FREE 20,000 AUDITED CIRCULATION VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS PRIDE LEGACY AWARDS E 10 ARE STEROIDS MAY 8–21, 2014 8–21, MAY HARMFUL? E 12 #540 MR SPIKED PHOTOS E 23 @dailyxtra facebook.com/dailyxtra facebook.com/dailyxtra Death by bigotry Leo Mantha was the last man executed in BC. Would a straight man have been spared? dailyxtra.com dailyxtra.com E15 More at at More 2 MAY 8–21, 2014 XTRA! VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM XTRA! MAY 8–21, 2014 3 How do I take this medication? What will the medicine you prescribed do to me? What if I miss a dose? your doctor if TIVICAY™ is right for you. I asked. I learned. Together we considered the options. Learn as much as you can. It starts with one question. Then two... asking questions is the first step. Work together with a healthcare professional. Put your trust in each other. 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VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS XTRA VANCOUVER’S Published by Pink Triangle Press GAY & LESBIAN PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NEWS Brandon Matheson #540 MAY 8–21, 2014 Roundup EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR Robin Perelle STAFF REPORTER Natasha Barsotti Carl Meadows COPY EDITOR Lesley Fraser wins the Pride EVENT LISTINGS [email protected] Legacy Award for CONTRIBUTE OR INQUIRE about Xtra’s editorial volunteerism. content: [email protected] JAMES LOEWEN EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE Greg Armstrong-Morris, Niko Bell, Bruce Bishop, Nathaniel Christopher, Tom Coleman, Tyler Dorchester, Erin Flegg, Danny Gray Fox, Jeremy Hainsworth, Shauna Lewis, James Loewen, Aefa Mulholland, Raziel Reid, Mark Robins, Keph Senett, Tallulah, Stacy Thomas ART & PRODUCTION CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lucinda Wallace GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Darryl Mabey, NEWS Bryce Stuart, Landon Whittaker ADVERTISING ADVERTISING & SALES DIRECTOR Ken Hickling NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Jeff rey Hoff man SALES ADMINISTRATION MANAGER Lexi Chuba SALES TEAM LEAD Lorilynn Barker DISPLAY ADVERTISING Corey Giles, Teila Smart Honouring ONLINE ACCOUNT MANAGER Jessie Bennett ADVERTISING COORDINATORS Brad Deep, Gary Major DISPLAY ADVERTISING Call 604-684-9696 or email [email protected]. CLASSIFIEDS Call 604-684-9696 their impact or email classifi [email protected]. The publication of an ad in Xtra does not Second annual Pride mean that Xtra endorses the advertiser. Storefront features are paid advertising content. Legacy Awards recognize SPONSORSHIP AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT community leaders E10 Erica Bestwick, [email protected] Printed and published in Canada. ©2014 Pink Triangle Press. Xtra is published every two weeks by Pink Triangle Press. ISSN 1198-0613 Editorial Cover story Address: 501–1033 Davie St, Vancouver, BC, V6E 1M7 Jamaica’s long game Death by bigotry Leo Mantha Offi ce hours: Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm By Natasha Barsotti E6 was executed; would a straight Phone: 604-684-9696 Fax: 604-684-9697 man have been spared? E15 Website: dailyxtra.com Feedback E6 Email: [email protected] SUBSCRIPTIONS $55 for one year (26 issues); Xcetera E7 $65 (US) in the US; $100 (US) overseas. Out in the City [email protected], 800-268-XTRA PINK TRIANGLE PRESS Upfront Artifi cial Cherry has bite Founded 1971 DIRECTORS Jim Bartley, Gerald Hannon, People can be so uptight about Glenn Kauth, Didier Pomerleau, Ken Popert, Pride events lost money the human body, poet says E19 Gillian Rodgerson last year But directors say HONORARY DIRECTOR Colin Brownlee Unforeseen possibilities organization is fi nancially PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Ken Popert Brett Josef Grubisic’s new novel CEO, DIGITAL MEDIA David Walberg stable E9 CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Andrew Chang is about a bookish prof and a Parks board approves sexual adventurer E20 trans-friendly measures E10 Blitz & Shitz Scientists warn against Party like it’s 1999 HIV injustice E10 By Raziel Reid E21 Use of ‘queer’ varies across What’s On E22 Canada NWT warming to it, Montreal indiff erent, Toronto Xposed divided E11 Mr Spiked DAHL&CONNORS By Danny Gray Fox E23 Jury’s out on steroid harm BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS Some men see a testosterone Real Estate E23 defi cit when they stop using Xtra Living E24 steroids E12 The Brotherhood Proudly serving Vancouver’s By Tyler Dorchester E25 GLBT Community for more ondailyxtra.com Daily Xtra Travel than 15 years. E BC law society will 8JMMT&TUBUFTt'BNJMZ-BXt revisit decision to accept Atlanta Distinct neighbourhoods, TWU law grads Southern style and the best gay "EPQUJPOt$PSQPSBUF$PNNFSDJBMt nightlife in the Southeast E26 EOldest LGBT bookstore 3FBM&TUBUFt*NNJHSBUJPO in US to close May 17 Pride in Mexico City A non-corporate mix of E New BC law makes it politics and partying E28 easier to change gender 604.687.8752 620-1033 Davie Street, Vancouver, BC dahlconnors.com on documents COVER PHOTO BY STAN PIONTEK MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM XTRA! MAY 8–21, 2014 5 email [email protected] comment dailyxtra.com & facebook.com/dailyxtra Comment tweet @dailyxtra that score won’t translate into societal FREE 20,000 AUDITED acceptance. FEEDBACK CIRCULATION VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS TRINITY That’s long-game work, which is on- WESTERN LAWSUIT Jamaica’s long game going but proceeding in baby steps, E 7 APRIL 24–MAY 7, 2014 7, APRIL 24–MAY LONELY whether it’s outreach to potential allies #539 SENIORS Steroid use E 8 in religious circles, convincing media to WOMEN’S I was saddened by your feature article SOCCER Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and eschew sensationalism for more bal- E 13 EDITORIAL entitled “’Roid Rage” [Xtra #539, April NATASHA BARSOTTI Gays (J-FLAG), he started an empower- anced reporting about LGBT people and ment session out of which four people their experiences, or working within 24]. I wonder why gay teens are six times more likely to use steroids? @dailyxtra Jermaine, 23, Jamaican found jobs and another six went back and outside the community to address Why are gay teens nearly six times more likely to use steroids? E10 and gay, knows what it’s to school. the interconnected issues of margin- Flipping through your publication like to live on the streets. His “whoa” moment came when alization, under- and unemployment, and others, I noticed many ads pro- facebook.com/dailyxtra “You have to fi ght against the weather the United Nations Population and homelessness among men who have moting “body enhancements” like dailyxtra.com ’ROID RAGE More at at More — night cold, sun, rain,” he told me on Fund approved his request for $1.5 sex with men. Botox, non-surgical facelifts and an assortment of cosmetics, as well as a recent trip to Jamaica. “Hurricane million (Jamaican) to train 10 HIV- According to a 2012 University of If you look perfect, then the focus season come an’ ketch me on de road positive gay sex workers in health and the West Indies study on the attitudes full-page ads for Squirt, Cruiseline and Hardline. The time of year it is is on money and university degrees. a’ready.” employment-seeking strategies, using and perceptions of 1,000 Jamaicans Or vice versa. You are expected to be At 18, Jermaine often found himself a peer-education format. regarding same-sex relationships, these pounded into us during Pride, when one ad after another displays a model perfect in all aspects of life. Given that locked out of his home, his mother The government wasn’t falling over are the stats activists are up against: our dating choices are next to nothing telling him to “go back where mih a itself to help, so Jermaine started to “Approximately 88 percent felt that with a “perfect” body. The not-so- subtle message is if you want to be anyway (the two to four percent of come from,” while his father tried a help himself, and then his peers. male homosexuality was immoral, 83.7 the male population that identifies little harder to wrap his head around “I can’t tell you when, because you percent felt the same for female homo- accepted and attractive, this is what you need. The pharmaceutical indus- as gay), just fi nding someone is a long his son’s sexuality. are going to hold me [to it] if I give sexuality and 83.5 percent felt bisexual shot, despite more of us coming out. I “They didn’t understand about the you a timeline,” Prime Minister Portia relationships were immoral.” try has also been active promoting testosterone-replacement therapies, think a lot of us just want to feel good whole gay and all ah dat,” Jermaine says. Simpson-Miller recently told Jamai- These fi ndings represent a six to eight by looking good, since we get little to “They weren’t taught in school how to can media when asked about her 2011 percent increase in intolerance since and sales have soared. I realize that your publication no acknowledgment from within the handle situations like dat.” promise to review the country’s archaic 2011, the study shows. gay community. For two or three years, he led an itin- buggery law. Jermaine’s friend Christopher thinks and others depend on the revenue from these ads, so I especially want TORONTO416 erant street life, punctuated by sofa Simpson-Miller followed that serving change is more likely to occur “behind (DAILYXTRA.COM) surfi ng at the homes of sex-work cli- of political evasion with another slice doors.” The very people who think noth- to thank you for putting this forward ents and friends — until they wanted of obfuscation. “We are so busy trying ing of shouting homophobic slurs in for discussion.