April 2009 ISSUE 66 The Only Magazine Dedicated to Alberta’s GLBT+ Community FREE Absolutely Flawless Coronation 33 GAYCALGARY AT THE JUNOS In depth interviews: RuPaul Lady Gaga Dallas Green COMMUNITY DIRECTORY • MAP AND EVENTS • TOURISM INFO >> STARTING ON PAGE 17 GLBT RESOURce • CALGARy • EDMONTon • ALBERTA www.gaycalgary.com GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #66, April 009 Table of Contents Table of Contents 5 The Community Dog Fight Publisher: ................................Steve Polyak Editor: ...............................Rob Diaz-Marino Publisher’s Column Graphic Design: ................Rob Diaz-Marino Sales: .......................................Steve Polyak 8 Going Gaga The bisexual bombshell vows to never walk out on us. But those breasts? Writers and Contributors They’ve got a mind of their own. Mercedes Allen, Chris Azzopardi, Camper British, Dave Brousseau, AIDS Calgary, Jason Clevett, Andrew Collins, James S.M. 10 In Depth with RuPaul Demers, Rob Diaz-Marino, Jack Fertig, Champion Drag Icon on New Album and Race for Next Drag Superstar Glen Hanson, Benjamin Hawkcliffe, Joan Hilty, Evan Kayne, Stephen Lock, Allan 8 PAGE Neuwirth, Felice Newman, Steve Polyak, 13 Chelsea Boys Mark Randall, Romeo San Vicente, Spencer Tyler, Jerome Voltero, D’Anne Witkowski, 14 Out of Town and the GLBT Community of Calgary, Madison, Wisconsin Edmonton, and Alberta. Photography 17 Directory and Events Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, and contributors Karen Hofmann, BTJ 23 A Conflict of Rights McDonald. How Much Say Should Parents Have In School Curriculum Videography Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino 24 Creep of the Week Pope Benedict XVI Printers North Hill News/Central Web 25 Q Scopes 10 PAGE Distribution “Embrace competition, Sagittarius!” Calgary: ........................Gallant Distribution ......................................GayCalgary Staff 26 Adult Film Review Edmonton: .....................Clark’s Distribution Funhouse, Muscle Mountain Other: .......................................Canada Post Legal Council 27 Pride Calgary 2009 Courtney Aarbo, Barristers and Solicitors The Year So Far Sales & General Inquiries GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine 28 Deep Inside Hollywood #403, 215 14th Avenue SW Heathers Calgary, AB, Canada T2R 0M2 Office Hours: ............. By appointment ONLY 29 Cocktail Chatter Phone: ................................ (403) 543-6960 A Drink By Any Other Name and Making Your Own Mixers Toll Free:............................ 1-888-543-6960 43 PAGE Fax:..................................... (403) 703-0685 30 A Different Way of Giving E-Mail: [email protected] Twisted Element and AIDS Calgary Forge a Unique Giving Opportunity This Month's Cover RuPaul, taken by Mathu Andersen. 31 Fear, Stigma and Discrimination replaced with Hope 2009 Alberta Positive Voices Conference Huge Success! 32 Letters to the Editor Continued on Next Page 34 Why should YOU volunteer? 35 A Couple of Guys www.gaycalgary.com 46 PAGE Continued on Next Page GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #66, April 009 Table of Contents Continued From Previous Page Proud members of: 36 Bitter Girl 37 Alberta Government Gives to SHARP Plans for Independence House Announced 38 Running for Royalty ISCCA Candidates for 33rd Reign 40 A History of Gender Variance in Expression and Identity Part 3: Into the Modern Age (1700s - 1932) PAGE 52 PAGE 43 Fundraising Photos 45 Telling it Like It Is The Calgary International Spoken Word Festival 2009 Continued from Previous Page 46 Cappuccino Theatre Magazine Blood Brothers Print Circulation: ................. ~10,000 copies Pickup Density: ...................~3 readers/copy Online Circulation: ............ ~60,000 readers 46 I Love You, Man Total Readership: .............. ~90,000 readers Bro-mantic comedy a keeper Frequency: ................................Every Month 47 The Erotic Anguish of Don Juan Proof of monthly figures can be requested. ATP and The Old Trout Explore Love Through Puppets Distribution Locations PAGE 53 PAGE Alberta: ..................... ~300 Drop-off Points 48 Classified Ads Please call us if your establishment would like to become a distribution point. 50 Projecting Towards Pride and History Originally established in January 1992 as Celluloid Men for Men BBS by MFM Communications. Sneek a’ Peek at The FairyTales International Queer Diversity Film Festival XI Name changed to GayCalgary.com in 1998. Independent company as of January 2004. 52 Polaroids First edition of GayCalgary.com Magazine published November 2003. Name adjusted Art Gallery of Alberta Debuts Major Canadian Artist in November 2006 to GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine. 53 Absolutely Flawless: Coronation 33 ISCCA Soon To Crown New Royalty Disclaimer and Copyright Opinions expressed in this magazine PAGE 58 PAGE are specific to the author, and do not 54 Dallas Green necessarily reflect those of GayCalgary staff May 2009 Catching Up with Juno Award Winner and contributors. Those involved in the making of this Print Deadlines 56 GayCalgary at the Junos publication, whether advertisers, Vancouver Rocks with Canadian Music contributors, or the subjects of articles Ad Booking or photographs, are not necessarily gay, Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 lesbian, bisexual, or trans. GayCalgary 58 Queer Eye - Community Events also includes straight allies and those who Ad Submission are gay friendly. Friday, May 1st, 2009 No part of this publication may be reprinted or modified without the In Circulation expressed written permission of the editor Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 or publisher. Please contact us immediately if you think Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. you may have missed the booking or GayCalgary is a registered trademark. submission deadline. GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #66, April 009 Editorial The Community Dog Fight Publisher’s Column for this month, and shaking our heads at the pure lunacy of it all. By Rob Diaz-Marino, MSc. It shows who are the “wild animals” in the community, making up stories to scare themselves into a frenzy for a fight that never Come one, come all! Step right up and place your existed in the first place. What a waste of energy for nothing. bets – which organization will be the winner in an all Reader Survey 2009 out community brawl over absolutely nothing? Grab The results are in, and here are a few statistics that we found a stick and start poking our contestants through interesting, that we wanted to share with you. their cages. One they’re angry enough, we’ll let them There has been some degree of contention over the words out and watch them tear one another to shreds, we use to describe ourselves, especially surrounding the word from safe and comfortable seats on the sidelines! If “Queer”. We found that although 28% of respondents fall into the they don’t finish one another off, then grab a hand- category of “youth”, only 5% of respondents used the word “Queer” ful of rocks and start throwing till they’re dead! It’s to describe themselves. Maybe it’s not a youth thing after all – just an individual choice. fun for everyone, and by far one of this city’s favou- rite pastimes! We asked about how our readers find out about upcoming community events – participants were permitted to select all that Seriously, at times living in the GLBT community can feel like applied so don’t look at it funny – they don’t add up to 100. Of being a dog in a fighting ring. All you want to do is live and let our pool of respondents, 73% found out from ads in GayCalgary live, but those with a sadistic flare are constantly putting you into and Edmonton Magazine, versus only 25% who found out from situations where you feel like your “life” is in danger – just to see other publications. Roughly half of people found out about events what will happen. The other dogs aren’t necessarily your enemies, through our magazine directory and events listing (51%), our they just wanted to live in peace like you. But when you’re hurt online events calendar (47%), sites like Facebook (54%), and word and confused, and so are they, all you know is that if you don’t of mouth (56%). Surprisingly only 35% said they found out about strike first, you might not be the one to walk away alive. Mean- events from event posters, and 24% from group/venue websites. while your real enemies watch comfortably from out of harm’s way, cheering you on, placing their bets and having a good time at your I’ve received some flak in the past from isolated individuals for expense. If you lay down and take it, you are booed out of the not writing a “conventional” publisher’s column every month. I’m ring, and your “keepers” might try working on new and nasty ways happy to say that the survey showed it is one of the most read, to provoke you into giving a better fight the next time. If you’re and in fact, one of people’s favourite articles. Hopefully this still of no use to them, they may let you go...or they may finish you means I’m doing something right, even if untraditional. Of course, off themselves. I can’t compete with our community photography features! Here’s the thing. If you let initial reactions, snap judgments, Gay community loyalty is still alive and well – 89% of respon- and pure instinct guide the decisions in your life, you become dents said that they are more likely to spend money with GLBT nothing better than a wild animal. The longer you live like this, businesses, or businesses who advertise in GLBT publications. the more difficult it is for you to go back to living normally again. However, people are still shy – only around half would actually tell Being trained to “bite” first and ask questions later might give you businesses that they saw their ad in a GLBT publication. the advantage in a fight, but when you try to integrate into general Our survey sample showed surprising financial resilience within society, even normally peaceful people will try to confine you or the GLBT community, in the face of the current economic situa- chase you away; all it takes is the fear that you might get out of tion.