagle Non-Profit review in GayCalgary.com Magazine fundamentalist school. Any other questions, please November 2003 - Issue 1 and December 2003 Primetimers Calgary May 26 - Fairy Tales Film Festival Begins Updates feel free to ask. - Issue 2 Crowns for Kids E-mail: [email protected] to follow. Girl Friends http://www.primetimerscalgary.com Integrity Calgary May 27 – Coffee Hour at Timothy’s 1610 – 10 St. http://members.shaw.ca/girlfriends http://members.aol.com/DWFrancis/integrity.html Prime Timers Calgary is designed to foster social S.W. Meet at 10:00 AM - ARGRA Dance Girlsgo Productions interaction for its members through a variety of Worship – Every Second Sunday of the month at May 28 - Dinner at the Eagle Dinner served around (403) 510-2502 social, educational and recreational activities. It 7pm. Meet at St Stephen’s Anglican Church, 1121 6:00PM http://www.girlsgo.ca is open to all gay and bisexual men over forty and - 14 Ave SW. Christian fellowship for gay, lesbians, Event production and promotion in Alberta for respects whatever degree of anonymity that each May 30 - Pumphouse Theatre Production of “Hair” bisexuals and our friend and family. women. Check online for fun things to do! member desires. Curtain time 7:30PM. Tickets available at 263- Kitty Group 0079. Meet at MoneyPennies for their Tuesday GLASS, Gay & Lesbian Association of Students May 2 - Card night at Harvey & Tony’s If you wish Phone: Nico (403) 605-6597 evening dinner special and then on to the theatre. and Staff to attend please confirm with them at 547-9129 E-mail: [email protected] PF4255 in the Professional Faculties Building, . We will meet at MoneyPennies around 6:00PM May 31 – Free Pool at the Eagle University of Calgary A social group for womyn – Every First Saturday of for their Tuesday evening dinner special and then http://www.ucalgary.ca/~glass the month at 7pm. At The Good Earth Café, 1504 on to cards. Rocky Mountain Bears (403) 220-6394 - 11 Ave SW May 3 – Free Pool at the Eagle Non-Profit review in GayCalgary.com Magazine Non-Profit review in GayCalgary.com Magazine Knox United Church January - Issue 3 October 2004 - Issue 12 May 6 – Coffee Hour at Timothy’s 1610 – 10 St. 506 - 4th Street S.W. • (403) 269-8382 http://www.rockymountainbears.com S.W. Meet at 10:00 AM - International Dining Out http://www.knoxunited.ab.ca/ GLCSA - Gay And Lesbian Community Services - Bali Indonesian Restaurant. Contact Phil if you Monday, May 8 – Coffee Night at the Good Earth Association O1 Knox United Church is an all-inclusive church wish to attend. Corner of 11 St and 15 Ave. S.W. 8:00 p.m. 206, 223 - 12 Ave SW, Old “Y” Centre located in downtown Calgary. A variety of facility May 7 - Monthly Gathering at the Old “Y” 223 Thursday, May 11 - Pride Parade Float Planning (403) 234-8973 rentals are also available for meetings, events and – 12 Ave. S.W. Meeting starts at 4:00PM. Dinner Meeting 7:30 p.m. Non-Profit review in GayCalgary.com Magazine concerts. to follow at the Eagle. February 2004 - Issue 4 Saturday, May 27 - Bar Night at The Eagle Worship Services http://www.glcsa.org May 10 – Free Pool at the Eagle Wednesdays - Communion Service 12:10 pm Safety Under The Rainbow Heading Out Sundays - 11:00 a.m. September to June May 12 - Spring Bonnet Potluck at the Old “Y”. See our ad on page 7 Sean (403) 234-8973 or [email protected] Sundays - 10:30 a.m. in summer July and August. Doors open at 6:00PM and dinner to be served http://www.safetyrainbow.ca http://www.glcsa.org/ around 7:00PM . Decorate a spring hat , prepare a New Directions Mission: To raise awareness and understanding of dish and come out to our 1st annual Spring Bonnet Peer group for men who are looking for an (403) 234-8973 or [email protected] same-sex domestic violence and homophobic youth Potluck . Best hat awards and dance to follow. If alternative social activity to the bar. Activities vary http://www.glcsa.org/ bullying. you would like to attend please contact Len to let and are fun and entertaining. The group meets Drop in peer/social support group to provide support him know what dish you will be bringing. Project Areas: the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month from 7 pm and resources for individuals who identify as to 9 pm. May 13 – Coffee Hour at Timothy’s 1610 – 10 St. Partnerships – Create partnerships with like-minded transgendered, transsexual or inter-sexed. Social S.W. Meet at 10:00 AM groups. Organize a meeting to discuss a province- HIV Peer Support Group support meetings 1st Friday of every month from 7 wide cross-sector entity addressing domestic (403) 230-5832 pm to 11 pm and peer support meetings 3rd Friday May 16 - Pumphouse Theatre Production of “Play violence and homophobic bullying. [email protected] of every month from 7 pm to 9 pm at GLCSA. It Again Sam” Curtain time 8:00PM. Tickets available at 253-2002. Meet at MoneyPennies for Training - Develop and pilot training modules that Illusions Calgary Powder and Pride their Tuesday evening dinner special and then on address GLBTT domestic violence and homophobic #206, 223 - 12th Ave. S.W.• (403) 234-8973 http://www.ubproductions.com to the theatre. youth bullying. See the website or contact the office http://www.glcsa.org Pride Calgary for information on the next training session. May 17 – Free Pool at the Eagle Social group for Calgary and area transgender See our ad on page 49 Research – Conduct an enviro-scan of services and community members (cross dressers, transvestites, (403) 262-3410 drag kings and queens). Illusions provides a safe, Non-Profit review in GayCalgary.com Magazine May discrete and welcoming atmosphere, in which 2004 - Issue 7 transgendered people can meet others of like mind. http://www.pridecalgary.ca Illusions offers discretion, acceptance, compassion Pride Parade and Street Festival - Sunday June and a safe place to express your gender. Cross- 11, 2006 dressing is the purpose of the group, but is not mandatory. Xist 2006, Pride Dance and Cabaret - Saturday June 17, 2006 Inside Out 206, 223 - 12 Ave SW, Old “Y” Centre• (403) Pride Rainbow Project 234-8973 [email protected] http://www.glcsa.org http://www.priderainbowproject.com Peer-facilitated youth group for GLBTQ ages 15-25. The Pride Rainbow Project was started in Fall 2003 The group aims to let youth know they are not by 4 youth of the Unitarian Church of Calgary. alone, and to connect them with their peers. Every The Pride Rainbow Project is a project designed Monday, 7 pm to 9pm at GLCSA. It is a funky and to show support for same-sex marriage in Canada

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 19 support available to GLBTT family violence and YouthSafe Vincent in Brixton has captivated audiences on Robert who is married to the excitable Amy. The abuse victims. http://www.youthsafe.net London’s West End and Broadway. The play won whole family has gathered for Robert’s retirement the BBC Award for Best New Play at the 2003 party from the Police force. The ladies are busy Directory – Publish a province-wide directory of Alberta’s website for youth with sex-and-gender Olivier Awards and was nominated for a Tony Award trying to keep the party going and their husbands services and supports addressing same-sex domestic differences. Youthsafe.net lists the resources, for Best New Play. out of trouble. As the Men are battling over the violence and homophobic bullying. information and services to help youth find safe and music selections Frank wants to hear crooners caring spaces in Alberta. Broadway Across Canada Survey – Conduct a survey on how same-sex from the 50’s and 60’s, Robert loves the 70’s and http://www.broadwayacrosscanada.ca domestic violence and homophobic bullying affects Restaurants Raymond demands the 80’s! So what happens GLBTT individuals. Contact the office if you would be Calgary Eagle Inc. O4 July 5 - July 30, 2006 - Phantom of the Opera at when Ray’s Mother Marie announces that they all willing to fill out this survey. See our ad on page 35 the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium are going to have to live together under one roof? Sharp Foundation 424a - 8 Ave SE • (403) 263-5847 Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Looks Could Kill Art Boutique Phone: (403) 272-2912 Open Tues-Sun 4pm-close http://www.cpo-live.com • (403) 571-0849 Art Central, lower level #11, 100 7th Ave SW • E-mail: [email protected] Restaurant review in GayCalgary.com Magazine Fairytales International Gay & Lesbian Film (403) 264-7576 http://www.thesharpfoundation.com December 2003 - Issue 2 http://www.calgaryeagle.com Festival Now showing Racetrack Jewellery and Clothing by SHEQ Soulful Healing Ego Quest GayCalgary.com Internet Terminal Location* See our ad on page 9 and 50 Jennifer McCaw, and Tattoo Jewellery by Cherry (403) 234-8973 or [email protected] http://www.fairytalesfilmfest.com Pie. Soon available: copies of “How To Fake An http://www.glcsa.org/ Haddock & Hoof’s Orgasm”, “ Watching Lesbian Porn” and more 3851 17th Avenue SW Friday May 26 videos as well as “Landscape” prints by Dayna A workshop for women that want to be themselves (403) 242-0522 7:00 - Small Town Gay Bar - Opening Gala (after McLeod. in a supportive, safe environment. It is a chance Specializing in Fresh East Coast Seafood party @ Twisted Element) 9:30 - Garcon Stupide to grow and share their experiences related to New Gallery O25 women’s sexuality. Runs for a ten week period on Money-Pennies O9 Saturday May 27 516D - 9 Ave SW • (403) 233-2399 Thursdays at 7pm. Call Trudy or Krista at 585- See our ad on page 25 Open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm 12:30 - CDN Shorts Package (@ EMMEDIA) 7437. To participate, please call the exclusive 1742 - 10 Ave SW • (403) 263-7411 One Yellow Rabbit O35 SHEQ line at 585-7437 (you may leave a voice Business review in GayCalgary.com Magazine April 2:00 - Panel Discussion (Free @ EMMEDIA)) Big Secret Theatre – EPCOR CENTRE for the message for Trudy or Krista) or leave your name 2004 - Issue 6 Performing Arts • (403) 299-8888 and a contact time/number with the Gay & Lesbian GayCalgary.com Internet Terminal Location* 4:30- Thirza Cuthand Retrospective (@ EMMEDIA) 7:00 - Whole New Thing 9:30 - Pick Up the Mic http://www.oyr.org Community Services Association at 234-8973. Timothy’s Coffee O 27 1610 10th St SW • (403) 244-7750 Sunday May 28 QUAB Gallery Inc. O43 Speak Sebastian See our ad on page 4 http://www.cjsw.com Restaurant review in GayCalgary.com Magazine 7:00 - The Journey (after party @ Mango Shiva) 212, 100th 7th Avenue SW • (403) 261-2855 September 2004 - Issue 11 9:30 - Shorts Package #1 Radio Show – Every first & third Wednesday from Monday - Saturday: 7am to 11pm http://www.quab.ca 9-10pm. Radio for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, Sunday: 8am to 11pm Monday May 29 Pumphouse Theatre O37 trans gender and kink community. Listen on CJSW 2140 Pumphouse Avenue SW • (403) 263-0079 FM 90.9. Victoria’s Restaurant O18 CLOSED 7:00 - That Man: Peter Berlin (after party @ 306 - 17 Ave SW Escoba) 9:30 - Shorts Package #2 http://www.pumphousetheatres.ca Team Calgary May 3 - 13, 2006 http://www.teamcalgary.org Tuesday May 30 Theatre and Art Broad Minds Productions and Cappuccino Musical Urban Sex Alberta Ballet 7:00 - Gypo - Centerpiece Gala Theatre Presents Eve In the Joyce Doolittle Theatre http://www.cjsw.com http://www.albertaballet.com 9:30 - Family Matters (Doc. Pkg) Tickets $20.00 Adults, $13.00 Students/Seniors Plus $1.75 Service Charge, Tuesday to Saturday @ Radio Show – Every second & forth Wednesday 2006 Wednesday May 31 8:00 pm, Sunday matinee @ 2:00pm. For Tickets from 9-10pm. Focus on sexuality; gay bisexual Call 263-0079 lesbian trans gendered and straight issues here June 9 & 10, Calgary & Edmonton 7:00 - Quinceanera Eve is an imaginative musical retelling of the in Calgary and around the web. Listen on CJSW House & Garden Show 9:30 - Unveiled creation myth from the Bible, Torah and Koran, FM 90.9. ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects O36 Thursday June 1 which has dominated western culture for Millennia. Western Leather Federation Phone: (403) 294-7402 God wants to set the record straight and clear Eve’s Coffee Night – Wed, 8:30pm. At the Calgary Eagle. http://www.ATPlive.com 7:00 - Boy Culture - Closing Gala (after party @ name for the fall of mankind. Find out what really Escoba) 9:30 - Sevigne happened in the Garden of Eden and how Eve finds Womynspace VINCENT IN BRIXTON the key for getting humanity back to Paradise! This (403) 234-8973 or [email protected] The Globe Cinema O49 May 2 – 20, 2006 original production, written by an Alberta playwright http://www.glcsa.org/ 617 8th Avenue SW • (403) 262-3308 and composer, will be workshopped and premiered Before he discovers his talent, young Vincent www.globecinema.com Peer social/support group for women providing an Van Gogh must find himself. While working in as a co-production in Cappuccino Musical Theatre’s evening of fun, bonding, discussion and activities. London, Vincent secures lodgings with Ursula, her Call for showtimes and Broad Minds’ 2005-6 Season! Meets every Friday 7pm to 9pm at GLCSA. lovely daughter Eugenie, and fellow lodger and Jubilations Dinner Theatre May 12 - 20, 2006 Vigor Calgary artist, Sam. Vincent is drawn to Eugenie, but soon http://www.jubilations.ca Workshop Theatre Presents Play It Again Sam In the (403) 255-7004 develops a closer bond with Ursula whose life is 1002 - 37th Street SW, at the Westbrook Mall • Victor Mitchell Theatre http://www.vigorcalgary.ca/ shrouded in secrecy and sadness. As he pulls back (403) 249-7799 the veils of sorrow, Vincent discovers a muse whose Tickets $18 Adult, $12 Students/Seniors. Tuesday Violence in Gay Male Relationships (VIGOR) is a Everybody Loves Ray’s Mom to Saturday @ 8:00 pm, Sunday matinees @ 2: committee of professionals dedicated to increasing love transforms his life. Ursula’s grey world is in turn transformed by Vincent’s brilliant, colourful April 21 - June 18, 2006 30pm For Tickets Call 263-0079 the awareness of gay men’s domestic violence and A mild mannered film critic is dumped by his wife the services available to them. passion. Their relationship changes both their Ray Baritone is a successful sportswriter happily lives. Can they ignore social convention and family living on Long Island with his wife, Debra and and his ego is crushed. His hero persona is the Youth 4 Youth disapproval or will they be forced to part? their rarely seen children; daughter Ally and sons, tough guy played by Humphrey Bogart in many 102, 1212 - 1 St. S.E. • (403) 283-8591 Geoffrey and Micheal. They live right next door to of his movies and the apparition of Bogart begins http://www.youth4youth.com Basing his story on facts drawn from Vincent Van showing up to give him advice. Gogh’s biography and letters, England’s Nicholas their out spoken mother Marie and his caustic father Wright weaves a passionate tale of self-discovery. Frank. Ray also has a rather neurotic older brother

20 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 that location. socialize with great people! 7 – 9 pm at the Pride will follow at the end of each session. Call the Pride Skew Gallery O44 Centre of Edmonton 10010 109 St. Edm Ph: (780) Centre to register or for more details. 1615 10th Avenue SW • (403) 244-4445 488-3234 Dykes to Watch Out For! http://www.skewgallery.com Edmonton Listing Meditation Circle Discussion and Social Group Wednesdays (Feb 8, Stagewest Community Groups and Organizations Guided Meditation Group, Drop In - no charge Feb 22, March 8, March 22), Pride Centre (10010 727 42 Avenue SE • (403) 243-6642 Bears Movie Night to the public. Meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday – 109 St) 8:00 – 10:00 pm, Ph: (780) 488-3234 http://www.stagewestcalgary.com Bears club of Edmonton meets the last Sunday of of each month in Meeting Room A at the Pride A social and discussion group for gay women, the month for movies 1- 6 pm in the TV room at Centre of Edmonton 10010 109 St. Edm, Ph: dykes, lesbians and questioning women wanting to Jesus Christ Superstar, By Andrew Lloyd Webber the Pride Centre of Edmonton 10010 109 St. Edm (780) 488-3234, Facilitator Hanne Csanyi network, learn more about issues and interested in & Tim Rice Ph:488-3234 – [email protected] building community! Call Pride Centre to register, April 27 - July 2, 2006 or you can also just drop in for just one session! Trans Education/Support Group The HIV Positive Gay Men’s Group Raw, energetic, flamboyant and passionate, Jesus Support and education for all transsexual, Drop in caring circle every Thursday, 1-4 pm GLBT Seniors Drop IN Christ Superstar introduced Broadway to Andrew transgendered, intersexed, two-spirited and @ 7-9 pm in main area, at the Pride Centre of Every Wednesday Pride Centre (10010 – 109 St), Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice and the “ Rock Opera “. questioning individuals meets 1st, 3rd and last Edmonton 10010 109 St. Edm Ph: (780) 488- 10:30 am – 3:30 pm With its galvanizing, sung-through, contemporary Sunday of each month, 2-4 pm at the Pride Centre 3234 Facilitator: Mark, HIV Outreach The Pride Centre is thrilled to introduce a new rock score and cutting edge sensibility, this of Edmonton 10010 109 St. Edm Ph:488-3234 The HIV positive Gay Men’s Group is a place for program serving our GLBT seniors. Hosted by Jeff provocative retelling of the events of Christ’s last gay men to come and share their feelings on Bovee, contact the Centre at 488-3234 for more Trans Education/Support Group week on earth leading up to his crucifixion infuses how it is affecting their personal lives. This is a info. Support and education for all transsexual, one of the worlds’ best known stories with musical personal private time for them to express how it has transgendered, intersexed, two-spirited and In together Out Together Get Together theatre savvy. Featuring musical numbers such as changed their outlook on life. As well to support and questioning individuals meets 1st, 3rd and last A welcoming group for GLBT members in their “ I Don’t Know How To Love Him “, “ Everything’s help each other dealing with being HIV positive. Sunday of each month, 2-4 pm at the Pride Centre 20’s, 30’s & 40’s and their friends, in Edmonton, Alright” and “Jesus Christ Superstar “ Whatever is said in the room stays within the room. of Edmonton 10010 109 St. Edm Ph:488-3234 Alberta and surrounding area, for social activities Remember! You are not alone! Stride Gallery O47 and support through sharing. Hosted by Robert Sunday Night Mens Discussion Group 1004 MacLeod Trail SE • (403) 262-8507 Youth Understanding Youth Blatchford http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/ Mens social and discussion group meets every http://www.stride.ab.ca Youth support and social group meets every intogether Sunday @ 7 pm at the Pride Centre of Edmonton Saturday from 7 to 9 pm at the Pride Centre Theatre Junction 10010 109 St. Edm Ph: 488-3234, Contact: Rob Edmonton Listing provided by of Edmonton 10010 109 St. Edm Ph: http://www.theatrejunction.com Wells - [email protected] Moonfyre Cardinal (780) 488-3234 Contact: [email protected] Volunteer and Event Coordinator Truck Gallery O46 Monday Movie Night (www.members.shaw.ca/yuy ) Pride Centre of Edmonton 815 1st Street SW (Basement) • (403) 261-7702 Weekly movie nights, with themed movies and Womonspace 10010 109 st http://www.truck.com discussion afterwards at the Pride Centre of 1st Saturday of every month from 10 am to 1 Edmonton AB T5J 1M4 Edmonton 10010 109 St. Edm Ph:488-3234 Vertigo Mystery Theatre O34 pm at the Pride Centre of Edmonton 10010 109 780-488-3234 161, 115 – 9 Ave SE • (403) 221-3708 Womens Spirituality Group St. Edm Ph:488-3234 Contact Womonspace for http://www.vertigomysterytheatre.com Drumming Circle, meets 2nd Tues of every month details) Living Positive (Edmonton Persons Living with in the TV room @ 7 pm at the Pride Centre of HIV Society) Prime Timers If you would like to add your business or non-profit Edmonton 10010 109 St. Edm Ph:488-3234, #404, 10408 – 124 St. (780) 488-5768 Monthly Member Meetings at the Pride Centre of group to the list above, please call (403) 543- Facilitator: Kuaitzi http://www.edmlivingpositive.ca Edmonton 10010 109 St. Edm Ph:488-3234 6960 or E-mail [email protected]. You mon – wed 8:30 – 4:30 Bisexual Discussion Group can add your information to the GayCalgary.com Parents Rock the World Workshops Thurs 8:30 – 8:30 Open to drop in - Mixed social and discussion group directory on the website for free. PFLAG Canada: Edmonton Chapter - Workshop Fri 8:30 – noon meets the first and third Tuesday of every month GayCalgary.com endeavors to have the information Series Tuesdays (Feb 7, March 7, April 4, May Providing confidential one-on-one peer support for in Meeting Room A @ 7pm at the Pride Centre here as accurate as possible. Events and listings 2, June 6), Pride Centre (10010 – 109 St) 7:00 infected or affected individuals…. Peer facilitated of Edmonton 10010 109 St. Edm Ph:488-3234 can change at any time so it is recommended to – 10:00 p.m. Ph: (780) 488-3234 Facilitator: Vanessa - edmbigroup@yahoogrou check with the establishment before you head out. A series of workshops for Parents of Gay, Lesbian, ps.com Non-Profit groups free listings. Business receive a Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning children. listing once an ad has been placed. The business Community Potluck Dinner Each session will feature a 30 – 45 minute listing will last 1 year after the last ad is placed Everyone welcome. Second Tues of every month topic specific presentation, followed by a group unless there is a GayCalgary.com service located at bring the family and share good food and a discussion. Social time for sharing and networking

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 21 22 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 Gay Legalese Sexual Harassment

By Darryl Aarbo

Sexual harassment is one of the most common forms of discrimination in the work place. Unfor- tunately, bad behaviour in not limited to hetero- sexuals - it can happen between two men or two women, as much as between men and women. The Human Rights Commission defi nes sexual harassment as any unwelcome behaviour, sexual in nature, that adversely affects or threatens to affect, directly or indirectly, a person’s job security, working conditions or prospects for promotion or earnings. Sexual harassment is usually at attempt by one person to exert power over someone else. It can be perpetrat- ed by a supervisor, by a co-worker, by a landlord or a service provider. Sexual harassment is prohibited by Human Rights legis- lation. It is actually considered discrimination based upon gender. It can include many things: unwanted jokes, verbal abuse, leering, touching, assault, demands for sexual favours and the displaying of offensive imagines in the workplace. If you feel that you have been (or are) a victim of sexual harassment, remember that you have rights. You should fi rst advise the offender, or a person of authority, that the actions are unwelcome. If the offender is a person in authority then you need to go higher up the corporate ladder or try the hu- man resources department if one exists. If the situation per- sists then you should contact a lawyer or the Human Rights Commission. You may have a complaint under the legislation, but you may also have a claim for wrongful dismissal. If the harassment is a continuing matter or you are not sure because there are lots of little signs, then keep a diary of ev- erything that happens and when. Those little things can add up to a big case later on. Obviously, if both parties consent to a sexual relationship when they work together then that relationship is not con- sidered sexual harassment. If one person is a supervisor or manager and the other person is not, then the person with the higher position needs to be very careful to ensure that it is a consensual relationship. Finally, harassment that is not “sexual” in nature is not illegal under Human Rights legislation, but it may still be prohibited by general workplace policies. If you think that this applies to you then you should talk to someone in human resources. Darryl A. Aarbo If you wish to send in a letter, please email it to legaladvice@gaycalgary .com. Darryl A. Aarbo can be directly reached at Courtney Sebree Aarbo, Barristers & Solicitors, 1138 Kensington Road NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 3P3. Visit their website at http://www.csalaw.ca. Phone (403) 571-5133. Fax: (403) 571-5134 Other than the question, all personal information (i.e. name, address, E-mail) will remain confidential. GayCalgary.com Magazine does reserve the right to alter questions for brevity and content. gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 23 24 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 Q Scopes “Trust in friends, Cancer!”

By GayCalgary.com Magazine Staff Lifestyle | Astrology The passionate, energetic grand trine of Jupiter, Uranus, and Mars is being grounded by Mercury in confi dent and satisfi ed helps! Taurus. That suggests a productive engine is needed to harness all that steam! But be careful of the SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): Confusion Sun-Neptune square that distorts perspective and at home disturbs your self-confi dence - but this infl ates egos. is good. You need a new perspective and a challenge to your creativity. Experiment! Novel approaches will reaffi rm both your relationship and your self-assurance.

ARIES (March 20 - April 19): However noble their intentions, your friends can too easily SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 20): steer you wrong, especially if money is involved. Trust more You’re especially vulnerable to accidents now. in whatever passions come out of your soul and your roots. Your challenge is to stay focused on work, but not so much Sexual passions? Perhaps, but look for something deeper. that you ignore hazards. Wild, spontaneous sex in parts of your home you hadn’t considered before will help you keep balance. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Misunderstand- ings with your boss - or with your underlings, if you are the boss - can throw you into a tizzy. Assurances CAPRICORN (December 21 - January 19): Im- from your partner are sincere, but sound routine. Affi rmation pulse spending, gambling, and investments are from friends, siblings, or neighbors put you back on top of the all to be avoided now. Instead, enjoy time with friends, playing world. and talking about things that really matter to you. Let your hair down and express feelings you normally wouldn’t.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 20): Shake out any old religious or philosophical qualms that may be AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): People plaguing you. When in doubt, choose pragmatic teaching. often ask who the heck you are and where you Inspiration from spiritual wisdom should be helpful in the real came from. Now you’re wondering yourself. Find purpose and world. direction in your work. Your dedication will pay off more than you expect! CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Libidinous urges, especially under chemical infl uence, are sure to PISCES (February 19 - March 19): Be very careful be trouble. Trust in your friends to keep you grounded, espe- not to reveal personal secrets accidentally. Private cially when pursuing fun and adventure - they’ll help you stay time with a journal offers a good release. So do philosophical safe, and the excitement will be so much more real! issues - assert your views on religion, politics, art, or whatever stirs your passions. Don’t take your opinions or anyone else’s LEO (July 23 - August 22): This is your time to too seriously. Treat it all as a game. shine professionally. Mixed signals from your partner, or confusion in searching for one, can throw you off your game. Clearing up domestic issues and/or engaging in sexual exploration will set things right.

VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): In any argu- ment, stick to what you know and can depend on. Going out on a limb with your ideals will only get you into trouble. Your partner will back you up when you least expect it. Your friends mean well, but let their intentions be enough.

LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): Sexual com- mitment should take precedence but not rule out sexual playfulness. Stay clear about your technique, skills, values, and reputation. Even if private pleasures remain be- hind closed doors, they will affect your public image. Looking

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 25 Adult Film Review

By Jerome Voltero Review | Adult Male “Turned On: Manplay 23” by Titan Media hot, with the familiar faces of Jon Galt and Chad Williams. How many homos does it With furry and muscular guys, hot uniforms (or lack there take to screw in a light bulb? of), rough and sweaty sex, and spectacular cum shots, this The answer is two – one movie gets my deepest praise. It delivers all of that without to do all the work, and the taking things too far into the heavy kink. other to be waiting to inex- “Dawson’s 50 Load plicably engage the other in Weekend – Part 2” by Trea- sex once he gets down from sure Island Media the ladder! I reviewed part 1 last All in all I quite enjoyed month and had the same this porno even though it problem. Jizz is not a dish didn’t really have anyone best served cold, and yet that would be classifi ed as they save up cup-fulls for a bear. It consisted of three later insertion with a funnel scenes, each with two or and a hose – and anything more cum shots. The fi rst his rear end can’t hold, he was the fi xing-the-light-bulb scene, where a VERY cute puppy has to drink! It is with the (Derrick Hanson) plays with smooth stud Troy Gamaun. Al- greatest sarcasm that I say though Derrick is hairless on his chest and stomach, his cute “Yummy!” face and goatee ensured that my fur fancy was still tickled. Next was the twink scene, which admittedly I went through At least the scenery at 8X. Sorry, the young Brad Star and token oriental Niko changes from the hotel room Reeves just didn’t do it for me – though granted both were of part 1. Dawson goes for a couple of rounds with some pretty muscular. leather men in a dungeon, even donning a harness himself. Gee, that armband on the right was no surprise. Then he Last was the fur scene…oddly enough this still didn’t over- returns to a room in a different hotel to resume servicing the shadow Derrick in scene 1 despite the hairy chests. I guess lineup of sperm donors. this proves I’m more of a face man – although daddy Josh West had it, the furry Ford Tuff and Joey Caruso just didn’t. Again we had a good range of guys – rough leather men, That being said, it still made for a pretty hot 3 way! big-dicked twinks, and average guys who refused to show their faces on camera. At one point Dawson gets so turned on by “Slammer” by Titan one of the guys that he decides to turn the tables and fuck Media him! I don’t blame him, the guy he chose was bloody hot. Be- This fi lm is meant to be a sides, it is not like Dawson has had the chance of getting his seedy prison-sex movie, and rocks off yet throughout this whole ordeal. the wide selection of manly “If you think he stops at 50 loads you don’t know Dawson.” men truly took my breath Indeed, Dawson does end up overshooting his goal…but man, away. One of the big stars you really must have a cum fetish to not feel disgusted by a of this fi lm is Dred Scott – a couple of the scenes in this fi lm. Luckily pornos are not usu- gorgeous man to boot, with ally designed to be watched in their entirety, so I would sug- some very unique tattoos gest fi nding the scenes that you like and sticking with them. on his ribs. He plays the corrupt prison manager who Dawson’s 50-Load Weekend part 2 likes to use his position of Treasure Island Media authority to sexually domi- www.treasureislandmedia.com nate his prisoners. Adult Depot In the fi rst scene, Scott Over 2500 Gay Titles for Sale or Rent gets alarmingly rough with See their special this month on Discontinued DVD Rentals (Page Josh O’hara, leading to some major banging on his desk. Pris- 11) on guard Papi Moreno watches from the sidelines, playing with 1514B 14th Street SW – (403) 264-7399 his very thick cock. As for Jake Marshall in the second scene 140 – 58th Ave SW – (403) 258-2777 – MAN does he know how to work that tongue! Seeing his www.adultdepotstore.com scruffy salt-and-pepper goatee on Raul Tasco’s juicy manhood really got my blood pumping. The scenes to follow are just as [email protected]

26 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 Anti-Bullying Law Passed by Regina City Council

By Stephen Lock Community | Spotlight Bullying has long been the scourge of growing up. Any kid who can’t seem to “fi t in” bears the nalized, it is their parents. brunt of bullying from his or her peers. Almost without exception, the parents of these little shits protest that their child would never do such a thing; that Tyler For years, such harassment was dismissed as “teasing.” In or Brendalee is a loving, respectful, caring child. Such parents recent years, it has begun to be seen for what it is – victim- do not see, or choose not to see, the Jekyll and Hyde all teen- izing and cruel harassment. Parent groups and others have agers are. Bullies are often part of the “in crowd,” and jealous long spoken out against the behaviour and, too often, school of any threat, real or perceived, to their own status. Bullying districts and teachers have done nothing or very little to stop is a way to solidify that position. it. A 1999 University of British Columbia study showed 61-80 The effects of bullying can last a lifetime. Anxiety disorders, per cent of respondents said bullies are often popular and depression, low self-esteem and other emotional and even enjoy high status among their peers. 25-33 per cent said bul- mental ailments can plague the victims of bullying into adult- lying is sometimes OK and/or that it is OK to pick on ‘losers,’ hood. Bullying is not just “something kids do,” it is an assault and 20-50 per cent said bullying can be a good thing (makes against the person and should not be tolerated. people tougher, is a good way to solve problems, etc.). The Regina city council recently passed a bylaw making it il- As members of a civil society, we can choose not to indulge legal to, among other things, bully anyone in any public place our darker sides in this manner. Children and young people or through written or electronic communication. It also makes are learning how to live in that civil society and it is up to it an offence to take pictures or videos of a fi ght and post it parents to teach their offspring the rules. If the parents are online. incapable of doing so, if they allow their offspring to harass, Bullying is defi ned as “comments or conduct intended to intimidate, bully, and make life hell for another child or youth, ’intimidate, humiliate or isolate’ people in a way that causes the ultimate responsibility ’physical or emotional distress,’” according to a recent CBC.ca must lie with the parents. wire story. Fines range from $100 to $2,000. However, the They birthed them, they bylaw doesn’t apply to children under the age of 12. In cases raised them, and the child is involving youths between 12 and 16, parents will face the fi ne. as it has been trained, or al- It also doesn’t address domestic violence or workplace bully- lowed, to be. ing, which are covered by different laws. If parents are unaware of Not unlike many gay kids, I was bullied and terrorized grow- what their own child is up to ing up. I was a nice kid and just wanted others to like me. and the behaviour is brought Instead, I was ostracized, called names, chased home, beaten to their attention, they have up, embarrassed in class, pushed around in the boys’ locker a responsibility – a moral room, and had my school books tossed into the showers. More and ethical, and now legal often than not I sat by myself at lunch, barely able to choke responsibility – to correct the down my sandwiches because of the knots in my throat and behaviour. If they are unwill- stomach and feelings of dread every day brought. ing or incapable of doing so, then the law will step in and Not so deep inside me is that traumatized 14-year old boy, help ensure the parents meet desperate to be accepted, to have cool friends, to be comfort- their responsibilities. Noth- able in social settings and not be waiting for the very guys ing like a $2,000 fi ne to help I wanted to like me to use my humiliations for their own Mom and Dad start cracking amusement. down on Tyler and Brenda- lee’s behaviour outside the A hundred dollar fi ne, or even a $2,000 fi ne, would not have home…. balanced things out much. It certainly would not have made these kids like me more; in fact, it probably would have made things worse in some respects. So what do we do? Education and ‘sensitivity-training’ haven’t worked well. Adolescence is a particularly self-absorbed time in ones life. Empathy is too often reserved for ones own clique, and what kid wants the sympathy of the peers he is so desperate to be accepted by? If education or appealing to ones better nature don’t work, then sometimes the only thing left is punishment. Of course, it is not the kids being mini-terrorists who are pe-

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 27 Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones But Names Can Affect My Career Path

nicknaming creates a hostile work environment, not only for By Stephen Lock the person targeted, but also for any other GLBTQ person or family member in that offi ce or having to deal with that A City of Calgary strategist, concerned about what offi ce. Even overhearing jokes about queers is hearing jokes she perceived to be harassment in the workplace, about oneself, and to hear a suspected homosexual employee recently contacted me in my capacity as the Egale saddled (no pun intended) with the moniker “Brokeback” is as much a slam against every GLBTQ person in that offi ce as it is co-director for the Prairies/NWT/Nunavut Region. against the individual himself. It appears a nickname had been coined for an individual Would it be acceptable to nickname a person of colour whose orientation is unknown, and was applied to this indi- Sambo or Aunt Jemima? Someone who is Aboriginal, Chief or vidual by his co-workers, who thought it amusing. Pocahontas? An Asian, Sammy or Suzie Wong? Of course it wouldn’t be…then how on earth do people fi gure it is appropri- Most of us grew up hearing the usual “nicknames” and ate to nickname someone because of their sexual orientation? when we reacted to them we were told that we were “over-sen- sitive.” Our abusers – for that is what they were – were “only These are supposedly professional people, responsible for kidding” and gee, maybe if we lightened up a bit, people would the proper working and administration of our city. There sim- like us more… ply is no excuse for it. In recent years the phrase “that’s so gay” which is used to Stephen Lock is a long-time glbtq activist, Vice-President and Regional describe something lame, uncool, or stupid, has gained popu- Co-Director for Egale Canada and also the producer and host of a semi- larity in our schoolyards – and few teachers ever challenge it monthly glbtq radio show, Speak Sebastian, airing at 9pm on the 1st and or attempt to correct it. 3rd Wednesday of the month on CJSW FM 90.9 (www.cjsw.com). Apparently the new “that’s so gay” is “that’s so brokeback.” The individual to whom the nickname was being applied was being nicknamed “Brokeback” by his fellow workers. All in good fun, you understand…just kidding around, y’know… Of course, the nickname is a direct reference to Ang Lee’s fi lm, Brokeback Mountain so the gay reference is unmistakable. Calling this co-worker “Brokeback” is tantamount to calling him “faggot.” Neither should be tolerated. The city strategist and her partner apparently got into a discussion about the appropriateness of such nicknaming. I am not privy to the actual conversation, but I can guess – oh, it’s just a nickname, gosh it’s not like they are calling him a faggot/homo/queer/fairy/cocksucker, they’re just kidding around, maybe he is gay, etc. Any such slang imposed on us is a slur. If a gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans person chooses to self describe as “queer,” that is one thing. If a heterosexual individual refers to some- one as “a queer,” that is something else again. It is not appro- priate and we need to challenge it every time it occurs. I informed the strate- gist that this was workplace Answers to this month’s harassment and needed to Q-Puzzle on page 32 stop. If it persisted, the indi- vidual could, and should, fi le a complaint with the Human Resources Department. The City of Calgary has rules and regulations against harass- ment and discrimination in the workplace, and those regulations include harass- ment and/or discrimination due to sexual orientation. Such name calling/

28 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 29 The National Day Against Homophobia

By Stephen Lock Community | Spotlight Each of us has experienced homophobia. We know its sting and we know how it hurts. Ho- Egale’s Board make a formal request to Émergence to do so. mophobia is insidious, creeping into our lives Émergence politely refused, stating it was its belief lesbi- from a fl ip comment, the constant reinforcing in ans, bisexuals and transsexuals were, in fact, included in the broader term of “homophobia.” Émergence further stated the this culture that somehow being homosexual is day was specifi cally concerned with homophobia itself, just “less than” being heterosexual, or even blatant as the Trans Day of Remembrance was specifi cally concerned discrimination and hatred towards us because we about transsexuals, pointing out that observance did not happen to be a gay man, a bisexual, a lesbian, or include remembrances of those gay men killed due to hatred. However, local observances of NDAH are free to frame the transsexual. observances and public statements around the day in any Fondation Émergence, a Quebec-based organization, began fashion they believe to be appropriate. The website, however, the Canadian National Day Against Homophobia (NDAH) four does address the “variants of homophobia” in considerable years ago, picking up from the May 17th American obser- detail (www.homophobiaday.org). vance. Over the years, various organizations ranging from The site also discusses the term “homophobia.” Critics of Egale Canada to the National Bank of Canada have come the term, often conservative and Right Wing types, often com- on board as supporters or partners. Currently, other major plain their aversion to homosexuality is not a “fear of” at all. partners include: Justice Quebec, the Department of Justice They simply see it as morally reprehensible to be homosexual Canada, Canadian Heritage, the Canadian Rainbow Health (or at least actively so) and feel quite justifi ed in speaking out Coalition, the City of Montreal, the World Outgames, The Mon- about such a moral lapse, only to complain when such bigotry treal Police Service, and others. is labelled homophobic. This year’s theme addresses homophobia—and by exten- American psychologist George Weinberg fi rst popularized sion lesbophobia, bi-phobia and transphobia—in the work- the term in 1969. He used it again in his 1972 book “Society place with the slogan “Hiding Its Face: Homophobia Becoming and The Healthy Homosexual.” Weinberg defi ned homopho- More Subtle.” It recognizes that with all the legal advances of bia as “The fear expressed by heterosexuals of being in the recent years it is rarely socially or politically acceptable to be presence of homosexuals, and the loathing that homosexual blatantly homophobic. Rather, the discrimination and preju- persons have for themselves.” Some have suggested the term dice faced by homosexuals, bisexuals, and transsexuals is less “heterosexism” is a more accurate term, but “homophobia” obvious but no less insidious for rolling in under the radar. has caught on to a greater degree. The term “heterosexism,” “Discrimination based on sexual orientation is nothing a more academic term to begin with, describes the belief that new,” states this year’s literature. “What is new, however, is heterosexuality is inherently superior to all other forms of that now it’s got a name of its own - homophobia. On a top- sexual expression. The term also describes the culture of en- ten list of types of discrimination, homophobia ranks high. At titlement that often accompanies the belief. the same time that gays and lesbians are coming out of the The campaign consists of an organized a day of aware- closet, anti-gay bigots are stepping inside to avoid looks of ness-raising and educational activities that focus on the fi ght disapproval and to become invisible.” The literature goes on against prejudice, and on how human rights for all must be to make the point “Outbursts of laughter have been replaced respected. The specifi c goal is to target discrimination based with smirks while insults are swapped for insinuations.” on sexual orientation. At the same time, the campaign stress- This of course is exactly what makes homophobia, and es the importance of the International Covenant on Economic, the attendant phobias, so diffi cult to combat. As mentioned Social and Cultural Rights (www.pch.gc.ca/progs/pdp-hrp/ elsewhere in this magazine (“Sticks and Stones May Break docs/cesc_e.cfm), along with the rights listed in the Canadian My Bones, But Names Can Affect My Career Path,” pg. XXX), Charter of Rights and Freedoms (http://laws.justice.gc.ca/cgi- nicknaming someone even suspected of being queer is often bin/notice.pl?redirect=/en/H-6/index.html) and the Quebec seen as just “having fun”, and to complain about it leaves one Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms (www.cdpdj.qc.ca/en/ alienated within the worksite environment. Suddenly, the vic- commun/docs/charter.pdf). tim of this sort of harassment is further victimized by having For more information on the National Day Against the perpetuators take on the mantle of victimhood themselves, Homophobia (May 17th), log on to www.homophobiaday.org. and bemoan the fact their free expression is under attack. The campaign has come under some criticism for not in- cluding lesbo-bi-and-transphobia in the name, or otherwise being more inclusive. In fact, the Trans Issues Committee of Egale, an advisory committee within Egale that deals with transgendered/transsexual issues, specifi cally requested

30 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 The Calgary Humane Society New Location, More Happy Endings

By Rob Diaz-Marino Community | Spotlight Last June GayCalgary.com Magazine featured an article on the Calgary Humane Society. Since then, many headlines have popped up in the straight media about abused animals that were taken in by the shelter. Some of those stories lead to happy endings, and some lead to tragedy despite the best efforts of the organization. There is only so much that can be done to save animals, and with the limitations of their former location, we could see that they were running short on space and resources. Just last month the Humane Society moved to their new location at 4455 – 110th Avenue SE. This is a developing part of town, and indeed the new and larger animal shelter is still a work in progress itself. Already they foresee longer holding times, and much happier, healthier pets. Only months after our article last year, an outbreak of Fe- line distemper meant that many cats needed to be put down. next year. Several dog-walking parks are to be created around The close living quarters of the animals made it diffi cult to the building to ensure that the canine residents get suffi cient control the spread of the disease, and major steps were needed exercise. Other multi-cat spaces including Mewtopia are in to stop the contagion from lingering in the facility. Plexiglas development to allow the felines to socialize and stretch their has now replaced metal bars in the feline adoption area; these legs. new cat living quarters are not only larger and multi-tier, but Many gay people treat their pets as a substitution for kids also sealed and individually ventilated to reduce the spread of (the term “Furkids” recently came into my vocabulary thanks disease. As for the dogs, they now occupy small individually to our writer Nico). Nearly 65% of the people that fi lled out the ventilated rooms, and can be viewed through glass panes. The Reader’s Survey for 2005 stated that they owned at least one on-site private veterinary clinic and lab help to ensure that the pet. Every animal at the Calgary Humane Society is a unique animals do not need to go far for proper medical care. possibility for a long-term companion – a decision not to be Cheryl Wallach, Manager of Community Relations and taken lightly, but certainly one that can pay off. There are not Marketing, told GayCalgary.com that these new living quarters too many things that are guaranteed to bring happiness, but are designed to be less stressful on the animals, which she adopting a pet is one option that is almost certain to bring joy predicts will increase the adoption rate. In the past, potential into your life. adopters were sometimes scared away by seeing the despera- The Calgary Humane Society tion of the animals in their 4455 – 110th Avenue SE small cages. Indeed there (403) 205-4455 is a night-and-day differ- http://www.calgaryhumane.ca ence in the new facility - the animals seem very relaxed, allowing them the chance to act more natural and capture our hearts. It’s still diffi cult to stop from tearing up when seeing all these animals who are seeking a home, but it is no longer from a sense of guilt at seeing them crying for help. Although the new facility is now fully operational, there are still many areas that are under development that we should see completed over the

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 31 Q Puzzle “Movies That Fell Short”

By GayCalgary.com Magazine Staff Fun | Crosswords CLUE: a crossword that queers some movie titles through subtraction.

Across Down 1 Cathedral of Hope area 1 Records, to Lambda Legal 5 Say aloud, with “out” Defense 9 Go down (on) 2 One with a round head 13 Key West storm prelude 3 Plug away 14 Protected, to seamen 4 Peter Paige’s Queer as Folk 15 Firebird composer Stravin- character sky 5 “Shut your pie hole!” 16 Gay couple adopting? 6 The Spell author Holling- 19 She played tomb raider hurst Lara 7 She played Glinda in The 20 Sam of Jurassic Park Wiz 21 Beauty that’s only skin 8 Was out in front deep 9 His museum is in Las 22 Skater Linda of the fi rst Vegas lesbian pair team 10 On the other hand 23 Gross Anatomy actress 11 Lord Byron, for one Christine 12 How Kate Clinton’s humor 26 Morgan Fairchild’s Rose- is delivered anne character 17 GLAMA award winner 28 Thurman of Even Cowgirls Valby Get the Blues 18 Of a rear entrance 29 It may slip over one’s head 22 Type of paper used in 31 What you might be in Pride parade fl oats when you’re out 23 Judy’s daughter Lorna 52 Britney Spears’ “___ Curi- 35 Pair of swinging couples? 24 Mine, to Verlaine ous” 38 Q to a Scrabble player 25 Word before ass 53 Songwriter Holly 39 Martin of That Certain 26 Dayan of the land of the 54 Singer on Lord of the Summer cut Rings soundtrack 40 Skeptical ejaculation 27 To date, but not to go out 56 Composer Rorem 41 Short partner with 43 Eat away at 30 Sites for dates Answer key is on page 28 45 Abercrombie & Fitch buy- 32 Lorca’s eight ing binges 33 Anthropologist Margaret 48 Heterosexual relations 34 Queens stadium name didn’t bring her into the 36 What Billie Jean did after world lets 49 Saw opening about being 37 Virgin’s complaint? human? 42 “... ___ queer, get used to 50 Boots of Leather coauthor it!” Davis 44 Use for support 55 Football team with no 45 It goes under a jockey’s tight ends to tackle? shorts 57 Showboat’s “Nobody ___ 46 Along Came ___ (2004 But Me” movie) 58 “Love Is Not All” poet St. 47 Witherspoon of Sweet Vincent Millay Home Alabama 59 Key opening 48 Second name in cross- 60 Did a head job? dressing 61 ___ Abby 50 Like some beds 62 You’ve Got Mail female- 51 Tales of the City’s Mad- rigal

32 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 Vincent in Brixton Artists Early Years Captured in ATP Season Closer

By Jason Clevett Review | Theatre The tragic life of Vincent Van Gogh is, for the most part, well documented. The artist who later succumbed to insanity, cut off his own ear and killed himself in 1890 only painted from his late twenties until his death. His mid-twenties is doc- umented in Nicholas Wrights Vincent in Brixton at Alberta Theatre Projects. Before he discovers his talent, young Vincent Van Gogh (Ry- lan Wilkie) must fi nd himself. While working in London for his uncle as an art dealer, Vincent secures lodgings with Ursula (Laura Parkin), her lovely daughter Eugenie (Jamie Konchak), and fellow lodger and artist, Sam (Tyrell Crews) . Vincent is drawn to Eugenie, but soon develops a closer bond with Ursu- la whose life is shrouded in secrecy and sadness. As he pulls back the veils of sorrow, Vincent discovers a muse whose love transforms his life. Ursula’s grey world is in turn transformed in the arts. by Vincent’s brilliant, colourful passion. Their relationship changes both their lives. Can they ignore social convention “If you are a fan of Van Gogh’s work it is an interesting peek and family disapproval or will they be forced to part? into a time of his life that nobody knows about. There is little documented about it so it is a fascinating period. He really did Basing his story on facts drawn from Vincent Van Gogh’s live a tragic life and was the archetypal ‘tortured artist.’ He biography and letters, England’s Nicholas Wright weaves a didn’t start painting until he was twenty-eight and shot him- passionate tale of self-discovery. self when he was thirty-seven. He only painted for around nine “I knew a year ago I was going to be cast in this show. years but he did 900 pieces of work and only sold one. That is Historical fi gures I do a lot of research for because there is so pretty tragic that someone can work that hard and have the much available, so while I was doing other shows in between I determination to keep doing that for so long with no reward. If read a lot of books and novels about his life. I looked at some not for his brother, who basically paid him an allowance, who letters he had sent to his brother and the Victorian period of knows what would have happened?” London and what it was like at that time.” Rylan Wilkie told The story of Vincent in Brightion is one that speaks to any- GayCalgary.com about preparing for his role as the artist, one who is an artist – actor, writer, or visual artist. Balancing adding that the pressure of playing a real life character was passion with the struggle can take its toll on anyone. minimal. “It really isn’t that much pressure because we work just with the script that is given to us, and it is a really well ”Especially in visual art, some people aren’t appreciated written script. It takes place before he became the artist that until after they have passed away. There isn’t a reward, you do comes to mind when we think of Vincent Van Gogh – the it because you have to do it and you love it. Acting and writing crazy man who cut off his own ear. With it being a historical is the same way, you work long hours and you do it because fi gure its not like playing JFK where it is documented what he you love it not because you want to be rich or famous. If you sounded and looked like. I’ve done research on his life but in are doing it for those reasons you are in it for the wrong ones,” the end we really just have the play as our framework.” Wilkie concluded. Wilkie has mostly done contemporary work, and while Vin- Alberta Theatre Projects presents cent in Brighton is set in Victorian London and has elaborate Vincent in Brixton period costuming, it doesn’t have the same diffi culties an actor May 2nd–20th , 2006 experiences when doing pieces hundreds of years old. Alberta Theatre Projects 215 – 8 Avenue SE ”I would say that this show, being written only four or fi ve (403) 294-7402 years ago, is still pretty contemporary in the way it is written www.atplive.com and the structure. It’s not like performing a piece by Shaw or Shakespeare that was written three hundred years ago. It’s a Photo courtesy Trudie Lee. contemporary play set in the Victorian era. The challenges are the same as any other play.” Wilkie feels that the show will appeal to many, even if you aren’t familiar with Vincent Van Gogh’s work the story itself is appealing. But it will stand out for those who have an interest

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 33 Queer History? In Calgary??

By Stephen Lock Community | Spotlight This magazine’s recent Readers’ Survey indicat- ed that many readers are interested in knowing of our community; the things that make our community unique and ours. History is a living thing. It affects who we more about the history of our community. This are even if we are not aware of that effect. has long been a topic close and dear to my heart. I came out in 1979…27 years ago, when I was 26 years old. Steve Polyak has approached me to do a regular I suddenly found not only a community starting to form, but historical column and I have agreed. Sometimes also my own voice. As I matured, so did my community. We it pays to have been around since The Creator’s both made mistakes, got caught up in youthful impetuous- Bar Mitzvah…. ness, were brash and then mellowed, loved, lost, and carried on. My history is tied up with our history and your history. Our local queer history is an interesting one. Certainly, we are not San Francisco, or Vancouver, or Toronto, or Mon- This column will be a regular feature in Gay Calgary.com treal. Our city has not been around as long as those cities Magazine. Sometimes it will be my recollections of events or and so our GLBTQ community is likewise not as entrenched circumstances, or it will be interviews with others who wit- with such large roots throughout the fabric of the city. Still nessed the blossoming of our community. There is much to there is a history there; sometimes quirky, sometimes sad, tell about our organizations - those we have lost and those we and sometimes we in little ol’ Calgary have even been on the still have today - about gay space, and the sometimes quirky national radar with what we have done here. This actually is individuals who created, were involved with, and who worked a community with roots much older than last year’s bar. or otherwise occupied those spaces. Urban queer space is largely unseen and unrecognized by dominant culture, but There are some of us, believe it or not, who have witnessed it is there and an important part of the fabric of any city or much of the growth. Some of us were around when the com- town. I hope future columns will begin the process of helping munity fi rst started becoming a community and, in the great newer generations to recognize and honour the spaces carved scheme of things, it’s not that many years ago. We need to out, often in diffi cult circumstances, by our queer foremothers know about our history because it gives us a sense of who we and forefathers – and maybe the odd Funny Uncle or Eccen- are today - a context and, hopefully, a deeper understanding tric Aunt… of ourselves and the community we are a part of. As a city, Calgary has never been big on preserving its his- tory. I have seen wonderful old buildings bulldozed for no good reason. I have seen some perhaps not such wonderful old buildings (but nevertheless important ones) smashed into debris and broken wood, leaving only a barren empty lot in its place. However, our it is about more than just old buildings; it is the people who lived, worked, laughed, argued, drank, fucked, even died in those buildings that make up our history. It is the ideas hatched after too many cups of coffee (or mugs of beer) around kitchen tables, or standing by the bar that cre- ated our community organizations, our events, the hallmarks

34 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 Just Ask Nina! The Dish who dishes advice

Dear Stunned! By Nina Tron Your friend may have his reasons for lying about his fam- Dear Nina, ily, but you won’t know what they are until you ask sweetie! I would confront him about this meeting you had with this I recently found out that a friend of mine is a complusive woman. Remember you don’t know her either, she could be a liar who lies about everything to everyone. He has lied say- crazy Aunt who is unable to have children of her own, but you ing he has 2 children and also lied about his family! I was in really won’t know unless you talk to him. If the story suddenly the waiting room to see a doctor and an older women started starts getting stranger then I’d just get the hell out of there chatting me up. She asked if I was Gay and when I said yes, my dear. You’ll know if he’s lying! Watch the body language she said “you may know my son” and pulls out a picture from especially his eyes - they are the window to his soul, its all in her wallet - it was my friend. I was stunned! His parents were the eyes!! dead, or so I’d been told. I phoned him when I got home and inquired some more about his Mother. He again claimed she There are people in life who can lie to your face, and who was dead, and recounted the tragedy it had been. I have yet feel the need to lie about everything simply because it makes to say anything to him…I really don’t know what to say. The life more interesting. They like the thrill of getting away with woman seemed like a proud parent, she carries a picture of it. But there are others who lie to cover up painful memories her gay son in her purse for godsakes!!! What would you do too! Be supportive but listen Nina? to him carefully, people who lie to get attention will usually contradict themselves because Stunned!!! they can’t remember what they told who. They always get caught in their own tangled web of deceit. Best Wishes, Nina I am here for you, and I look forward to hearing from you all, I can be reached at: [email protected] or Mailed to Ask Nina c/o GayCalgary.com Magazine, Suite 100, 215 14th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta T2R 0M2. You can also watch Nina every Sunday night and events through out the week at Twisted Element, 1006 11th Avenue SW.

Other than the question, all personal information (i.e. name, address, E-mail) will remain confi dential. GayCalgary.com does reserve the right to alter questions for brevity and content. Responses are for entertainment value only.

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 35 Calgary International Spoken Word Festival Is Your Conscience Queer?

By Shone Abet Community | Spotlight Always tell ‘em what you drink. Some sound advice from Ivan E. Coyote as I reached out to at the Calgary Art Gallery, with all the juicy bits in between. Thursday was the third Slam this year, and the Festival will shake her hand and tell her what a pleasure continue to be on the last Thursday of every month. If you it was to fi nally hear her, live and in person. I have the slightest interest in seeing how sport and poetry was invited by Sheri-D Wilson to perform at the collide, I would suggest you make it out to the next one on Calgary International Spoken Word Festival’s Thursday, May 25th. I also had the pleasure of taking a workshop with Wakefi eld Brewster on the art of hip-hop po- fi rst Queer Conscience event, and to say I was etry, and developed a whole new appreciation for his art form. humbled would be a clear understatement. But Wakefi eld, a former Torontonian turned Cow Town resident, after fi nding out I would share the stage with Ivan drops poetry at break neck speed. If you hope to glean some E. Coyote, well it’s a wonder I didn’t melt into a of who he is, you had better listen up. He’s about respect, the environment, sex, and mother earth, and he’s on an audio puddle before ever reaching the stage. Labeled mission teaching people to listen faster. Keep your eyes and one of North America’s most disarming story tell- ears open for Wakefi eld about town. ers, Ivan lives up to every expectation. She talks And fi nally, as an audience member I would have to say to the audience like she’s sitting around a pub that Shayne Koyczan was the highlight of my festival experi- shooting the shit with some of her best friends. ence, I’m sure partly because I had never heard of him prior She tells us of street hockey legends, pink aprons and the rest because he’s a GOD! Not since the likes of Alix Olson has another poet inspired and engaged my substance not skins, and shares an experience about shop- thirsty ears in such a way. We laughed, we cried, and we gave ping with her mother and the horror as she him a standing ovation. When is the last time you saw a poet learned her little Ivan was ‘packing’ more than the get a standing ovation? As someone who has chuckled at odd Samsonite for vacation. Beatlemania and looked down her nose at fainting Elvis fans I offer my sincerest apologies, I fi nally think I get it. Thank you With Sheri-D at the helm the festival couldn’t help but suc- Shayne! ceed, I mean really, who could bring together this many artists with such talent and poetic diversity: over twenty fi ve hip-hop, If you didn’t get the chance to check out the festival this dub, slam, spoken word, jazz and story telling artists. From year, make a note on your calendar and continuously check the wealth of Bill Bissett’s and George Bowering’s experience back on the festival website. Until next year Sheri-D, thank to newcomers like myself and Dale Lee Kwong, it was nothing you for offering up a plate of culture to our town folk. I can’t short of entertaining. I for one am already counting down the wait to see what the Mama of Dada serves up for us next year! sleeps until next year. The Calgary International Spoken Word Festival Queer Conscience at the Auburn, that’s right, a night of http://www.calgaryspokenwordfestival.com/ spoken word reverence dedicated solely to the queer - and it was a packed house at the base of the Calgary Tower. To an unsuspecting stranger, Bill Bissett’s kinky hair and fl at blue hat makes him seem pretty unassuming, but see him perform live and that impression won’t last long. Suzette Mayr’s lyrical poetry and story telling made me wish her book came with a phone number. And for the young men in the audience, Greg- ory Scofi eld and Billeh Nickerson were happy to turn up the heat. Gregory’s poetry is gentle and erotic while Billeh will hit you right upside the head when you’re not looking. And the funny thing about Billeh is you just want him to keep doing it, over and over again. The crowd erupts with laughter when he states ‘Behind every man… it feels good.” It was the second time I’ve shared a stage with Billeh and Goddess willing we’ll be together again. Tthe festival was more than one event; it ran from Tuesday evening through Sunday afternoon, and I was left wishing there were more of me so I could savor and hear every last drop. It started with The Road to Paradise at the Jack Singer Concert Hall, and fi nished with Champagne and Jalapenos

36 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 Fundraising Photos

Photos by Steve Polyak of GayCalgary.com Magazine ISCCA In Town Show at the Twisted Element

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 37 ISCCA Out of Town Show at the Calgary Eagle

38 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 ISCCA Alaska Party at the Calgary Eagle ISCCA Tough Drag show at the Twisted Element

ISCCA Candidate Show at the Twisted Element

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 39 40 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 United Nations Rejects Application In Violation of their Own Rules

By Stephen Lock Community | Spotlight Bubonic Tourist has gone and done the unex- pected, unexplained and unconventional again by Organizations (NGO Committee). Currently over 2,700 NGOs have this status. While ECOSOC does not necessarily endorse bringing you four performance, video and instal- individual agenda – for example conscientious objector NGOs lation artists playing with the notion of opera, have ECOSOC status – being included enables such NGOs to in hoot hoot hoot: a festival of the operaesque, participate fully in UN debates. running from April 20-22 at Motel in the EPCOR ILGA has a long and diffi cult history in this regard. CENTRE. In 1993, the UN granted ILGA ECOSOC status. In 1994, GLBTQ activists sent delegates to the 2004 and 2005 meet- following pressure due to the membership of NAMBLA (North ings of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). As GLBTQ American Man-Boy Love Association) within ILGA from Ameri- rights gain ground in various Western democracies, the can Senator Jesse Helms, a well-known homophobe, ILGA was international profi le of GLBTQ rights has also risen. As of this expelled from the United Nations. ILGA subsequently removed writing, forty-eight United Nations member states have sup- NAMBLA from its membership roster, citing the goals and ported sexual orientation as a human right. objectives of NAMBLA were not compatible with the goals and objectives of the international gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans However, despite the increased attention to and apprecia- movement. tion of the need for equality and human rights in regards to sexual orientation, delegates who spoke at the CHR plenary In 2002, following a new vote, ECOSOC rejected ILGA’s have not been permitted to formally speak to the issues on be- application. ILGA reapplied in 2005 at which time four other half of their own national GLBTQ non-governmental organiza- GLBTQ NGOs joined in the application to support ILGA. tions (i.e. community organizations or NGOs) or on the behalf These included ILGA-Europe (the European Region of ILGA), of the ILGA. CLGQ (Lesbian and Gay Coalition of Quebec), LBL (the Danish National Association for Gays and Lesbians) and LSVD (the In order to have issues such as trans rights and the role of Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany). trade unions in sexual orientation, and gender identity issues discussed in panel discussions at CHR, it was necessary to On January 23rd 2006, the NGO Committee within ECO- have non-GLBTQ NGOs book the space since no international SOC took the unprecedented move of summarily dismissing GLBTQ organization is recognized by the 53 member Econom- both ILGA’s and LBL’s applications and disallowing either ic and Social Council (ECOSOC). organization to present its case. On a procedural level, this is considered highly unorthodox and is simply not done. ECOSOC is the committee within the UN charged with giving NGOs “consultative status” (ECOSOC status). Having To compound the obvious slight, this move by the NGO this status gives NGOs access to other NGOs involved with Committee was in stark contrast to 2002’s negotiations. At the Commission on Human Rights. Without it, an NGO is that time, procedure permitted ILGA the opportunity to pres- effectively locked-out of consultations or any say on issues of ent its case before the NGO Committee and take its appeal to concern. ECOSOC. The responsibility of granting such status is delegated to It should be noted, as it was by both the German and the 19 member ECOSOC Committee on Non-Governmental Danish delegations, this decision was without precedent in the hundreds of applications processed by the UN in the last couple of years. ILGA and other such groups believe the deci- sion clearly reveals an anti-GLBTQ bias and is discriminatory – a discomforting concept given we are dealing with human rights interests within the UN. A former ally in ILGA’s application, the United States, re- versed its 2002 position in favour of ILGA and chose this time to side with Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Zimbabwe on the proce- dural move, which was championed from outside the NGO Committee by Egypt. It should be noted the human rights record of these nations, especially Egypt, is far from unblem- ished especially when it comes to these countries’ treatment of homosexuals. On the upside, however, NGOs such as Amnesty Interna- tional, Human Rights Watch, International Service for Human Rights, Open Society Institute, Global Rights and Catholics for a Free Choice spoke out in support of ILGA and LBL’s ap-

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 41 plication and against the attempts by certain factions within ECOSOC to block that application. In the US, dozens of GLBTQ organizations joined an initia- tive spearheaded by Human Rights Watch, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, Human Rights Campaign and the American-based National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (the Washington DC-based equivalent to Egale Canada) in a joint letter to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. They were joined by forty-fi ve Congressmen and three Sena- tors. Between May 10th and 19th, 2006 the NGO Committee will consider for the fi rst time the applications from ILGA-Europe, CGLQ and LSVD. ILGA also believes that in May, the full ECOSOC will con- sider the report from the January session of the NGO Com- mittee, and that some sort of challenge to the unprecedented procedural vote from January will likely occur. Several Latin American GLBTQ NGOs have indicated their intention to fi le applications for the NGO Committee, thereby exerting ad- ditional pressure on the Committee to reconsider its arbitrary decision. In March 2006, ILGA issued a petition to have the ECO- SOC decision revisited and to allow GLBTQ organizations the appropriate status at the UN in order that such organizations can participate in the international work being done around human rights and to help ensure GLBTQ voices are not lost or ignored. The petition can be found at www.ilga.org/ecosoc. With fi les from Philipp Braun, Co-Secretary General, ILGA, and John Fisher, Executive Director, ARC-International.

42 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 FairyTales 2006 Queerly Canadian Film Festival

By Jason Clevett Preview | Theatre The end of May is traditionally becoming the time to grab some popcorn and gather with this kind of fi lm on a mainstream level. We think there will be a lot less fear and a lot more interest in seeing other fi lms that friends to check out the annual FairyTales Film tackle similar subject matter.” Festival, this year running May 26th to June 1st Also returning this year is a local short fi lm contest, where at the Uptown Theatre on 8th Avenue. The festival local fi lmmakers submit their own pieces to be shown to fes- continues to grow, and this year is no exception tival attendees. This year will also mark more social events at with lots of exciting fi lms in this uniquely Cana- a number of different venues including The Twisted Element, dian event. Mango Shiva and Escoba. Last year saw the Festival expand to seven days, including “We are very pleased to be able to say that we are oversub- highly popular and stunning fi lms such as Raspberry Reich, scribed for the short fi lm contest, we had eight spots in the Beautiful Boxer and Mysterious Skin. All the hard work paid program and twelve applicants, so unfortunately not all of the off, leading to more opportunities for the 8th year of the event. applicants got into doing it this year, which tells us we will have to make it bigger next year. We will see what they come “We felt great, it was an amazing success from our perspec- up with and we are looking forward to receiving at least as tive because expanding to seven days was a leap of faith and many if not more of the caliber of what we saw last year.” a risk that turned out to be fi nancially self-sustaining. The fact that everything worked out the way we wanted to for a The selection and programming committee spends hours longer festival was a really signifi cant thing for us,” Gordon watching movies and making choices as to what will fi nally Sombrowski, FairyTales President for the past two years told make it to the 12 feature fi lm spots. How does the festival nar- GayCalgary.com. row it down? “This year we have received funding from the Canada Coun- ”It is really a result of what we get submitted, and as a re- cil for the Arts. This was a really fantastic thing to happen sult you are never quite sure what you are going to get. What for the festival because it allows us to focus on things other we are seeing in this year’s festival is a more mature type of then just trying to sell tickets to make the festival go. What fi lm in terms of the Canadian and International fi lms that we the grant allows us to do is to focus on the esthetic of queer are seeing. The fi lms are looking at things in a less obvious fi lm and queer expression in the Canadian context. What we way, and there is a blend of issues that come up in a number have done is we have created a special day on Saturday May of the fi lms that we are going to be showing, so that the issue 27th. It will be a ’Canadian Freedom of Queer Expression Day‘ of being queer isn’t the only thing the festival is about. We which will start with a program of Canadian short fi lms that have fi lms dealing with issues such as immigrants in a dif- we have selected from past festivals that we felt refl ected queer ferent society, of multi-generation relationships... This year’s Canadian esthetic. We will follow that with a panel discussion fi lms are a little more challenging and open eyes to the many with four artists who will be focusing specifi cally on Queer Ex- issues that people face, whether they are queer or not.” pression, and after that comes a retrospective screening and Each year it seems that one or two fi lms especially resonate an artist talk with Thirza Cuthand who is a Cree fi lmmaker with the audience – in 2004 it was the comedies Eating Out and artist from Saskatchewan. …We are going to be asking and Latter Days, while the 2005 edition saw people buzzing people to look at the Canadian Films throughout the festival about Mysterious Skin and Beautiful Boxer. Expect the same to inform themselves about the matter of queer expression in this year as Sombrowski has high praise for many of this Canada and how it compares to elsewhere in the world. That years fi lms. is a whole new curatorial aspect that we have never had before and are excited to be able to offer to the Calgary artist and fi lm ”The fi lms we have are pretty impressive. We are opening community.” with Small Town Gay Bar, which is going to be a Canadian premier. It is more a documentary style fi lm dealing with the This years festival is also expecting higher numbers due to issues that gay people in small towns in the deep southern the success of Brokeback Mountain which brought gay themed USA deal with, and is supposed to be both interesting and cinema to a major stage. quite fun. The Canadian fi lm Whole New Thing (May 27th) is ”This year we have capitalized on the success of Broke- an encore performance that has been picked because of the back by having the poster and marketing materials refl ect the Queer Canadian Expression theme. It is one of the most amaz- Brokeback theme. Some of our ads have two cowboys from ing fi lms dealing with the subject of a young gay man who de- a Heritage picture on it. We are looking for inspiration from velops an attraction for an older man who is his teacher. It is that fi lm in some ways this year. What we think is that the brilliantly handled and one of the best Canadian fi lms I have Brokeback experience has opened the genre to all types of seen in a long time, and one of the really great fi lms we are go- people. We are going to see more people taking an interest in ing to be showing. Whole New Thing is an extremely well done the festival than before because they have been exposed to fi lm and is not controversial in the sense of what happens. It is an extremely intelligent piece of fi lm and I hope people will

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 43 respond as well to it as people who have already seen it have.” Another fi lm that will be popular is Eating Out director Al- lan Brocka’s Boy Culture, which closes the festival on June 1st. Boy Culture is the story of a successful male escort and describes in a series of confessions his tangled romantic relationships with his two roommates and an older, enigmatic male client. “I think the Audience is also really going to respond to Boy Culture and Allan Brocka’s fi lmmaking and his ironic under- standing of American Culture. That will be a very popular fi lm. One of the other very strong fi lms is Unveiled – a German fi lm about immigration and being queer which is very moving. My bet is those three – Whole New Thing, Unveiled and Boy Cul- ture are going to end up somewhere in the top of the audience selections.” 8th Annual FairyTales Film Festival May 26th – June 1st, 2006 Uptown Theatre 612 - 8th Avenue SW www.fairytalesfi lmfest.com

44 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 Wed-Rock Challenging U.S. Ignorance

By Rob Diaz-Marino Review | Music “What is the gay agenda, exactly?” asks Marga- ret Cho in her comedy sketch entitled Read the Administration. “Is it ass-less wedding gowns? Marching down the Aisle to YMCA? Whole school buses of Leather Daddies getting married to each other and tying empty cans of lube to the back bumper?” This new release from Centaur Music entitled Wed-Rock: A Benefi t for Freedom to Marry is a mixture of comedy, song, poetry and spoken-word from a live performance in New York City back in 2004. As is apparent from the title, the purpose of this performance is to show support for equal marriage – we may already have it here in Canada (and hopefully we can keep it), but our brothers and sisters in the United States didn’t, and still don’t! Cho pokes fun at the arguments that the religious right use against equal marriage – and despite her sarcasm and tongue- in-cheek attitude, she manage to make a surprising amount of sense. “[Gay Marriage will] create the new American family. It will create more two-parent households. It will give more people a chance in life.” Naturally some of the performers couldn’t resist engaging in a little Bush-bashing, a pastime a lot of gay Canadians are glad to join. Other performers, famous musical groups like Moby and Le Tigre merely state their support for the gay American to marry. I have to admit, the musical tracks weren’t the best that I’ve heard – but live performances are seldom perfect. The impor- tant part is the message, and it comes to us while we hold our breath to see whether Prime Minister Harper really can make good on his ominous promise to revoke our rights. I think we all need a dose of Wed-Rock to remind us that speaking out is not just for pushing our rights forward, but also to keep them from stumbling back. In Cho’s words, “Until we are all equal, none of us are equal. All we wish to do is love, and that is all.”. Centaur Music www.centaurmusic.com

Wed-Rock: A Benefi t for Freedom to Marry is available online at www.centaurmusic.com, where visitors can listen to samples of every track on the album.

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 45 Raising your Courage to get Tested for HIV

By Kevin Alderson, Ph.D., C. Psych. Queer Quest I had forgotten what terror feels like. While at risk sexual activity – the rig- my physician’s recently for a physical, I casually orousness of anal sex leaves asked him to add an HIV antibody test together the bowels open to minor with the usual blood and urine analyses. I went haemorrhaging (i.e., bleeding), and the effi cient absorption to the lab on a Thursday, and by the afternoon of ability of the intestinal lining the following Tuesday, I received a call from the provides still more oppor- nurse requesting that I come in right away for a tunity for contraction of the test result. You never get called in if everything virus into the bloodstream. The penetrator is also at risk is normal, and I was amazed that I got an ap- because of having contact pointment for two days later. The nurse sounded with the receiver’s blood. particularly cold and clinical, and after I got off The mouth is an inhospi- the phone, I started thinking. It was thinking table environment for HIV that made the next 40 hours or so a living hell. I (in semen, vaginal fl uid, or convinced myself that the most likely reason for blood), meaning the risk of HIV transmission through the throat, gums, and oral mem- the haste in giving me the results was that I had branes is lower than through vaginal or anal membranes. become HIV positive. There are however, documented cases where HIV was trans- mitted orally, so we can’t say that getting HIV-infected semen, I couldn’t work while I waited, and I found myself frequently vaginal fl uid, or blood in the mouth is without risk. crying, praying, and feeling desperate. Although I have mostly practiced safer sex, the truth is that “safer” does not mean HIV global infection rates continue to increase dramatically “absolutely safe.” I obsessed in trying to recall every sexual – particularly in developing countries – and between 75% and experience I have had since I was tested maybe 18-months 85% of all HIV infections in adults worldwide are transmitted earlier, but I was hopeless in this. I can hardly recall what I through unprotected sexual intercourse. [3] Over 50 percent ate for breakfast this morning, let alone the details of my every of all new HIV infections worldwide are in people 15- to 24- sexual experience. years old, despite the fact they only make up about 30 percent of the world’s population. [4] I remember having fl u-like symptoms at one time about 14-months ago, and I am aware that the fi rst symptoms of It is probably not surprising to you that not everyone who HIV infection can resemble symptoms of common cold or fl u should get tested does. Whereas about 45 percent of Ameri- viruses, such as fever, fatigue, rash, headache, swollen lymph cans seek out voluntary HIV antibody testing, only 35 percent nodes, and sore throat. Most perplexing is knowing that some of Canadians do so. Women are most likely to get tested if they people who contract the HIV virus have very strong symptoms, (a) have or are considering having children, (b) have multiple yet others have none. For those who do test as HIV positive, sex partners, (c) engage in anal sex, or (d) use condoms infre- once the primary or acute infection is over, most people do quently. Men are most likely to get tested if they (a) have sex not experience any visible symptoms for another 8-10 years with other men, (b) have a history of substance abuse, (c) per- following the fi rst symptoms referred to earlier. Left untreated, ceive a partner as being a high HIV risk, or (d) are single. [5] the immune system becomes increasingly weaker and the disease progresses to AIDS. [1] You would think that getting tested – and perhaps experi- encing high anxiety while waiting for test results – would lead Anyway, I received the best news of my life when my physi- people to sexually protect themselves better in the future. cian told me I was HIV negative, and that the test result he Unfortunately research suggests that a large percentage of wanted to review with me was not life threatening. This was a previously tested individuals continue to engage in unsafe sex, huge reminder to me that none of us are immortal, and HIV and a large number of newly diagnosed people have had previ- infection can happen to any of us if the right three conditions ous negative test results. [6] are met: (a) HIV must be present, (b) it must be in suffi cient quantity, and (c) it must get into the bloodstream through an Why is it that many people refrain from getting tested? open cut or sore, or through contact with the mucous mem- Available research indicates that one of the strongest reasons branes in the anus and rectum, the genitals, the mouth, and for this is that many individuals are concerned that they can- the eyes. [2] not remain anonymous (which is actually not true – see my note later about the STD clinic in Calgary). Other reasons in- All sexual behaviour between two people that involves clude (a) they do not perceive any benefi t from fi nding out, (b) physical contact with contaminated semen, blood, vaginal they are in denial, or (c) they view themselves as healthy and secretions, and breast milk carries some risk of HIV transmis- not needing testing (a form of denial). [7] Still others experi- sion. That is why receptive anal sex is considered the highest ence moderate to intense anxiety while getting tested, while

46 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 waiting for their results, or while receiving their results. [8] 7) Awad, Sagrestano, Kittleson, & Savela (2004). Furthermore, after getting tested for HIV antibodies, many 8) Worthington, C., & Myers, T. (2003). Factors underly- people do not return for their results. In one American study ing anxiety in HIV testing: Risk perceptions, stigma, and the done at an STD clinic, 55 percent of those who were tested patient-provider power dynamic. Qualitative Health Research, never returned for their results. [9] For those who do fi nd 13, 636-655. out that they have become HIV positive, between 33 and 88 percent do not follow the regimen of antiretroviral treatments 9) Hightow, L. B., Miller, W. C., Leone, P. A., Wohl, D., (ART), [10] despite how amazingly effective ART is at curbing Smurzynski, M., & Kaplan, A. H. (2003). Failure to return for the progression of the disease. “However, successful antiretro- HIV posttest counseling in an STD clinic population. AIDS viral treatment requires that patients maintain nearly perfect Education and Prevention, 15, 282-290. adherence to the prescribed regimen.” [11] Non-compliance 10) Starace, F., Massa, A., Amico, K. R., & Fisher, J. D. has been associated with the complexity of the ART regimen (2006). Adherence to antiretroviral therapy: An empirical test (sometimes involving 10 to 20 pills a day), the side effects that of the information-motivation-behavioral skills model. Health may occur, and the lifelong commitment required in taking Psychology, 25, 153-162. these medications. [12] 11) Cote, J. K., & Godin, G. (2005). Effi cacy of interven- I have provided you a few facts that show that you are not tions in improving adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Inter- alone. If you have felt reluctant to get the HIV antibody test, national Journal of STD & AIDS, 16, 335-343. you must confront your fear and embrace courage instead. If you have consistently practiced safer sex, your HIV risk is low. 12) Starace, Massa, Amico, & Fisher (2006). If you have been inconsistent in practicing safer sex, you have put yourself at higher risk. There is still no certainty, however, until you get tested and fi nd out the result. I wrote the following as a note to myself before getting my own results back: “What if I am HIV positive? Will I keel over and die because of this? Nonsense! I will make the most out of a bad situation.” Although there is no cure for HIV/AIDS, the antiretroviral medications are amazing in how they can keep your immune system functioning at a high level. But you need to fi nd out if you need them. After all, they will save your life. In Calgary, you can receive anonymous and free HIV anti- body testing at the Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic. Their location is #404, 906 - 8th Ave SW, Calgary, AB, T2P 1H9, phone (403) 944-7575. Their hours of operation are (a) Mon- day, Tuesday, Wednesday, 08:30 AM to 6:00 PM; (b) Thursday 11:30 AM to 6:00 PM; and (c) Friday, Saturday 08:30 AM to 4: 00 PM. Website address: http://www.calgaryhealthregion.ca/ hecomm/std/STDclinic.htm. There is also a toll free STD and AIDS Information Line at 1-800-772-2437. Dr. Alderson is an assistant professor of counselling psychology at the University of Calgary who specializes in gay and lesbian studies. He also maintains a private practice. He can be contacted by confidential email at [email protected], or by confidential voice mail at 605-5234. References: 1) What are the symptoms of HIV infection? How can I tell if I have HIV? (n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2006 from http: //www.whatudo.org/whatudo?page=learn-01-11-02 2) SF AIDS Foundation. (2006, April 14). How HIV is spread. Retrieved April 30, 2006 from http://www.sfaf.org/ aids101/transmission.html#requirements 3) Colpin, H. (2006). A comprehensive sex education approach for HIV testing and counselling. Sex Education, 6, 47-59. 4) HIV/AIDS facts, options, and action. (2006). Re- trieved April 30, 2006 from http://www.whatudo.org 5) Awad, G. H., Sagrestano, L. M., Kittleson, M. J., & Savela, P. D. (2004). Development of a measure of barriers to HIV testing among individuals at high risk. AIDS Education and Prevention, 16, 115-125. 6) Colpin, H. (2006). A comprehensive sex education approach for HIV testing and counselling. Sex Education, 6, 47-59.

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 47 Everybody Loves Ray’s Mom Popular TV family reborn at Jubilations

By Benjamin Hawkcliffe Review | Theatre Last year Jubilations Dinner Theatre brought back some old Friends, and now they once again bring back a popular TV show a year after it left the air with Everybody Loves Ray’s Mom, running until June 18th. It’s Robert Barone’s (Mathieu Remillard) retirement party from the police force, as he and wife Amy (Jessica Hickman) are moving to Moose Jaw. The audience are guests at the OFFF Lodge where Robert and his father Frank (Lew Wether- ell) are both members. Also at the party are Robert’s brother Ray (Fraz Wiest), Ray’s wife Debra (Kirsten Harvey) and Ray and Robert’s Mom Marie (Jeanette McDonald). Tackling char- acters from a popular sitcom that ran for nine seasons isn’t necessarily an easy task, but an enjoyable one says Wetherell. ”Now that Jubilations is targeting the really big popular TV shows as parodies, actors will be forced even more to know else. It will be hard to go back to ad casting when this show what they are doing and do their research for these charac- is done. The only hard thing about this show is the voice – it ters. We have more parameters than doing a show that isn’t is such a different voice than my normal one, that talking like so well known. It is nice to have the challenge of keeping the that all night does take a toll.” characters true to the original show it is based on. People come to the show expecting that, so it is what you want to give For McDonald the highlight is the music – Marie’s rendition them.” For Wetherell part of the challenge is trying to make of Honky Tonk Woman reportedly brings the house down on a his 6’7” frame suit that of the much older Frank. “I am able to nightly basis. play against my size a little bit by using an older posture and make myself look physically shorter then Mathieu even though ”I have to admit it is pretty cool. I did that song in my very I am an inch or two taller. I try to be conscious of that when fi rst show with this company, the same concept where the we do scenes together that he looks taller than I do.” fi rst part was older and the second part was more raucous. It takes people by surprise and it is a great feeling. As long as I Wetherell sat down with GayCalgary.com along with Ma- have great tunes I am happy. My passion is singing and that thieu Remillard (also extremely tall) and the lovely Jeanette is what I focus my energies on. I can do anything as Marie but McDonald after a recent performance to discuss the show. Mc- when I am singing, Jeanette comes out and that brings me Donald agreed that performing for diehard fans of the original immeasurable joy. I am really enjoying this particular show TV series can be both a blast and a lot of pressure. because I have always been the raunchy rock singer. In this show I get to sing pretty and do songs like Que Sera Sera and ”It’s funny to get some of the comments. One lady called Lipstick on your Collar. It is great for me because it showcases in to the box offi ce in Edmonton and voiced her displeasure both sides of the stick.” because Marie was wearing a skirt, and she wouldn’t do that [because] she wears pants. Another time a lady made a com- It truly is the cast that makes the show tick – the script ment that I didn’t have manicured nails. You have to deal with isn’t as strong as other Jubilations shows. The energy and the comments, because they are diehards. The people that enthusiasm of the six talented people on stage as well as the come to see this show, a lot of them know every little thing ever stellar additional takes it the show to a level that matches about these characters.” past performances. Remilliard, whose hysterically funny portrayal of Robert fre- “We do have to be serious enough that even if it isn’t the quently steals the show, is on his fi rst tour having worked for best script we have a lot of pride as performers, and regardless the companies Celebrations Dinner of the show you don’t want to ever come off looking bad, that Theatre in Winnipeg as an additional is a fact. Even if parts of this show aren’t as strong as other cast member for over a year. He shows, it is our job to make sure that our end is taken care of spoke about the challenge of keeping and we can walk away knowing we gave them their money’s fresh for the nine month tour. worth,” Wetherell concluded. ”It’s a new experience for me so it is all fun and I love it a lot. I am glad Everybody Loves Ray’s Mom to be with the cast I am with; it would Jubilations Dinner Theatre have a different feel with anyone 1002 - 37th Street SW at the Westbrook Mall Phone: (403) 249-7799

48 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006

50 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 Haddock and Hoof’s Bringing East Coast Seafood to Calgary

By Jason Clevett Review | Food The fi rst time you go to The Haddock and Hoof on 17th Avenue, it is defi nitely a case of looks steep, but this can be very de- ceiving. Individually an order being deceiving. Housed in a former Pizza Hut of fi sh and chips is $16, yet it location, the building still looks like its original seems like the sheer size and resident from the outside, which seems a little out quality of the dish is doubled of place considering it is labeled fi ne dining. Once from your average restaurant. The menu boasts “this is our you walk in however, you feel like you are in a secret recipe and the best you completely different place. The interior is a sooth- will ever have in your life.” I ing and intimate environment that brings the would say that is pretty close coast to you. At fi rst glance. some of the menu to accurate, and certainly the best fi sh you will get so far items may seem a little steep. However, once the away from the ocean. food is set in front of you for the fi rst time, you realize that the quality and quantity of food defi - We also tried the Lobster Flambé – large and shred- nitely gives you a real bang for your buck. ded pieces of Atlantic lobster and peppers both fl ambéed in We headed out on a recent Wednesday night to see what the garlic and brandy, served with buzz is about – right now it’s hard to get in on weekends and a blend of wild and white rice. reservations are advised. We jumped right into things by sam- It’s an interesting texture and pling the smoked salmon bruschetta – toasted baguette points fl avor blend – certainly worth with cream cheese and Atlantic smoked salmon. Salmon can experiencing. be hit and miss, but in this case we were please to see it was lightly smoked and not in the least bit fi shy – a statement We wrapped up our meal made time and time again by all of us over the course of the with dessert – a fruit fl ambé and the Grand Marnier tiramisu. evening. It was our fi rst inclination of the portion sizes that The fl ambé had nice sized chunks of fruit and tasted really awaited us – these were not small pieces of hard bread, but good, but it was the tiramisu that had us raving. If you are rather large tender slices that could almost be a meal on their a coffee fan you have to try this – we joked that it was good own. We also tried the seafood chowder – large pieces of scal- enough to recreate a certain famous movie scene involving lop, lobster, shrimp and haddock in a rich creamy soup. Once Meg Ryan. After our eyes were done rolling back in our heads again, this alone could make a meal, and there was no skimp- with pleasure we packaged up what we hadn’t been able to eat ing out on the seafood; by far one of the best seafood chowders and headed home, quite full. I have ever tasted! After reading this review thus far, you are probably think- We decided to splurge and get the fi sherman’s platter – a ing “Ok, so it’s a seafood restaurant, where does the ‘hoof’ part combination plate that can easily feed two to four people. A come in?” Well, simply put, Haddock and Hoof’s has such an selection of seafood appetizers and main courses was brought extensive menu that we didn’t even make it to the non-sea- out – at this point we were seriously running out of space on food side of things, which includes panini sandwiches, salads, the table to put the food! The pound of mussels is cooked in steak and chicken. Not everyone is a fan of seafood, so if you a white wine sauce, and they go down so easily – soft, tender want good Alberta beef and your partner wants lobster, then and just about falling out of their shell. The Digby Nova Scotia this is a restaurant where you can both get what you want. scallops were also cooked in a white wine sauce, and were If the seafood selection, size and quality was any indication I huge and tasty. The breaded shrimp was good, but what really can only imagine what the rest of the menu has in store. In caught all of our attention was the calamari. I love calamari addition, they also offer a Sunday a la carte brunch and a $10 – and Haddock and Hoof’s has ruined that experience for me lunch menu. because after trying theirs I don’t know how I can ever eat it anywhere else! It’s simply the best I’ve ever tasted – it’s so Don’t let the outside fool you, it is what’s inside that counts. good I can’t even type out the proper words to give it justice. Reasonably priced, especially compared to other upscale sea- Then there were the Kings Crab legs, where the claw was the food restaurants, nicely atmospheric with fantastic food - Had- size of a small fi st and the meat was incredibly tender. This dock and Hoof’s is defi nitely worth many more visits. all came with literally a slab of lightly battered haddock, also Haddock & Hoof’s featured on their Fish and Chips platter. As if that wasn’t 3851 17th Avenue SW enough, the fi sherman’s platter also comes with a choice of (403) 242-0522 two sides and two salads. This is what I meant about the menu – the prices look

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 51 Queer Eye - for the Calgary guy (or gal) Events that happened around Calgary

Photos by Steve Polyak and Rob Diaz-Marino of GayCalgary.com Magazine Apollo Western Cup Casino Night and Karaoke Idol Apollo Registration at Money-Pennies and Twisted Element

52 gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 Apollo Western Cup

gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 53 Apollo Western Cup Dance Apollo Western Cup Awards

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gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 55 Money Pennies T-Dance

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gaycalgary.com magazine #31, May 2006 57 ISCCA Roast and Voting at the Backlot, Brunch at Twisted Element

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