Built-In cooking by LeasideLeaside Come visit our showroom Depend on us. Store Hours: Mon - Wed: 10am - 6 pm Thurs - Fri: 10am - 8 pm Saturday: 10am - 5 pm Sunday: 12am - 5 pm winterplay! 2009 3 4 winterplay! 2009 Size 14+ consignment stores serving the GTA 8108 Yonge St., Thornhill, ON 905.764.0099 66 Commercial Ave., Ajax, ON 905.231.1091 www.curvaceousconsignments.com winterplay! 2009 5 6 winterplay! 2009 PublisherFrom the Publisher Among the many hobbies I had as a teen, I used today, years after I got away from the to spend hours sketching beautiful females on big misinformed teachings of religion to growing into huge canvases. My women were elegant, with a more of spiritual person, I still sleep with a long flowing hair, thick beautiful lashes, and sexy picture of the Virgin under my mattress. Last lips. They were my goddesses; earth mothers with week, as I was telling a friend of mine that little a lot of warmth. story, she asked me “why?” I couldn't tell her then. I have always loved women (mind you, I have I think it probably has to do with feeling never been with one; is this the proper place for a protected, as “the mother” is there with me, confessional?). My mother, my sister, and all my watching over me while I sleep. girl friends would tell you how much I love Having said all this though, I have to say I am spending time with them. Women, in my opinion, gender blind. I have to like you based on your make great and caring friends. deeds and qualities, not based on your sex. When One of the sweetest posts I saw on Facebook it came to our publications, I insisted from day lately was of a friend of mine who was talking one that we work our hardest to be a publication about his mother, sister and grandma. My friend for humans and not for a particular gender. It was finished his post with “the women in my life make difficult sometimes to strike a balance and be me a better man.” You have no idea how much equally fair in featuring men, women and trans more I respect and admire him after seeing this. people. But I really don't want to have to worry about that, or think about it a lot, because here at I worship the ground my mother walks on. If Pink Play Mags that is not the place from where this edition of winterplay! serves any purpose, I we are coming to you. We come from a place hope it serves at least as a gift and a tribute to the where we are all the same, in spite of our different most amazing woman in my life. For the woman sexes. Our readers keep reminding us that we who made me, nursed me when I was sick, gave have successfully achieved this and it encourages me her shoulder to cry on when I was upset, and us to continue on took care of me every day of my life, thank you. this path Even now, as a grown up, I know that the world is safe because I can turn to her when things are This, however, chaotic or the days are difficult. is our tribute to the feminine: to I come from a Catholic upbringing, but the sister, mother, Catholics in Lebanon (where my father is from) and goddess. put high emphasis on worshiping and praying to Enjoy. the Virgin Mary, even considering her in the league of Christ. She is, after all, the one who carried the “Son of God.” Without the female Antoine there would never have been the male. And thus, Elhashem She should be honoured and worshiped. Even winterplay! 2009 7 winterplay! In This Issue Gay and lesbian seasonal from PinkPlayMags. Free. Winter 2009. 12 Let the Divine Feminine Publisher/Creative Director Antoine Elhashem Shine Her Light Editor-in-Chief Jeff Harrison - Shelley A. Harrison Art Director Alex Long 18 Viva la Diva! Contributors - Scott Dagostino Writers Steven Bereznai, Ricky Boudreau, 23 Femme Maggie Cassella, Judith Crane, Scott Dagostino, - Karen Fulcher Kristyn Dunion, Karen Fulcher, Shelley A. Harrison, Scott MacDonald, 29 A Love Letter to Cuba Manny Machado, Deb Pearce, Kevin Slack - Kevin Slack Photography Robert Foster, Kevin Slack 44 Hunting Ferret Illustration Andy Belanger - Kristyn Dunion Regular features Cover: sister, mother, 34 Our Opinion - Deb Pearce & Steven Bereznai goddess 37 Hot Artist: Sonja Scharf - Scott MacDonald 40 Urban Spaces - Manny Machado 51 Winter in the City Photography Kevin Slack - Ricky Boudreau Photography Assistant Marlon Solomon Make-up Dwayne King 57 From the Heart - Shelley A. Harrison Cover Model Introducing Shelley A. Harrison, 60 Winter Horoscope our new “From the Heart” columnist - Judith Crane 62 Looking Back: - Maggie Cassella Published by To contact us 416.926.9588 Toronto 905.231.9722 G.T.A. INspired Media Inc. Operating INspiredcreative (www.inspiredcreative.ca), Websites and publishers of The Pink Pages Directory, www.pinkplaymags.com PinkPlayMags, and The LOCAL BIZ Magazine. www.thepinkpagesdirectory.com President Antoine Elhashem We love to hear from you. Please send comments, Advertising Manager Tina Kelly questions or any other matters to Advertising Consultant Mike Repluk [email protected] Production Coordinator Kim Dobie For advertising inquiries Counsels Jerry Herszkopf, Jerry Herszkopf Law Firm [email protected] Mailing address Notice INspired Media Inc., its divisions, publications, the editors, authors, photographers, salespersons, graphic and production artists shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any 205-1691 Pickering Parkway, Pickering, ON L1V 5L9 person or entity with respect to monetary or emotional loss or damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, by the information or claims contained in this Publication. All rights reserved. Any copying of material in this publication in whole or in part is prohibited unless authorized by the publishers. 8 winterplay! 2009 From the Editor When I lost myEditor mom suddenly to cancer over trans male-to-females bravely embody it, 10 years ago, I was devastated. I was still trying to sometimes at great personal risk. wrap my head around the fact that she was sick, Yet, the rest of us seem at times intimidated by so when it was all over a mere 3 months later, I this warm, fuzzy, caring energy, often clinging was in complete shock. She was my shoulder to desperately to the male mystique Toronto seems cry on, my go-to person for practical worldly and to embody. I think in our male dominated world dating advice, my pep squad for pursuing my it's easy to forget how vital this womanly energy is dreams and she shared my whacky sense of to our lives. We live on Mother Earth, whose humour. moods are expressed by Mother Nature and most I honestly believe that our mom is the single religions, if they are not outright worshipping her, most important person in the world; after all she's then they are worshipping her son, who would the one that brought us into it and depending on never have existed without her to give him birth. how that went we're sure to hear about the joy Maybe that's why we live in such a male (and pain) of that for the rest of our lives. Now dominated world because everything about it is don't get me wrong, I love my dad too, but my so completely feminine–must be intimidating to relationship with him while growing up a all those powerful male leaders. confused gay boy was tough at times, as I'm sure Luckily I didn't have any issues, unfinished many of you can identify with. They say moms business or regrets when it came to my time with always know when their kids are “that way” and my mom. I certainly milked all I could out of those once they get past the guilt of feeling like they've last few visits. It makes me sad she'll never meet somehow failed as a parent, they just want their the guy I finally settle down with and it makes me kids to be happy. sad that my sister's kids won't have her for a I was blessed to have a fantastic relationship grandmother. Every so often, especially around with mine, but not all mothers are the cookie Mother's Day, I still miss her so much it takes my baking, apple pie smiles, supportive confidants breath away. She left me with one hell of a legacy many of us gush about. As you'll read from though. My ability to care deeply for others comes Shelley, our new “From the Heart” columnist and from her, as does my open heart and my refusal to cover girl, all the strong role-model archetypes in judge people. My fearlessness to be myself is also our lives have a shadow side and Mom is no thanks to her. Since she left I've become exception. Even those of us who may have inseparable from my sister and I've gained a more antagonistic relationships with our moms, I'm sure open and loving can pick out certain strengths we owe to her relationship with presence in our lives if we look hard enough in the my dad. mirror. Really, moms want what's best for us, even if we don't agree with them on what that might be. This issue's for you Mom. And what about the other feminine energy in our lives: sisters, grandmothers, daughters, girlfriends? The drag queens fiercely embrace it, Jeff Harrison often becoming a drag mother to the next generation of performers.