Ryan Russell Cover Boy X654

Holly, jolly
HOLIDAYS
Gift Wrapped
Nov 19, 2009
SOCIALIST VIEWS
A look at sexuality
& socialism
Page 10
GAY HOLIDAY
Tinsel & wrapping
& bows, oh my!
Special supplement
DV8 DANCE
Righteous anger
from the UK
Page 22
Doctor dating! 14 Vogue! 19 Madonna (not that one)! 23 More at Xtra.ca
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the debut of pornstar Ryan Russell
page 20
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NOV 19, 2009 xtra!
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SUPPORTI NG OUR YOUTH
416- 324- 5077 www. s e y t e r e nt e . e r g
Supporting Our Youth (SOY) seeks to improve the quality of life for
LGBT youth (up to 29) through the active involvement of adults working
together with youth. Working within an anti-oppression framework,
SOY develops initiatives that build skills and capacities, provide
mentoring and support, and nurture a sense of identity and belonging.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans (LGBT) Programs & Services
8herbeurne eaIth 0entre
333 Sherbourne Street Toronto, ON M5A 2S5
416-324-4103 www.sherbeurne.en.ca
. . . : : : FLU ASSESSMENT CENTRE : : : . . .
SHERBOURNE HEALTH CENTRE OPERATES FLU ASSESSMENT CENTRE
Sherbourne Health Centre in conjunction with Toronto Public Health is providing assessment for individuals in our
community who may have the u. Starting Wednesday November 18, 2009, these services will take place at our
Flu Assessment Centre on the rst oor of the building from Monday to Friday from 1:30pm until 7:30pm and on
Saturdays from 9:30am until 12:30am. These services are for anyone, including Sherbourne Health Centre clients.
Please use the entrance marked for the Flu Assessment Centre. This is NOT a clinic for the H1N1 u vaccine.
For regular Sherbourne Health Centre activities and appointments, including see your doctor, nurse practitioner or
nurse for non-u reasons - please continue to use the main entrance. The primary care team will see its clients from
9am until 5pm from Monday to Friday daily.
. . . : : : MOTHERS/FATHERS DAY SCHOOL SURVIVAL TIPS : : : . . .
TAKE A MINUTE AND SHARE YOUR STORY!
LGBTQ parents, teachers, childcare workers, queer spawn: The LGBTQ Parenting Network is looking for your
SURVIVAL TIPS for celebrating and surviving Mothers and Fathers Day. Tell us about your experiences (negative and
positive) with these holidays in schools. What classroom exercises and activities have been helpful? How does your
family/teacher/school respond to or reinterpret the vision of family that often goes with these holidays? Please send
your STORIES, SUGGESTIONS and TIPS to Mariko Tamaki: mtamaki@sherbourne.on.ca. With your consent, stories
and tips will be shared anonymously on the LGBTQ Parenting Connection website: www.lgbtqparentingconnection.ca
. . . : : : GENDER JOURNEYS : : : . . .
Now accepting new registrations for January 2010! Thinking about transitioning? This 11 week program connects
you with reliable information and meaningful community connections for anyone thinking about their own gender
changes. Respect for a wide range of possibilities across the diverse gender continuum. Space is limited! Contact
Yasmeen Persad to register for the next group: 416-324-4100 ext. 5078 or ypersad@sherbourne.on.ca.
Discretion assured. We welcome people of diverse cultural and ethnoracial backgrounds. TTC access, wheelchair
accessible (with limitations), healthy snacks
. . . : : : UPDATE!!! : : : . . .
ESSENCE: A youth-centred group where queer, trans and/or questioning youth gather to uncover, discover
and recover our deeper selves. Come learn, socialize and share wisdom through workshops, guest speakers and
discussions about different non-denominational and queer-positive ideas and practicies of sprituality, faith and
community. Tuesdays, Nov. 10 - Dec. 15 (and Wed, Nov. 25), 7-9pm at Sherbourne Health Centre. Contact Adam
at adambusch@gmail.com or 416-324-5077 / soy@sherbourne.on.ca for more details.
FLUID: A group for bisexual, pansexual, bi-curious, omnisexual, questioning and other youth who dont t neatly
into categories around sexuality. Thursdays, October 22 to December 10, 6.30-8.30pm. Contact Ilaneet at
ilangoren@hotmail.com or 416-324-5077 / soy@sherbourne.on.ca for more details.
QUEER IDOL! Rounds II & III - Goodhandys (120 Church St at Richmond). Friday Nov. 20 & Friday Dec. 18, doors
open at 9.30pm. Cover: $9 ($5 before 10pm). Partial proceeds generously donated to SOY. www.screww.ca/queeridol/
Alphabet Soup: Tuesdays from 4-6pm. If you are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer or Questioning, under 20
years old and in school or planning to return to school, come by and hang out with us, watch queer and trans movies,
have fun debates and discussions, make and eat freshly baked goods and learn more about the LGBTQ community.
Contact Jordan for more details: 416-324-4100 x5224 or jmuszynski@sherbourne.on.ca
TRANS_FUSION CREW: TFC is a warm, inclusive space for transgender, transsexual, intersex, two-spirit,
gender-questioning youth and our allies to chill out, make art, share information, and work on amazing activist
projects. Thursdays, 6:00-8:00pm @ Sherbourne Health Centre, 333 Sherbourne St. Call Yasmeen at
416-324-5078 or email tfc@sherbourne.on.ca.
NEWCOMER IMMIGRANT YOUTH PROGRAM (EXPRESS): A safe and supportive
space where newcomer and/or immigrant queer youth nd a safe space to gather, share ideas,
questions, and most of all HAVE FUN! Interested? Tuesdays, 6:00-8:00pm @ Sherbourne
Health Centre, 333 Sherbourne St. Email Suhail: soynewcomer@sherbourne.on.ca or call
416-324-5080.
Make Change Youth Emergency Fund: Spare Change? Make it Count! Call now
and order your SOY Donation tin and Save Change to Make Change in a youths life. Tins can
be displayed at your place of work, at group gatherings or parties, or keep in that drawer where you
toss your change every day! Call Kara at 416-324-4100 ext. 5235 or email at kbabcock@
sherbourne.on.ca to join this worthy venture.
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150 KING ST. W., 27TH FLOOR
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xtra! NOV 19, 2009 news & views
7
Issue #654
l
Nov 19, 2009
Brent Ledger 12
Julia Gonsalves 13
Letters 16
Xcetra 17
Xposed 31
Cocktail Confessions 33
Out In The City 33-38
925-XTRA 39
ProudLives 40
Comics 43
Porndoggy 44
Lupe loop
Nicholas Davies
Alucines rare screening
of Jos Rodriguez Soltero
21
Cover photo: TitanMen.com 2009 Folsom Maneuvers
ToronTos
war on fun
Ossington Ave
the latest front
ToronTo nEws
Krishna Rau
t
HE CONFLICT
between two Toronto-
based groups working to aid
queer people in Iran has yet
to be resolved completely, but both
sides say they just want to put the
squabble behind them so they can
focus on more important work.
In April 2008 members of the
board of directors of the Iranian
Queer Organization (IRQO) accused
the groups founder, Arsham Parsi,
of trying to improperly seize control
of the organization and its finances.
He had purported to fire the
two other board members and
replace them, Douglas Elliott,
a lawyer representing the IRQO
board, told Xtra last November.
This was not done in a legal way.
Elliott says Parsi also attempted
to take control of IRQOs bank
account by telling the bank that
the other two directors had been
removed. After he notified people
on the mailing list that he had
changed the board, he told the
bank the same thing, said Elliott.
Someone at the bank who didnt
understand proper legal pro-
cedure took his word for it and
removed their signing authority.
After the IRQO board regained
control of its organization it called
on Parsi to answer several questions
about the groups finances and to
furnish complete financial state-
ments. But Parsi, who fled Iran in
2005 and was unfamiliar with the
intricacies and spirit of board gover-
nance, simply hadnt kept appropri-
ate financial records.
Parsi told Xtra the IRQO
directors were spreading gossip
and trying to publicize themselves
at his expense.
But both sides say now that
some of the issues have been
resolved and, despite some linger-
ing questions, they just want to
move on.
Parsi formed a new group called
the Iranian Queer Railroad (IQRR).
He is executive director of that orga-
nization and is accountable to an
independent board of directors,
of which he is not a member.
The three directors in place so far
are Gilles Marchildon, the director
of communications at the Cana-
dian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and
former executive director of Egale
Canada; Johanne Gaudreault,
executive director of the Chambre
de commerce gaie du Qubec; and
Paul Durber, former director of pay
equity for the Canadian Human
Rights Commission.
They are all well-known mem-
bers of the LGBT community in
Canada, Parsi says. They saw all
the documents and saw everything
was okay. They dont lend their
names to a bad person.
Its important for a non-profit
to have a good, solid board of direc-
tors to ensure to donors that the
money they give is used wisely,
says Marchildon. Were vouching
for the integrity of the organization.
Eventually we hope to gain govern-
ment or foundation funding.
Marchildon says Parsi is learn-
ing quickly about board gover-
nance. He was surprised at the
formality of it, Marchildon says.
He was interested in how we had
motions and presentations and
votes. Formally, hes not a member
of the board, which I underlined
was healthy.
I consider this case and this
issue closed, says Parsi. Im focus-
ing all of my time, work and energy
on the new organization.
Elliott says IRQO is also moving
forward. Its an unfortunate diver-
sion of energy and resources and
thats exactly what my clients are
Feuding Iranian groups look to future
Just want to concentrate on helping those who need it
a 10.5 on ThE nipplE indEx
James and the Giant Pasties (left) and Wrong Note Rusty used the fall chill to their great advantage at the corner of Church and Wellesley on Nov 14. The
two are members of the BoylesqueTO dance troupe. They were promoting an upcoming show and, no doubt, memorializing the much-exaggerated and
completely nonsensical death of Torontos gay village.
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Continued on page 8
BuZZKill
a
fter the City of Toronto put a one-
year pause on issuing new liquor
licences to businesses on Oss-
ington Ave, the city is moving to impose
a whole whack of permanent entertain-
ment restrictions in the area.
If implemented, the measures would
not only affect new businesses but
would apply strict rules against bars
and restaurants already on the strip.
Thats right, city halls war on fun has
come to the fast-hipsterizing neighbour-
hood just west of downtown.
If passed at council, restaurant and
bar owners will be banned from having
more than one storey, they wont be
allowed to have back patios, they wont
be allowed to have side patios that are
more than half the size of the restau-
rants inside space, theyll be barred
from having large open doors or win-
dows and they wont be allowed more
than 175 square metres of floor space
(roughly 1,900 square feet).
Ossington is only the latest victim
of city councils war on fun. Previous
targets include the entertainment dis-
tricts dance clubs and the citys arts
institutions. In each case the weapon of
choice is liquor licensing by-laws.
And lets not forget the city and Alco-
hol and Gaming Commission of Ontario
ganging up on Circa nightclub. Its time
we put our feet down and said, Enough
is enough!
Just last year, Ossington was a seedy
area known more for drugs, vagrancy,
and the Centre for Addiction and Mental
Health than it was for its blossoming
cultural scene. Do councillors actually
believe the street was better before all
these cool venues dropped into place?
Wont these restrictions just push busi-
nesses farther west, say Bloor and
Lansdowne?
There are a number of little, sweaty,
queer-friendly bars that have made
their homes on the Ossington strip in
the last year. It would be a shame to see
business owners who are giving citizens
exactly what they want while providing
a major lift to a previously crumbling
neighbourhood, only to get punnished
for it. The local councillor is Joe Panta-
lone, and hes the key behind the citys
aggression on Ossington Ave.
Contact your city councillors if you
disagree with the plan, especially if you
live in the neighbourhoods represented
by Pantalone (Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina),
or neighbouring wards represented by
Adam Vaughan (Ward 20, Trinity-Spa-
dina) or Adam Giambrone (Ward 18,
Davenport).
Rob Salerno
8
news & views NOV 19, 2009 xtra!
trying to move beyond, he says.
Both sides agree that the matter
of an undocumented $5,000 award
to IRQO by the International
Gay and Lesbian Human Rights
Commission (IGLHRC) has been
resolved. Parsi returned the cheque
to IGLHRC, which then issued
a new cheque to IRQO.
Both sides also agree that Parsi
furnished IRQO with the bank
records he had. But Elliott says
theres no way to know if they are
complete.
There does not appear to be any
financial discrepancies, he says.
But these appear to be the only
records. It may be that everything
went in and out of that account.
We dont have anything except
those bank accounts.
I hired a lawyer and we hired an
accountant and we sent all the doc-
uments, says Parsi. They [IRQO]
just wanted to make some noise
to publicize their organization.
There was a serious attempt
to resolve everything with Arshams
lawyer, says Elliott. The negotia-
tions broke down after we made
some progress. IRQO had con-
cerns about Arsham that remain
unresolved and apparently he had
concerns about my clients. A lot of it
has to do with things that have been
written, anonymously or in con-
fidence, in Farsi and I dont speak
Farsi. Its fair to say both sides are
unhappy with the others conduct.
Elliott says his clients think their
organization is better positioned to
help queer Iranian refugees than is
IQRR. They sincerely believe that
people who want to help queer
Iranian refugees should help IRQO,
he says. They believe that is the
better choice.
But Parsi says IQRR is more in
touch with queer issues than is
IRQO. People who claim to be
board members never did anything
before, he says. They are not
members of the LGBT community
because they are heterosexual.
For info on the Iranian Queer
Organization go to Irqo.org; for the
Iranian Queer Railroad go to Irqr.net.
M
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MoVinG forward. Arsham
Parsi says hes learned a lot about
board governance and just wants
to continue his work helping queer
Iranians.
Feuding Iranian groups
look to future
Continued from page 7
naTional nEws
Dale Smith
a
RECENTLY RELEASED
guidebook for new immi-
grants, Discover Canada,
is a mixed bag of trivia
and ideology.
The handbook has an explicit
section on gender equality, where
it condemns the barbaric cultural
practices of spousal abuse,
honour killings and female genital
mutilation.
There is a section on diversity
that gives a shout out to atheism
but leaves out gays or lesbians.
Queer people are relegated to a
sidebar next to a photo of Mark
Tewksbury, in the section devoted
to sports, arts and culture.
And that has MPs shaking their
heads.
I always worried that it was
more of a political, ideological
message more than anything
else, says lesbian NDP MP Libby
Davies of the guide. I think its
pretty concerning that lesbian,
gay, bi and trans issues would be
put in a sidebar or not really dealt
with, because I think its a really
important issue for immigrants or
people coming to Canada to
understand that this is part of the
Canadian fabric.
MP Bill Siksay agrees.
Im disappointed that there
isnt a mention of the Canadian
value of recognition of the equality
of gay and lesbian people.
Gay Liberal MP Scott Brison,
sees more than just the effacement
of queers in the guide.
There was actually a diminu-
tion in the role of rights in this
guide compared to the previous
guide, Brison says. There are
some elements of the guide that I
think are positive, but I find that
the tone and direction away from
Canadas strength as a defender of
fundamental human rights is
really troubling, because its very
clear the Conservatives do not
understand or appreciate the
importance of these rights and the
need to continually reaffirm them
at every turn.
The Conservatives and
immigration minister Jason
Kenney in particular have long
tried to court what they believe to
be socially conservative immigrant
communities.
It makes me very worried,
Davies says. Especially when I
know its coming from Jason
Kenney and everything about this
man what he does and what his
modus operandi is.
Brison feels that Kenneys
attempt to court votes in this
manner is flawed.
This is a case of a government
with a choice of either appealing
to peoples openness or to their
narrow side, and I think where we
need leadership is toward open-
ness.
The NDPs immigration critic,
Olivia Chow, also feels that the
aims of this guide go beyond
trying to court these immigrant
voters.
I think its not who they court
its in their DNA, Chow says.
They dont support gay marriage.
They werent in government when
it passed and the majority of the
Conservative MPs didnt support
that. They were in the minority
thank goodness. However, we
know what were proud of.
New immigrants guide
glosses over gay people
Opposition MPs worry over slight to sexual minorities
120 Carlton Street, Suite 308,
Toronto, Ontario M5A 4K2
Tel: (416) 923-4277
website : www.kirkcooperlaw.com
email: kirkcooperlaw@rogers.com
VISA, MC & Legal Aid accepted
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ToronTo news
Marcus McCann
a
S TORONTO CENTRE
MPP George Smither-
man enters the citys
mayoral race, he hopes
to stitch together a win from
minority communities starting
with gays and lesbians.
Smitherman resigned as Ontar-
ios energy minister Nov 8 and
officially announced his intention
to join the City of Toronto mayor-
alty race the next day. For months,
he has been touted as a likely can-
didate, but the rules forbid him
from campaigning until January.
In an interview with Xtra, he
says hes confident about captur-
ing the gay vote next fall.
Ive learned enough of about
the gay community to know its not
a monolithic vote, but yes, he says,
adding I always have been able to
count on the communitys vote.
In a Nov 14 article in the
Toronto Star, Smitherman sug-
gested that being a minority
a gay man could bolster his
chances during the election.
Its not conventional wisdom,
but even among disparate groups,
the Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms is a point of commonal-
ity, he tells Xtra. And as Ive come
to know more about minority com-
munities in Toronto, Ive come to
know that there are many commu-
nities of the Charter.
When asked what that looked
like in practical terms, he repeated
that the Charter was a point of
commonality among minorities.
Smitherman has represented
the gay village riding of Toronto
Centre (formerly Toronto-
Rosedale) at Queens Park since
1999. After Dalton McGuinty and
the Liberals swept to power in
2003, Smitherman was sworn in as
minister of health, a position he
held until 2008.
During that time, he relisted
sex reassignment surgery under
the Ontario Health Insurance Plan
(OHIP) and he advocated revers-
ing the ban on gay blood donors.
In 2008 and 2009, he served at
Ontarios energy minister until his
resignation from cabinet. For the
time being, he remains an MPP.
Smitherman can often be seen
in the Church-Wellesley area
walking to and from his condo. He
wont tone down his life as an out
gay man during the race, he prom-
ises. He says his advisors know the
score and none of them have
asked him to keep his sexuality out
of the race.
I hate to repeat something
that youd hear from a Pride float,
but I am what I am, he says.
While he has yet to release a
platform or list of policy priorities,
the soft-sell portion of the cam-
paign is already in full swing.
My message to the gay com-
munity is one of thanks. Ive had
the privilege of having he love and
support of this community, he
says. I look forward to earning the
support of the community over
the next 49 weeks.
oPen seCreT. MPP George Smitherman and husband Christopher Peloso
celebrate Smithermans decision to quit cabinet in favour of a run in the City of
Torontos 2010 mayoralty race.
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confident
Courts gays in race for mayor
ToronTo news
Cate Simpson
t
WO MONTHS
following Pride Torontos
decision to apply for chari-
table status, questions
remain about the benefits and
drawbacks of a successful applica-
tion. Pride Toronto, currently a
not-for-profit, is responsible for
the citys annual Pride celebra-
tions and for the World Pride 2014,
which will take place in Toronto.
Charities are exempt from
income and property taxes
and crucially, their donors are
exempt from paying income tax
on donations.
Most nonprofits believe being
charitable enhances their ability to
raise money from the public,
explains Doug Kerr, a member of
the executive committee for the
Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Trans
Giving Network. Some sources of
funding like foundations can only
make grants to charities organi-
zations like community founda-
tions and the United Way.
With the bill for World Pride
expected to come in at around $10
million more than double the cost
of Torontos regular Pride events
Pride Toronto is likely experiencing
increased financial pressure. Chari-
table status would make them
more appealing to donors.
There are also benefits for
Prides stakeholders. Registered
charities must make their financial
records available online within six
months of the end of each fiscal
period. At Septembers AGM,
Pride Toronto failed to make a full
set of financial statements avail-
able to its members if it were a
charity, that would have jeopar-
dized its status.
Toronto Pride executive director
Tracey Sandilands initially declined
to comment by phone or in person,
but agreed to answer questions via
email. Later, she demurred
entirely, claiming that chief fund-
raiser Ryan Lester is the only staff
member qualified to speak on the
subject and that he was out of
town. Attempts to reach Lester
were unanswered by press time.
Charitable status also comes
with some less welcome conditions
attached. Federal law sets a ceiling
of 10 percent of a charitys
resources that may be spent for
political purposes.
Lots of charities do a bit of
advocacy for their issue, says
Kerr. Egale for many years did not
apply for charitable status because
they were trying to change the
laws on same-sex marriage and
most of their work was political.
Kerr points out that Egale even-
tually created a separate organiza-
tion the Egale Canada Human
Rights Trust to do their charita-
ble work, so they are able to enjoy
some of the charitable tax benefits
without having to give up their
political advocacy. Pride could
have taken that tack, which would
have left open the door for more
political Pride events.
But Kerr adds that since Pride
Toronto is not a lobbying outfit,
charitable status would probably
not seriously limit its activities.
The political thing is not a big
issue in the sense that Pride is not
a political organization thats
trying to change the law, he says.
The global Pride movement has
always had an activist dimension,
although in recent years Toronto
Pride organizers have focused
more on parties than politics.
According to Revenue Canada,
political activities that would be
limited by the 10 percent rule
include hosting a political rally
and buying advertising with the
purpose of putting pressure on the
government. As a charity, Pride
would be prohibited entirely from
campaigning for or against a polit-
ical candidate or party.
Activities Pride has been
involved with recently, like last
years Human Rights Conference
during Pride Week, likely dont fall
under the political activities cat-
egory for CRA purposes, and
would therefore be free from
financial restriction.
For much, much more on Pride
Toronto check out Xtra.ca.
Pride seeks charitable status
Will charitable status alter Pride Torontos politics?
CensorsHIP
Anita Krajnc
y
OUTUBE GROUNDED
Xtras online video chan-
nel on Nov 12 for being too
damn sexy in its delivery
of gay news.
In October, YouTube took
down Xtras news report on the
2009 Church St Fetish Fair. On
Nov 12, YouTube removed Xtra
and Fabs report on the 2008
Northbound Leather Fetish Party.
At the same time, YouTube
removed Fabs 2009 Northbound
video.
YouTube did not respond to
multiple requests for comment.
The notices sent to Xtra and Fab
suggest that the inappropriate
videos were taken down for con-
taining nudity and sexually gra-
tuitous imagery, but its unclear
which specific scenes triggered the
deletion.
YouTube is clearly more strict
when it comes to fetish or BDSM
videos, says Brent Creelman,
Xtra.cas managing editor. The
three videos removed from the
Xtra and Fab channels are news
reports from fetish events. You-
Tubes policy states that videos
cant contain graphic or gratuitous
violence, so maybe they consider
spanking and flogging as acts of
violence?
Creelman says YouTube needs
to make it easier for users to
appeal its decisions.
The Church Street Fetish Fair
was a public event, and our video
was a fun, campy news report, he
says. YouTubes own guidelines
state that exceptions can be made
for videos with a documentary
purpose so why didnt our
video meet that criteria?
Xtra has since reposted the
videos directly on its own website.
Fab associate editor Matt Thomas
says switching to other video-
sharing platforms is always an
option, but sites like Dailymotion
and Vimeo also have guidelines
that are open-ended and could be
used to delete sexy videos.
In 2008, YouTube changed its
guidelines in response to concerns
of heavy-handed censorship. It is
now making greater use of strikes
that expire instead of disabling
accounts straight away.
However, YouTubes policies
on sexual expression remain
exceedingly vague, and the prob-
lem of arbitrary enforcement
remains. YouTube relies on view-
ers to flag content as somehow
inappropriate and gives them
a variety of open-ended options
to choose from, including graphic
sexual content; nudity; suggestive,
but without nudity; or other
sexual content.
YouTube moderators have
enormous leeway in deciding
which of the thousands of videos
flagged everyday contain material
that violates YouTubes terms of
use. They may decide to keep the
video, enforce an age-require-
ment, remove the video or, in the
most extreme case, delete the
users account.
One problem, says Thomas,
is that YouTube is not transparent
in its decisions and does not even
provide specific reasons for why
videos were removed.
It leaves gay media in a posi-
tion where a faceless corporation
deems what is acceptable in
terms of what videos people can
upload, he says. There is no
room for debate, to address or
even acknowledge why they take
specific videos down. They do not
provide a means to appeal. I can
contact no one.

See our naughty videos at Xtra.ca
and at Fabmagazine.com
YouTube spanks Xtra
Suspends online video account for two weeks
10
VERBATIM
Marcus McCann
t
O CANADIAN
audiences, accustomed
to supporting a moderate
social welfare state, the
idea of practical Marxist revolt
may seem a little naive. So be it.
The idea of socialized, universal
access to services nonetheless res-
onates with both gay and straight
people north of the 49.
Journalist Sherry Wolf has been
cranking out analysis of socialism
and gay life for 25 years now.
While she toiled away using her
own fiery brand of Marxism, she
watched the gay movement suffer
through the paroxysms of the
1980s and 90s: identity politics,
the Oppression Olympics (her
term) and failed backroom deals
with the powers that be.
All that has changed. With
a crest of grassroots, bottom-up
activity reinvigorating gay politics
in the US, Wolf and her mix of his-
torical analysis and practical strat-
egy is reaching a new audience.
The Chicago-based lesbian
activist recently released a pocket-
sized introduction to the topic:
Sexuality & Socialism ($12, Hay-
market Books). The book is
a primer that both re-conceptual-
izes the history of gay life and,
looking to the future, presents
a blueprint for liberation. We
reached her at her home.
XTRA: You spend a lot of time
talking about gay liberation rather
than gay rights. Can you explain
for our readers the difference?
SHERRY WOLF: Of course, the
two arent diametrically opposed.
I think one of the reasons I wanted
to write this book is that the whole
idea that we could actually fight
for something beyond civil rights
reforms, which of course are nec-
essary urgently so here in the
States. We have to fight for reforms,
absolutely. But we also have to
question how, in those organizing
fights, do we begin to develop
ideas and strategies for fighting
for complete sexual liberation.
XTRA: The beginning of your
book includes an interesting
alternate history of why the
ruling classes pick on gay people.
Can you give us a thumbnail
sketch of where you think gay
oppression comes from?
WOLF: Sure. We are traditionally
trained to think in our western
society that there have always been
these categories of gay and straight.
That is a myth, so that needed to
be taken apart. There is a historical
beginning to the idea that people
have fixed sexual identities.
Obviously, there have been all
kinds of sex since people roamed
the Earth. People have found innu-
merable ways to express them-
selves from the start. So theres
nothing new under the sun, unless
youve figured out something
intimate to do with an iPod.
However, the idea that you
would find identity, or that you
would be able to lead your life
with a same-sex partner or as a
gender-variant person these are
modern phenomena. And I
believe, as many other sexual con-
structionists do, that this dates
back to more or less the end of the
19th century.
The rise of industrial produc-
tion, the freedom of people to
leave the nuclear family and
live autonomously in large cities
led to the explosion of sexuality
and the rise of gay as a sexual
orientation.
XTRA: Youre talking about the
rise of cities. Obviously, many
gays strongly identify with urban
life what was the effect of
urbanization on workers and on
gays in particular?
WOLF: In the United States, in the
19th century, it was illegal for
people to live outside of the family.
In many other places, that was the
case too. People were forced to live
in the nuclear family structure.
Where it begins to break down
is when you have the rise of indus-
trialization. Production is released
from the household and the home.
And there you have on a mass
scale, for the first time, in major
cities like New York, like London,
Paris, Berlin you have huge
concentrations of, often, men.
And they lived in dormitories,
same-sex living arrangements,
tenements, whatever. That was
certainly the case in New York,
which was the largest repository of
mass immigration in the 20th cen-
tury. With the exception of Jews,
who were fleeing pogroms in East-
ern Europe, were largely talking
about young, single guys moving
to the city without their families.
XTRA: At the same time, theres
a rise in repressive state action
against gays.
WOLF: Exactly. The dominant
class, the ruling class, the folks
who own and control everything
they began to perceive this sub-
culture as a threat to the nuclear
family. Correctly so.
And certainly, to this day, in the
United States where we have
no state child care or health care,
or really anything the nuclear
family plays an important role in
allowing the ruling classes to get
off on the cheap.
XTRA: I wanted to ask you about
that. Why are families so impor-
tant to social conservatives, even
today?
WOLF: If you look back over 100
years ago, the ruling class sees the
family as a means and I dont
mean that they sat around in a
room discussing it in those terms,
but they do see it that way by
which the current generation of
workers is at least reasonably
cared for and the next generation
of workers, children, are trained
in following orders and so on.
I know theyre heartwarming
places for many of us and
theyre also harrowing places for
many of us but families become
the incubators of gender norms
and social norms, as well as where
the cooking, cleaning, the house-
keeping, the child care are all taken
care of on a privatized basis. As
opposed to it being perceived as
a responsibility of the state, there
are a million things that, especially
in the United States, are perceived
as the exclusive responsibility of
individual family members.
XTRA: So then, what threat do
gays and trans people pose?
WOLF: In a sense, if men and
women can work and act as they
choose, if there can be families
with a mix of different parentage,
if families could mean multiple
sexual partners with no children
if families could look like what
we wanted them to look like, it
challenges the idea that women
can be paid less than men, that
women if theyre in the workforce
should stay in positions that are
subordinate to men. Even in the
current US society, women are
earning 73 cents on a mans dollar,
a gap thats only been closing
because men are meeting us on
the way down. Im sure thats only
going to be exacerbated by the
economic crisis.
Its not impossible, under capi-
talism, to forge some sort of
accommodation. There are many
western European nations, and to
some degree in Canada, where
alternative arrangements have
arisen. But here at the heart of the
empire, the belly of the beast,
home to the most powerful ruling
class with the most to lose, the
stakes are much higher. I think its
one of the reasons beyond the
ideological specifics of religion and
whathaveyou in American society
that drives the family-values
discussion that has dominated
our lives for the last 30 years.
XTRA: Theres a biting critique of
identity politics and postmodern-
ism in the book; you posit that it
turns earlier gay lib activism on
its head. What is it about identity
politics thats counterproductive?
WOLF: I think that political iden-
tity and personal identity, theres
nothing wrong with that. What the
movement has essentially posited
over the past decade and its
morphing, even as we speak is
that only those who directly expe-
rience a particular form of oppres-
sion, whether black, woman, gay,
whatever, have a stake in con-
fronting and challenging that
oppression.
And, as a corollary to that: all of
those who dont experience that
oppression are somehow benefi-
ciaries of it. So that whites become
beneficiaries of black oppression,
men of womens, straights of gays.
We must reject those ideas and
come to some understanding that,
(1), there are people with various
types of oppression, so there are
black, gay people, for instance, and
(2) white people arent some undif-
ferentiated group, or men. The idea
that straight people as an undiffer-
entiated group benefit from
homophobia, for instance when
its a very small class of owners and
bosses who are in a position to
benefit and who are the architects
of this oppression is harmful.
The way that this plays out in
politics is actually quite destruc-
tive. It actually meant hiving off dif-
ferent groups of people, instead of
oppression being a basis for unity.
I refer to the sort of Oppression
Olympics. People competed as to
who was the most oppressed. Its
a totally unhelpful way of phrasing
the question, rather than on what
basis are many of us all screwed
over by the system, and on what
basis can we come together and
fight the system.
XTRA: That can be pretty paralyz-
ing, thats for sure.
WOLF: And it was. As someone
who was a participant in these
movements, I watched it happen.
It was quite destructive and also
quite alienating to the majority of
people who are working class, who
arent rich white men, or that as
straight people, they are univer-
sally in cahoots against the rest of
us. It led to bitter splits, to hostility
toward unions and a serious
decline in movement activism that
is only now seeing a reversal.
Want more? Sherry Wolf shares
her thoughts on conservative gay
institutions, the Democrats and
more on Xtra.ca.
The red and the pink
What socialism has to say about the gay struggle
The rise of industrial production,
the freedom of people to leave the
nuclear family and live autonomously in
large cities led to an explosion of sexuality
and the rise of gay as a sexual orientation.
Sherry Wolf
WORKING CLASS VALUES. People who are working class arent rich, straight, white men in cahoots against the
rest of us, says lesbian socialist Sherry Wolf.
SEXUALITY &
SOCIALISM.
Sherry Wolf.
$12, Haymarket Books.
J
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CLIENT: MB Downtown TRIM: 5.182" x 6.812" PUBLICATION: Xtra Magazine
JOB #: BZ-1123-GLK5 LIVE: --
DESCRIPTION: MB - Holidays BLEED: -- INSERTION DATE: Thurs, Nov 19, 2009
Mercedes-Benz Downtown 761 Dundas St E (416) 947-9000 www.mbtoronto.ca/downtown
Mercedes-Benz Downtown sends you warm Holiday
Greetings and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year.
NATIONAL News
Dale Smith
a
FTER THREE YEARS
of public thrashings,
a controversial hate
speech provision is now
under the federal microscope. In
a committee room in the bowels
of Parliament Hill, a cross section
of MPs will debate the clauses
merits through the fall, and possibly
into next year.
The provision in question,
Section 13 of the Canadian
Human Rights Act, allows the
Human Rights Commission to
deal with complaints regarding
hate speech by phone or internet.
Opponents of Section 13
complain that it establishes a
lower threshold for offences than
the two hate speech laws in the
Criminal Code.
A raft of free speechers from
civil liberties groups to the Cana-
dian Association of Journalists
decry the clause as an unnecessary
intrusion on Canadians right
to speak their minds. The issue
gained visibility in 2007 after
Muslim groups used Section 13 to
pursue Ezra Levant and Macleans
columnist Mark Steyn for publish-
ing material they found offensive.
Steyn and Levant are now avowed
enemies of the clause.
But the worst blow was dealt
to the provision in September,
when a Canadian Human Rights
Tribunal declared the clause
unconstitutional.
It was a breath of fresh air,
said long-time Section 13 critic
and Liberal MP Keith Martin of
the tribunal decision.
That decision sets no legal
precedent, so the legislation
remains intact until either a supe-
rior court decision strikes it down
or Parliament amends the Cana-
dian Human Rights Act (CHRA).
In the meantime, the Commons
Justice Committee the group
charged with studying the provi-
sion will investigate whether it
should be struck down.
Conservative MP Brent Rathge-
ber is a member of the committee
and a vocal opponent of Section 13.
I hope at the end of the day we
can table a report in Parliament
that can protect the freedom of
speech while still protecting
groups from real harm, not per-
ceived harm or hurt feelings,
Rathgeber says.
But Rathgeber and the Conser-
vatives will have to face an opposi-
tion that is just as likely to want
to keep the provision in place.
We certainly wouldnt be in
favour of abolishing it, says Liberal
justice critic Dominic LeBlanc.
We think there should be a mea-
sure between the Criminal Code
provisions with respect to hate
propaganda, and a lower threshold
which would properly be in the
domain of a Human Rights Com-
mission particularly around
new technologies and information
technologies.
The NDP also supports retain-
ing the clause in some form.
I think it is possible to rewrite
the section, to amend it, and to put
in criteria as to how you would
interpret when the commission
would have jurisdiction to inter-
vene. I think that would be probably
a bit more restrictive than it
has historically been, says NDP
justice critic Joe Comartin.
A Supreme Court case is likely
as a result of Septembers tribunal
decision declaring Section 13
unconstitutional. The last time
this issue was brought before Can-
adas highest court was in 1990,
when a split 4-3 decision in the
Taylor case declared the limits
placed on free speech under Sec-
tion 13 legal and constitutional.
Meanwhile, the Justice Commit-
tee will tender a report that may
influence Parliamentary direction
on the issue. If the report is convinc-
ing, Section 13 could be repealed
by way of Parliamentary bill.
Feds ponder nixing
hate speech clause
MPs want to protect minorities from real
harm, not perceived harm or hurt feelings
T
O
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H
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S
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FRee sPeeCHeR.
Keith Martin, a Liberal MP
and long-time opponent of
the hate speech provision in
the Canadian Human Rights
Act, was pleased to see it
declared unconstitutional
in a non-binding tribunal
decision in September.
12
the JOY OF SIN
h
AVE YOU NOTICED
that adultery is the new
thing on TV? I dont
mean the actual act
nobody actually does it and cer-
tainly not the word itself, which
has been out of fashion probably
since the 1950s. The last person to
make it truly glamorous must have
been John Updike in his big novels
of the 1960s and 1970s. But it per-
sists as a looming threat in the
popular imagination.
This fall, its
become the animat-
ing principle on
a couple of the new
shows and its inter-
esting to see it in
action.
On Glee the
gayest show ever,
according to a gob-
smacked Rolling
Stone magazine the central
tension is between Will Schuester,
the squeaky clean glee club direc-
tor, and Emma Pillsbury, the
obsessive-compulsive guidance
teacher. Hes married, and there-
fore theoretically off limits, but its
clear the shows writers are root-
ing for a little off-side romance.
His wife is so crazy and their mar-
riage so dysfunctional that adul-
tery seems almost right. Still nei-
ther the shows
writers nor viewers can do without
the idea that adultery is immoral.
Its the one thing keeping the
sexual tension screwed tight.
Same deal over on Mercy, the
best of the new fall medical shows.
I tuned in for the gay character
(Guillermo Diaz as an interestingly
non-stereotypical male nurse) but
stayed for the mesmerizing Taylor
Schilling. Playing a nurse just
returned from Iraq, shes intense,
dedicated and deliciously con-
flicted. Shes also in love with a
doctor with whom she served in the
army. And again, theres just one
problem: Shes married. The work-
ing class husband is actually more
appealing than the glam doctor but
the plot is definitely skewed in
favour of the doctor whos
apparently supposed to be some
tall, dark Mr Darcy type and the
off-limits adultery he represents.
Greys Anatomy used the same
conceit in its first season to great
effect, and of course Desperate
Housewives never tires of using
adultery to screw up the tension
first Gabby with the gorgeous gar-
dener, and now Bree with Karl.
Thank heavens for taboos,
I say. Because without them most
contemporary romances would
cut to the chase and there would
be no story. You need a few
obstacles to make love interest-
ing. While your average person
can supply dozens of internal
barriers neuroses, fears,
defences theyre not as inter-
esting or as easy to dramatize as
such long-established external
barriers as Im already taken
and not supposed to screw
around on the side.
Theres something in human
nature that loves a taboo. For
obvious reasons, most sexual dis-
course over the past half century
has been about breaking down
taboos, making people feel better
about their desires, accepting the
forbidden, etc. Just look at an
average Dan Savage column. Its
all about eliminating roadblocks
to pleasure. As long as you dont
hurt anyone else, goes the usual
logic, do what you like.
But every jab at taboo is also an
attempt to re-establish it, an ironic
acknowledgment that we
need the forbidden to
understand our lives.
People wouldnt be as
interested in their vari-
ous desires if they
werent also conflicted
about them. If so many
straight guys are sud-
denly (it would seem)
interested in anal sex,
surely its partly
because conventional sex is
now so easily available and, with-
out tension or restriction, its not
terribly interesting.
Forty years ago, in Armies of
the Night, Norman Mailer, sug-
gested that we were getting far too
hygienic in our attitudes to sex.
Sex was better off dirty, damned,
even slavish, than clean and with-
out guilt, he wrote. Guilt was the
existential edge of sex. Without
guilt, sex was meaningless.
On the surface, this just seems
like advanced twaddle, the weird
rantings of a late unlamented
patriarchal beast. Who in their
right mind wants to feel guilty?
But Mailer was onto something
and somewhere in the midst of his
convoluted maunderings is an
interesting point. As the great
Spanish filmmaker Luis Buel
once said, Sex without sin is like
an egg without salt.
At its most itchily interesting,
sex is a human construct saddled
with much social and psychologi-
cal baggage. If it werent, if it were
just a physical act, wed relieve our
loins with the first person to come
along, and not spend so much
time quibbling over the style, age
and quality of our partners.
Instead, its filled with the sort
of contradictions that might have
delighted the late Claude Levi-
Strauss. The great French anthro-
pologist who died last month
insisted that human mythologies
could only be understood in
terms of oppositions raw and
cooked, hot and cold. By that
measure, pleasure doesnt exist
without pain, or expression
without repression.
Adding taboo to the texture of
our lives just for a smidgen more
titillation seems a tad extreme.
Personally I have enough hang-
ups as it is. But perhaps theres a
reason to preserve some small part
of the psyche as a no-fly zone, an
area where you will not go, just to
let yourself know where you stand
and where you get off.
Brent Ledger appears in every other
issue of Xtra.
Taboo & titillation
NatIONal NewS
Neil McKinnon
k
YLE FREEMAN IS
cold, callous, and self-
ish at least, thats how
hes been portrayed by
lawyers for Canadian Blood Ser-
vices and by much of the
mainstream media.
But interviews with his family,
friends and coworkers paint a dif-
ferent portrait: Freeman, 36, is boy-
ishly charming, naive and cracks
jokes when hes nervous. He holds
doors open for people. He lost more
than 40 pounds this year while on
a health kick. He dresses up as Mrs
Doubtfire every year for Halloween.
Freeman is challenging a Cana-
dian Blood Services blood dona-
tion policy he doesnt agree with
a policy banning gay men from
giving blood.
During the Freeman vs Cana-
dian Blood Services (CBS) court
proceedings, he posed for rushed
photographers, walking in and
out of the courthouse like an actor
does for the glory of filmmaking.
He did this for the same people
who painted him with headlines
that (incorrectly) claimed that he
was using blood donation as a way
to test himself for HIV.
In the end, Freemans only
regret for being too candid in a
lions den of hungry reporters was
not wearing a suit when his photo
was taken.
I looked like a criminal, says
Freeman of an Ottawa Citizen
photo of him leaving the Ottawa
courthouse.
I dont think Im a hero or pio-
neer. Its about believing in whats
right. Lawyers can argue the hell
out of it. At the end of the day,
there are people who need blood
and there are healthy donors.
Theres no rational basis, medical
or scientific, to exclude gay men
from giving blood, says Freeman.
Freeman is being sued for
donating blood 18 times since
the early 1990s, but the lawsuit
focuses on four specific donations
he made between 1998 and 2002.
Since CBS served him in 2002,
hes garnered emotional support
from his family, partner, friends
and coworkers. Hes also got
the support of his father, Robert
Freiman, who is also a long-time
blood donor.
I think he is fighting for
something right. [CBS and Health
Canada] shouldnt discriminate
against gay men, says Freiman.
Hes a fighter. Hes been that way
since he was a child.
He isnt the only one whos
supporting Freemans fight.
Those around him including
friends from his time in university
are cheering him on from
the sidelines. Didier Pomerleau
has known Freeman for nearly
20 years.
Its about time somebody
does something, says Pomerleau
of the blood ban. Its a bit like
being friends with Rosa Parks in
the 1950s.
Kyle has 100 percent of my
support, says another friend, Alex
Kogan. Hes doing us a favour.
Hes got a lot of courage. If someone
has the tenacity to do it, its Kyle.
But the making of this activist
didnt happen overnight.
Kyle was born Ayal Freiman,
a middle child of middle-class
parents on Nov 28, 1972 in Israel.
At age 13, his family immigrated
to Canada to avoid Israels man-
datory army draft. His parents
didnt want him and his brother
killed. Then, before he finished
high school at Newtonbrooke
Secondary School in North York,
he joined the Military Police
reserves because, he says,
he believes in public service.
He dated girls and secretly
played around with boys. In the
army, it was made quite clear that
gays were unwelcome. If found
out, gays would be treated to blan-
ket parties: being tied inside
a blanket and beaten.
Of course I was afraid of being
beaten. What worried me most
was not being one of the guys.
I was afraid of not being accepted,
not being passed off as normal,
says Freeman.
Slowly coming out in his late
teens, Kyle travelled an hour on a
subway nearly every day after school
to go to the 519 Community Centre
in Toronto a popular gathering
place for queer youth.
[The 519] was a good place
to meet people for friends, dating,
in a welcoming and non-alcoholic
environment, he says.
Spending time at the 519 helped
Freeman to come out to his family.
I was very close to my parents.
I couldnt be straight. I felt like
I was hiding a big part of me.
I was socialized not to talk about
the details of my sex life, he says.
Nowadays, Kyle is married to
Vince Freeman, with whom he
lives in Thornhill, and he manages
his own pet care company.
Im very proud of him, says
Vince. Hes always out to do
good. Hes following through on
fighting for gay people to have
the right to give blood.
But this fall, its a waiting
game. Freemans case has
adjourned for now. Hes optimis-
tic about the results, which will
be released sometime after the
trial ends in Jan 2010.
I think Health Canada and
CBS are afraid to take a leap.
Neither of them wants to make
the decision to change the current
questionnaire. I trust this case
will be based on fact. People might
appeal it, but I think the govern-
ment and CBS want to do the right
thing, says Freeman.
Blood donor Kyle
Freemans PR war
Family and friends rally behind man challenging
Canadian Blood Services blood donation policy
N
E
I
L

M
C
K
I
N
N
O
N
FReeMaN. Kyles dad,
husband and friends say
hes doing us a favour by
challenging the prohibition
on gay blood donors.
13
never mind
blogging
Express
yourself in Xtra.
Submit to
letters@xtra.ca or
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Toronto ON, M4Y 2C6
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FAMILY TIES
m
Y FIRST UNCLE
died recently. My
father is one of eight,
the youngest, and
my mother is one of four, the
oldest. With mostly all of them
married, it seems pretty fortunate
that I made it to 30 years old
before the first one passed away.
As we all get older I see a hori-
zon full of funerals, all those aun-
ties and uncles I grew up visiting
on summer vacation and on
Boxing Day, most of them kind
and affectionate and accepting
of me at all stages of my queer life.
I feel like my uncles passing
marks a new phase in my journey,
one in which I will finally learn to
know mortality as an old-age thing
instead of the random tragic thing
I thought it had to be. It will be
a new phase in which I recognize
the movement of generations
through the universe and my place
in line. It may be the time I finally
find my place in my own family,
my unique yet connected, holistic,
necessary place.
When I walked into the church,
I saw my uncles son, my cousin
Ricky. We greeted each other with-
out touching, as is normal for me,
but there was a flicker of warmth
like a physical touch. Ricky is my
one-and-only out, queer cousin.
From my earliest memories of
him hes about 20 years older
than I am I remember black
capes and long hair, general glam-
our and drama of the variety most
unknown to me as a child. Weve
seen each other very infrequently
since then, and I have
always maintained this
vision of him.
Rickys hair is short
now, in the tight, black
dark purple in his case
curls that are so char-
acteristic of my
Guyanese family. He
was still in fabulous
black, even at a funeral
wearing pants with silver eyelets
and laces down the side, shiny
shoes, silver watch. He surprised
me by telling me he reads my
articles in Xtra. I didnt even know
he lived in Toronto.
Well then you know my whole
life story, I said.
I do, he said. I saw your
name and thought that must be
my cousin. And when you talk
about Uncle David and Aunt
Angela
For a second I felt a familiar uh
oh as I recognized this new point
at which my worlds were colliding.
Yeah they never read it,
I said. They have no idea. Its my
outlet. I know he understood.
Its so nice to hear that you
read my articles, I said, and
really meant it.
I realized in that moment that
I actually want these worlds
my queer world and the world
of my family to collide, and
that colliding might not mean
total detonation.
One of the biggest
themes of my past year
10 months of work with
a psychiatrist, medications,
mindfulness meditation,
new to-be friends is
the theme of fragmen-
tation. I have been
operating my life until
now like a very tall filing
cabinet. Open one drawer, close
another, open, close, open, close.
If too many drawers are open
at once the whole thing comes
crashing down, papers every-
where, no sense of order. I think
this metaphor works for a lot of
queer people. The compartmen-
talizing that we put in place to
cope with trauma, homophobia,
and fear of rejection or disap-
pointment can easily become
a completely fragmented life.
For me, and probably for
others, the external fragmentation
like not talking to your parents
about your girlfriends, or not tell-
ing your friends you have a sister
who died becomes both physi-
cal and internal fragmentation too.
I have separated myself from my
own emotions and my own body,
and am only just learning how to
really, truly feel anything at all.
I left Ricky pretty quickly to find
my parents, never sure how much
to chat or look happy at a funeral.
As we parted he said, Us queers
have to stick together, you know,
out loud, in the vestibule of St
Rose of Lima church, and I loved
that. We both laughed. I felt proud
to be connected with him in that
way, pleased it is a fact that I have
very little coming out left to do,
even in the context of my family.
Its more the coming into
I am working on now.
The funeral was nice, a beauti-
ful choir and the eulogy delivered
by another of my many cousins,
an English/drama teacher who
destroyed any hope I had of not
crying. Rickys dad and my dad
were close. They must have talked
at some point about their queer
children, probably over Oscar
Peterson and homemade pepper
sauce. I wonder what they said.
My uncle was a tenor in the
church choir, believed in god and
as such in his dying, is going home
instead of simply disappearing.
I spent many years simply disap-
pearing from my family because it
clashed, seemingly, with my queer
life. Pursuing, and personalizing,
some notion of home, in life as
well as in dying, seems like a much
better option, for all of us.
Julia Gonsalves appears in every
other issue of Xtra.
On fragmentation
14
HEALTH
Chaos McKenzie
i
MAGINE YOUVE JUST
been diagnosed as HIV-pos-
itive. Things may seem over-
whelming but amid the swirl-
ing emotions you know you need
to stay focused enough to find
a doctor who can help you with
all the coming life adjustments.
You may already have a doctor,
but he or she may not be prepared
to deal with your newly complicated
health status. You may be research-
ing various clinics and specialists
in your area, hoping to find a little
peace of mind going forward. But
finding doctors can be like dating:
You have no idea how a relationship
will develop until you take a dive,
headfirst, into the icy waters of
unpredictability and long-term
healthcare.
Consider John. I got my diagno-
sis at a walk-in-clinic, where I think
the doctor was just waiting to give
this prepared speech about how
nothing is going to change, how Im
still gonna live a completely normal
life. I just sat there and blinked.
Went home, went online and
started reading. Within an hour
I was terrified beyond belief.
For many the struggle with the
medical system begins at ground
zero. Theres no question of some
pretty awful stories of how a diagno-
sis was communicated by a physi-
cian or healthcare practitioner who
just didnt have the knowledge or
sensitivity to do it well and under-
stand the significance of that kind
of diagnosis, says Toronto People
with AIDS Foundation (TPWAF)
executive director Murray Jose.
John got his first doctor recom-
mendation through internet
research. I ended up chatting
with a guy online who pointed me
at Maple Leaf [Medical Clinic] and
they took me on immediately when
I told them I was newly diagnosed.
I was on cloud nine.
But, as with the ups and downs
of dating, sometimes a new rela-
tion-ship with a doctor doesnt
work out the way we hope.
John couldnt get comfortable
with his new doctor and after several
misunderstandings arose he became
frustrated. John tried to switch
doctors within the clinic, only to
discover he was no longer welcome
there at all. (Maple Leaf did not
return requests for comment.)
What could John have done
to prevent this from happening?
How will he find a new doctor and
clinic he is satisfied with? Is there
any recourse for him to take in
the meantime?
Its hard in some of the set-
tings, says Jose. There is not nec-
essarily somebody who is managing
the clinic with any authority to go
back to the physician and say, You
know what? You did this incorrectly,
or This has come back to us and
your actions were interpreted this
way. Lets talk about how we make
sure that patients more clearly
understand your intent next time.
Clinics tend to be physician
partnerships... so that can make it
difficult to know how to raise a con-
cern, says Jose. If youre looking
at somewhere like St Mikes [Hospi-
tal], those have structures where there
is a hierarchy where you can take
a complaint forward... and be heard.
Jose, who has worked in the
HIV/AIDS field since 1994, notes
that different doctors have different
styles and that it can be a matter of
shopping around until you find one
whos right for you.
Certainly there will be different
approaches, and sometimes its
clinic-wide approaches and other
times its physician approaches
around how much testing, how
much secondary services people are
referred to. And it doesnt necessar-
ily imply better or worse care, or
better or worse results in health.
In other words one persons
Medusa might be anothers Adonis.
Take Dave, for example, who saw
the same doctor as John, but with
very different results.
I knew I needed a doctor who
would know what to do and help
me through this, says Dave. Luck-
ily the day after I tested poz I went
to ACT [the AIDS Committee of
Toronto] and to PWA, to register
with them, to talk to a counsellor,
pulling on the resources of both
wonderful agencies. When I told the
wonderful people at ACT that I had
just tested poz the day before they
jumped into action and set me up
with a counsellor for the following
day. Man, was she a godsend.... She
had a list of doctors that specialize
in HIV, and it is from that list that I
found my doctor a wonderful
doctor, as is the rest of the team at
Maple Leaf.
But if he hadnt been happy with
the recommendation Dave says he
wouldve kept looking. If a doctor
has a problem with the gay thing,
then move on, he says. If a doctor
has a problem with the HIV thing,
then move on.
ACTs communications coordi-
nator Andrew Brett says its okay to
try out a few doctors before settling
into a long-term relationship.
We recommend that you ask for
a 45-minute appointment with
three or four doctors before you
make your decision, he says. Have
a list of questions prepared to ask
the doctor, and you may want
to consider bringing along
a friend to the appointment.
Ask the doctor for
a trial period
before commit-
ting to them.
Although
referrals and
recommenda-
tions are a great
way to find
a doctor, Jose
notes that newly
diagnosed may
not have the con-
nections to know
who to ask.
[Its] not easy
if you are newly
diagnosed, says
Jose. You are not
necessarily want-
ing to jump into
social situations
with other people
with HIV/AIDS, but
as you start to get
connected with other
peers who are living with HIV
and start to hear some of their sto-
ries... its a good way to get anec-
dotal information about who might
be good for you. And someone who
is good for me, might be the total
wrong choice for someone else.
Finding the right fit a doctor
you click with is essential to the
mental state of newly diagnosed
patients, says Jose.
Definitely one of the most
important things in the relationship
is the relationship itself: How you
interact with your physician and
how you can trust them, how confi-
dent you are that theyre taking care
of your health.... So helping individ-
uals to figure out whats the rela-
tionship they want with their doctor
is essential, he says. Some want
their physician to be confident and
tell them what to do; others want to
be involved, want to understand
and want to actually make the deci-
sions with the physicians.
Having an open and honest
relationship with your doctor can be
the most important thing for your
health, agrees Brett. What that
means will depend on what you
need in a doctor to make your rela-
tionship work. No one is obligated
to stay with a physician theyre
uncomfortable with.
Jose adds that the right doctor
may be the GP you already have.
You want to make sure you can
have a physician that... youre going
to be confident in and if its a GP
that doesnt have HIV-experience,
you arent necessarily worse off,
says Jose, adding that there are sup-
port systems specifically set up for
doctors without experience han-
dling HIV to help them give their
patients the right care.
Like finding love, finding the
perfect doctor is easier said than
done. The search for all Canadi-
ans, let alone those with specific
health issues is filled with daunt-
ing reports of shortages.
Its difficult to find medical
care anywhere, but specific to HIV/
AIDS is an area that continues to
have its own challenges, says Jose,
so to some degree its a reality
check around making sure you
have access to a GP.
Jose notes the situation is much
worse for HIV-positive people
living elsewhere in the province.
Its very hard to find healthcare
outside of the city.... In Toronto its
safe to say that more of the general
practitioners who may not be
familiar with HIV/AIDS are at least
aware enough to have some of the
sensitivity and at least know where
to turn to get the knowledge.
I dont think thats as present
in the rural communities.
For those finding it difficult
to navigate the medical system,
TPWAF has a treatment access
coordinator whose job is to facilitate
access everything from referrals
for medical care to access to medi-
cation through the Trillium Drug
Program. One of the tools the coor-
dinator uses is a list of physicians
accepting new patients. But Brett
says that list, which is issued by
ACT, is almost impossible to keep
up to date because physicians get
booked up fast.
At this point in time a person
can expect to see a doctor within
a couple of weeks, says Brett.
This can change daily depending
on the physicians patient load.
In the end finding the right
doctor requires the same tenacity
as dating. There is someone out
there whos right for you and it is
essential to avoid becoming dis-
couraged and to keep looking until
youre satisfied.
Dont panic, says Dave.
Always remember this: HIV is
only a part of you... its not you.
Remember its your health and
now more than ever you have to
find someone who you can talk to
and not be afraid saying things to.
If you dont feel that way with your
doctor, then there is no harm
looking for another.
Youre not a statistic, says
John. Screw the numbers. This
is about you and your need to stay
focused and not cut corners. Aim
for the best because you deserve
it and dont settle.
For more information about the
Toronto People with AIDS Founda-
tion go to Pwatoronto.org. For
more about the AIDS Committee
of Toronto check out Actoronto.org.
Finding the right doctor can feel an awful lot like dating
Poz guy seeks well-
educated professional
Poz guy seeks well-
educated professional
C
O
R
E
Y

P
I
E
R
C
E
15
Curling
fundraiser
overshoots
goal
Queer people and their allies took to the ice
Nov 7 in support of an Ontario summer camp
program for kids in same-sex families.
Camp Curl is a new fundraising excursion
for the Ten Oaks Project in the Toronto area.
Organizers handily beat their fundraising goal
of $15,000, bringing in a total of $25,000.
Now in its sixth year, Ten Oaks runs a one-
week sleep-away camp for children aged eight
to 17 in Quebecs Gatineau Hills. It also runs a
leadership camp for community leaders aged
16 to 24.
The camp uses a sliding scale for fees. The
one-week camp costs $600 per camper, but
nearly three quarters of them access a sliding
scale.
toronto Pride
releases study
results
Pride Toronto has released the results of
an economic impact study that suggests the
annual Pride celebration generates millions
of dollars in spending in Toronto each year.
According to the report by Enigma
Research, and released on Nov 16, $136
million was spent during the 2009 Pride
celebration. $94 million of that came from
visiting tourists.
According to the report, about 411,000
people attended Pride this year. 303,000 of
them live in the Toronto area.
The results were distilled from 1,200
respondents surveyed during Pride week.
These economic benets are exceptional,
said Enigmas Michael Harker in a Pride
Toronto press release. The estimates are
considerably higher than we have seen at
many similar sized festivals and sporting
events throughout North America.
Planning for 2010 is already well
underway and we are hearing great ideas to
improve a number of elements of Pride Week,
particularly the market place, Pride Toronto
executive director Tracey Sandilands said in
the same release. Current plans include
expanding of the festival site to include
Queens Park, adding two new stages and
beverage gardens, revamping the market
place and the afliate events program and
holding year-round Pride events beginning in
the fall.
The complete survey summary is available
at Pridetoronto.com.
519 seeks
your inPut
The 519 Church St Community Centre is
conducting a survey of its own. Its Speak.
Listen. Be Heard online survey is an effort
to measure the level of engagement in the
519s programs and services.
Our multi-faceted approach invites all of
you our communities, neighbours and
friends to voice your opinions and ideas
about virtually all aspects of our programs
and services as well as your experiences of
using The 519 Church Street Community
Centre, reads a release on the 519s
website.
Complete the survey there at The519.org.
Xtra staff
gay PaniC and
the WinniPeg
tubs fire
A friend of one of the two men who died in
a Winnipeg bathhouse re says he doesnt
believe the alleged arsonists excuse: that
the accused man started the re because he
was tricked into having sex with another
man.
Lets call a spade a spade, says Bert
Royer, whose friend Gene Clark died in the
blaze at Winnipegs Aquarius Spa on Oct 11.
He knew what he was doing.
Justin Rosdobutko, a 25-year-old factory
worker, is facing two counts of manslaughter
in connection with the re, which happened
during one of Aquarius co-ed nights. A friend
of Rosdobutko who went with him to the
bathhouse told the Winnipeg Free Press that
Rosdobutko was upset that he had sex with
a drag queen, thinking that it was really a
woman.
Winnipeg police say they do not suspect
the re was a hate crime.
The owner of the bathhouse says he hopes
to reopen the place by the end of November.
Kaj Hasselriis
us gay
Publisher
PaCks it in
Window Media and Unite Media, publishers
of Washington Blade, Houston Voice, South
Florida Blade, David Atlanta and Southern
Voice ceased operations on Nov 16.
The companies were among the largest
gay and lesbian publishers in the US.
Employees showed up to work to nd the
doors locked and a note reading that the
companies were closing down.
The New York Blade, also operated by
Window, closed in June.
The move leaves a signicant hole in the
US gay media landscape at a time when gay
and lesbian activists are wrestling with gay
marriage in the US.
Xtra staff
fuCk you
very muCh
Heavenly Heights salutes a full house at Zeldas Nov 14. After
vamoosing in the middle of the night, Sep 27, from its long-time
patio location near the corner of Church and Wellesley, Zeldas
reopened Nov 3, complete with stripper pole, at 692 Yonge St.
M
A
T
T

M
I
L
L
S
PLEASE ENSURE BLACK OVERPRINTS
49 Spadina Avenue
Suite 403, Toronto
ON M5V 2J1
T: 416 598 4750
F: 416 598 9754
CLIENT Koodo
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16
EDITORIAL
t
he decade in which same-sex
partners turned into gay hus-
bands and lesbian wives is
winding down. In a few weeks, the
naughties will be over and well be into
2010. Holy shit.
Its a decade that was ushered in by
Jean Chretiens Modernization of Bene-
fits and Obligations Act, which granted
gay couples civil partnerships. It was a
decade dedicated to marriage,
partner benefits and adop-
tion rights.
I mean, thats the
dominant story: over the
last 10 years, equality-
based crusaders won
all kinds of things for
gay couples. Go us.
The other side of the
story is a bit different:
In the 2000s, we had
major bathhouse raids
in Toronto, Hamilton and Calgary, and
we demanded that charges be dropped
(to mixed effect). We challenged censor-
ship at Canadas borders, and won an
ultimately hollow victory. There was a
big win in the courts for sex clubs and
swingers, but hookers and rent boys
are still duking it out for the freedom
to work safely.
So, on one hand, we have a rosy set of
equality-based victories, mostly benefit-
ing long-term gay and lesbian couples.
On the other hand, we have a host of
sexuality- and freedom-based battles,
many of which are ongoing.
Youre going to hear a lot more about
this from me over the next little while.
Ive just arrived in Toronto to take the
helm as Xtras new managing editor.
(Ive been redeployed from Capital Xtra
in Ottawa.) Like the folks whove sat in
this chair before me, I believe we should
be focusing on the second basket of
issues in particular, the struggle for
sexual freedom. The equality stuff has
largely run its course for gay people.
Equality-based ethics has been a
powerful force in Canada from such,
weve won important victories, including
security against discrimination in hous-
ing and employment. And of course, that
battle isnt over for trans people.
But at its heart, equality-based advo-
cacy circumscribes too tightly what
constitutes injustice. Take for example
the right of lesbians and gays to serve
in the Canadian military, a right we
won in 1992. Gays in the military: is that
progressive, or should our communi-
ties have been pushing for peace and
the reform of the countrys armed ser-
vices? We cant even ask that question
if were tethered to equality.
But of course, such is the logic of
equality activism. Its dominant critique
is we want in, which is not a critique
of institutional power. In fact, a critique
of institutional power is impossible in
a we want in paradigm. Why not
change the world to make it
better instead of settling for
full participation in the way
things are now?
Since equality-based
logic has no yardstick to
measure the virtues of a
law, other than to advocate
for its equal application,
the equality movement will
always remain essentially
conservative.
Under the logic of equality, criminal-
izing gay sex is bad because gays and
straights should be treated equally. But
prostitution so long as the laws apply
equally to all sexualities is fair game
for state intervention. Polyamory, same.
SM, park sex, porn: same, same, same.
The good news is that most equality
seeking gays and lesbians I know use
multiple filters for judging laws good
or bad, especially when it comes to sex
and sexuality. From the feminists: my
body, my choice. From civil liberties
advocates: get the state out of our sex
lives. From the bondage community:
safe, sane and consensual.
You can see how a sexuality-based
movement (framed by my body, my
choice, get the state out of our bed-
rooms and safe, sane and consen-
sual) has a different scope than an
equality-based one.
I do hope we havent sacrificed these
rubrics in our quest for equal treat-
ment. As we move forward, lets not
forget that equality-seeking is a tool for
achieving social justice, but its logic is
limited and wont on its own lead
to a just society.
An earlier version of this column
appeared in Capital Xtra.
Abandon equality
MusLIMs In BOsnIA
AnD HERzEgOvInA
Y
our article about Bosnia and
Herzegovina is good but tainted
with Islamophobia (Bravery amidst
Brutality, Nov 5 Xtra). Bosnia and
Herzegovina is not a majority
Muslim nation. The breakdown is
about 40 percent Muslim, 31 per-
cent Orthodox, 15 percent Roman
Catholic and about 14 percent
other, making Christianity the
majority faith.
Writer Jim Bartley mentions that
gays were attacked by street thugs
and Muslim extremists. What was
the religious affiliation of the street
thugs? Why not just say religious
extremists? Why single out Mus-
lims in a nation where 60 percent
of the population is not Muslim?
Ive heard vitriolic statements
from leaders of the Orthodox
Church and by the Pope about
gays. Ive read other articles about
gay prides being marred by attacks,
as in Moscow, but the religious
affiliation of the attackers was
never mentioned. It doesnt need
to be mentioned.
Why was it necessary to single
out the Muslim faith as the only faith
that has negative attitudes about
homosexuality? What about our
gay and lesbian brothers and sisters
who are Muslim and living in BiH?
Im pretty sure the Orthodox and
Roman Catholic citizens were just
as up in arms as the Muslim citizens,
but that doesnt warrant a mention.
You should temper your own Islam-
ophobia with your desire to see a
more open acceptance of homo-
sexuality. And for those of you who
would chide me because as a gay
man I chose to defend a faith that,
yes, has some pretty harsh things to
say about my life my humanity
does not come with stipulations.
FRED ROMAIN,
Toronto
Jim Bartley responds:
Thanks for your comments on
my article. If violence is clearly
motivated by a particular set of
extreme beliefs, then in the inter-
ests of full and fair reporting,
we have to identify the religion
involved. To just say that religious
fanatics were involved leaves
readers to guess the full reality. Do
we want Serbophobes, for example,
to guess that the attackers were
Serbian Orthodox fanatics?
Sadly, they were Muslim fanat-
ics all the more sad
because Muslims as a
group suffered so terribly
and disproportionately
in the Bosnian War. I
hope youll look again
at the interview por-
tion with Mahir Zisko.
As a Muslim believer
and gay activist, his
viewpoint completes
the picture, helping to show read-
ers unfamiliar with Muslims from
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) that
the extremist element is exactly
that a fringe element thats not
a reflection of the general BiH
Muslim population.
JIM BARTLEY
Toronto
REMEMBERIng
CHRIs skInnER
I
knew Chris as a fun loving, beau-
tiful guy (Skinner Vigil Draws
Hundreds, Nov 5 Xtra). I had been
to his apartment when he lived in
Rosedale. He made me feel so wel-
come immediately, even though
I am his moms age.
I cannot imagine this happen-
ing in Toronto (my hometown for
three generations) and most of all
to our Chris Skinner. Thank you to
all who put the vigil together. This
must be a wake-up call for Toronto.
The streets must be made safe at all
hours every day of the week.
I have a son, 27, and a daughter,
23, living in Toronto. I love each and
every one of their dear friends as
part of my family. I pray for peace
and for Chriss death to not be in
vain. I so dearly hope this is the
beginning of changes on the streets
for gays and for everyones safety.
Chris Skinner will always be missed.
MARTY COLLINS,
Wasaga Beach
A
fter returning from the vigil
Oct 25, naturally I was curious
how the media coverage would
reflect this vigil.
I had the opportunity to watch
Global, which covered it some-
what. I then watched the CTV local
news at 11:30pm to see their take.
They gave twice as much time to
their report about the winner of a
TV show on their network: So You
Think You Can Dance. Not only is
this not news, but it is a shameless
self-promotion of a contest. It also
made it into their news broadcast
before the vigils coverage. Not one
interview of anyone in attendance
at the vigil was played
(or maybe even taken).
They did feature the
parents of Christopher
Skinner and their grief.
I was disgusted
at how much news
time was devoted
to a reality TV show
competition and the
reporters who covered it, complete
with interviews. They even told us
when the next auditions are taking
place for the next season and when
the show will be airing.
This has been a bug in my craw
for a long time I really think that
gossip and entertainment report-
ing should be left to the gossip and
entertainment shows. If I cared
about such things, then I would
follow them. So that begs the ques-
tion: So you think this is news?
BONZ MERLIN,
Toronto
EMs wOEs,
COnTInuED
L
et me tell you one thing: Toron-
tos mayor and the EMS union
are extremely lucky that Im not in
the place of Mr Hearsts loved one
and family because Id be suing the
City of Toronto, the EMS union and
the Province of Ontario in a wrong-
ful death lawsuit that would make
the OJ trial look like childs play
(Coroner Probes Hearst Case,
Nov 5 Xtra).
I wouldnt be doing it for the
money, Id be doing it to make
a point and to force the city to fire
these employees, not some useless
little 10-day suspension. Is that
what we are valuing life at now?
A 10-day suspension? Disgraceful.
Heads should roll on this one, but
sadly it will get swept under the carpet
and forgotten about while these
union members get pay increases
on top of their great pay, benefits
and huge pensions. Sickening. Once
again I guess it doesnt matter to this
union that some gay guy didnt make
it while they were off sitting around
the bloody corner doing whatever
DISPATCH FROM
SARAJEVO
Bravery amid brutality
Page 10
GHOULS
NIGHT OUT
Frightful photo gallery
Page 12
TRULY, MADLY
Rendezvous with
Madness docs
Page 26
Vigil for murdered man! 7 Jeffrey Round! 29 Fruit Fly! 34 More at Xtra.ca
N 653 NOV 5, 2009 40,000 AUDITED CIRCULATION FREE
nina
arsenault
Like youve never
seen her before
PAGE 23
FLEXIBLE HOURS
MONDAY-FRIDAY
Dr
obinCompton
R
r To
80 Charles Street East Lower Level
onto, ON 416.926.1502
drrobincompton@hotmail.com
NEW PATIENTS WELCOME
d e n t i s t
MORNING WOOD!
FREE Breakfast Chat Monday - Friday, 5-7am!
416.966.ORAL
The outcome that we seek is this gay and lesbian people daring together to set love free
XTRA IS PUBLISHED BY PINK TRIANGLE PRESS, AT 491 CHURCH ST, SUITE 200, TORONTO M4Y 2C6
17
they thought was more important.
When is the gay community
going to start to demand more
from the people that our tax dollars
pay for?
JEFF TAYLOR,
Toronto
POz guys &
CRIMInALIzATIOn
I
would like to respond to some
comments made in Robert
Tomass letter about HIV prevention
messaging in Toronto (Criminaliza-
tion Debate Rages on, Oct 22 Xtra).
The AIDS Committee of Toronto
(ACT) uses supportive and respect-
ful messaging to encourage safer
sex. There is a reason for that.
Research has shown that health
messaging is more effective when
it reflects the reality of human
behaviour and sets realistic goals
for individuals.
Our job as community edu-
cators is to promote healthy
behaviour. We develop our HIV
prevention campaigns based on
the approaches that are proven to
be effective at modifying behaviour
in the long term. Research tells us
that fear-based messages just dont
accomplish that.
While Denmark does have a
relatively low HIV infection rate,
it would be presumptuous to draw
a causal link between this fact and
one specific prevention campaign.
HIV prevalence rates are identi-
cal between Denmark and several
other European countries each
with their own varied HIV preven-
tion campaigns and approaches,
along with a social, demographic
and epidemiological context that
differs greatly from Toronto.
As for poz people becoming part
of the solution we are! As a com-
munity-based organization, ACTs
HIV prevention campaigns have
always been driven by people living
with and at risk for HIV/AIDS.
JOHN MAXWELL,
AIDS COMMITTEE OF TORONTO,
Toronto
I
n a letter to the editor, Peter Rex
states that, HALCO will not be
acting in its own self-interest if it
takes the position that there are
no criminal issues regarding HIV-
status disclosure.
In fact the HIV & AIDS Legal
Clinic (Ontario) (HALCO) has not
taken the position that there are
no criminal issues regarding HIV
non-disclosure. HALCO endorsed
the Ontario Working Group on
Criminal Law and HIV Exposure
(CLHE) position paper on the
criminalization of HIV non-
disclosure. This paper opposes
the expansive use of the criminal
law with respect to issues of HIV
exposure, and calls for a review of
Canadas present approach to the
matter. I am the co-chair of CLHE.
HALCO supports CLHEs posi-
tion that HIV/AIDS is an indi-
vidual and public health issue
first and foremost, and should be
addressed as such.
To ensure that the criminal law
will not be used inappropriately
and/or in a discriminatory manner
in cases involving allegations of
HIV non-disclosure, CLHE will
soon be embarking on a cam-
paign urging Ontarios Attorney
General to develop guidelines
for police and criminal prosecu-
tors. Police and prosecutors need
guidelines to ensure that decisions
to investigate and prosecute such
cases are informed by a complete
understanding of current medical
research about HIV and take into
account the social contexts of living
with HIV.
RYAN PECK,
HIV & AIDS LEGAL CLINIC (ONTARIO)
Toronto
RIDE THE wHITE POny
Sometimes fan art rises above the weird and creepy into the realm of fan-
fuckin-tastic weird and creepy like the series of President Barrack Obama nude
portraits with a unicorn. In one Obama and his wife Michele are riding together;
in another the unicorn is rubbing sun tan lotion, or perhaps its syrup, onto Obamas
back. The artist is Dan Lacey from Minnesota, aka The Painter of Pancakes for his
portraits of Mother Theresa, Sarah Palin and the like with pancakes on their heads.
His work and musings can be found at Faithmouse.blogspot.com. Heres an interest-
ing biographical tidbit from the site: Faithmouse is the name of a Christian cartoon
I began drawing about a decade ago, writes Lacey. A few years ago I had some-
thing of a mental and spiritual breakdown, decided to make the cartoon Catholic,
and then I decided to paint instead. I still draw the cartoon a little. My paintings
sometimes horrify my family.
ECCEnTRIC & sExy
sEEks TALL & HOT
I wish I were better at this
Hello, my name is: David Tomlinson
My alias: Prince Charming
My signature move: Aloof icy stare
My flavour: Eccentric avocado
My favourite outfit: This fall/winter its all about my
new kick-ass KGB-issue coat. Finally
If I were a film genre,
Id be: Independent
Best pick up line: I wish I were better at this.
Wait! Dont run away
If you want to stay
on my good side, youll: Get me a date with a smart,
funny, hot guy who is over 62
Upcoming: Launching a new multimedia project in the
next few months with Ryan Kelly called
Cordelia. Look for it in next years Rhubarb
Festival at Buddies in Bad Times. My new
solo show Winged (four years in develop-
ment, thank you very much) will be going up
in late April. Im busy pitching my screen-
plays and am gunning for a production of my
new mania-filled stage work Gash! Its going
to be a busy, amazing, year.
Photo and questions by Mariko Tamaki
Is that what we are valuing life
at now? A 10-day suspension?
Disgraceful.
JordanBatti sta
B a r r i s t e r s & S o l i c i t o r s
LLP
IMMIGRATION LAW
Michael Battista Barrister & Solicitor
Certified by the Law Society as a Specialist
in Immigration/Refugee Law
Executive Member of the Ontario Bar
Association's Immigration Section
Same-sex sponsorships Refugee claims
Appeals Skilled workers
Proud to be serving the
community for over 16 years
160 Bloor St. East, Suite 1000
Toronto, Ontario M4W 1B9
416-203-2899 ext. 31
mbattista@jordanbattista.com www.jordanbattista.com
CHEAP DATE!
New members join now and get off for HALF PRICE!
416.966.ORAL
Queers about town
Send letters to the editor to Xtra,
491 Church St, Suite 200, Toronto
M4Y 2C6; fax us at (416) 925-6503;
email to letters@xtra.ca All letters
must include the writers full name,
which is published, and telephone
number, which is for verication
purposes only. Letters should be
under 300 words. All letters are
subject to editing.
18
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A TRUE, HEARTFELT FAMILY TRIBUTE!
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BY DAVID HEIN &
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416-872-1212
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CMB 158_Xtra_FullPg_NOV5.indd 1 10/29/09 11:29:41 AM
XTRA! NOV 19, 2009 arts
19
PARTY
Ryan G Hinds
e
XPECT DRAMA AND A LOT
of it at The Almighty Ball,
Canadas first international vogue
ball, Sat, Nov 28 at the Gladstone
Ballroom.
I want to kill people, says headlining
DJ Vjuan Allure. I want them to look at the
DJ booth when they think they cant keep
going, and then let me push them further.
The Washington, DC-based Allure is inter-
nationally renowned with cities in Italy,
UK, Jamaica, Spain, France and Germany
dotting his resum. Almighty organizer
DJ Blackcat calls Allure, the Janet Jackson
of the ballroom scene.
I was completely taken by watching him
work, says Blackcat, and approached him
like a groupie.
Allure, for his part, is impressed with
Blackcat. I like his style; hes exciting.
Allure has been paying attention to the local
scene, name-checking specific Toronto par-
ties and people on Youtube. Hes pumped
about making his Canadian debut. Every-
one has been like, Wow, youre going to
Canada? Take pictures, take video, says
Allure. Im excited to be here.
Although a decades-long movement in
NYC and other US cities, full-on vogue balls
are new to Canada, especially ones on this
scale. Allures presence is testament to the
excitement surrounding The Almighty Ball.
Hes definitely a man on a mission: Crowd
reaction has always been central to his sets,
whether its his Elite Beatz originals or
incredible remixes. Listen to his standout
tracks Im a Runway Model, Beat That
Bitch or Girls Get Ready and your body
will start posing and contorting as if your
life depended on it.
Allure started his club life at age 12,
and learned a lot from legendary house
DJ Cedric about bringing a beat. After a lot
of the people I was inspired by went away,
I tried to fill the void of that sound I wanted
to hear, says Allure. People werent hear-
ing it, and I wanted to bring something that
moves me.
So what should Toronto voguers expect?
Sophistication and style are an important
part of the House of Allure. Blackcat feels
Toronto is finally ready for an NYC-style
ballroom event. House of Monroe will be
in full attendance Blackcats boyfriend is
the house mother, and as humble gay black
power couples go, theyre hard to beat. Also
on hand will be many other emerging
houses from the US and Canada competing
in categories like Realness with a Twist,
Dance Dance Dance, Church Lady,
Beginners Vogue and Face. Trophies,
cash prizes and an Almighty grand prize
await competitors, and you dont have to
be part of a house to enter.
So whos ready to rise to such a fierce
challenge? In the words of Allure: Make
your scene excel. The competition aspect,
the dancing... the audience is there. All you
need is one person with imagination who
can hit that runway. Even a small house
can make an impact.
Look for DJs Vjuan Allure and Blackcat also
spinning at Love Is, Sun, Nov 29 at Good-
handys (120 Church St); cover $10, $5 before
midnight with Almighty Ball ticket stub.
Drama in the house
Do you have what it takes to make the scene?
This is the essence of me.
Puppeteer Ronnie Burkett to the Globe and Mail upon winning the
2009 Siminovitch Prize in theatre as a designer (the prize rotates
each year among directors, playwrights and designers). Sadly Burkett
received word that hed won the same day his mother died. In addition
to winning $75,000, the prize comes with $25,000 for a protg of the
winners choice. Burkett chose Montreal puppeteer Clea Minaker.
IRRESISTIBLE. Washington, DC DJ Vjuan Allure brings his killer beats to Canadas first
international vogue ball, The Almighty.
THE ALMIGHTY BALL.
$10 adv; $15 door.
9pm doors. Sat, Nov 28.
Gladstone Hotel.
1214 Queen St W.
DJ-blackcat.tk.
RAISING THE
CURTAIN
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre has gone
for quality over quantity for its fund-
raising art auction this year. Art Attack
sees three guest curators Sholem
Krishtalka, Stephanie Rogerson and Ryan
G Hinds each selecting only two or
three contemporary art works. Included
in the dozen or so selections are these
photos from Toronto artists Robyn Cum-
ming (below) and Tanja-Tiziana (left).
Also on the block are big getaway pack-
ages, an indie producers package, a
music producers package and loads of
design stuff. Keith Cole returns as host
joining a plethora of guest stars. Doors
at 12 Alexander St open at 7pm on Thu,
Nov 26 with the auction starting at 8pm.
Admission is $10; call (416) 975-8555 or
go to Artsexy.ca.
20
arts NOV 19, 2009 XTRA!
FIRST PERSON
Ryan Russell
w
HY DO THESE
motherfuckers from
faraway places keep
friggin messaging
me? I grumble, seeing a new message to one
of my (very) dirty internet profiles. Im in
Toronto. Its not like Im going to San Fran-
cisco any time soon so I wont meet em.
Curiosity kills, though, and I open the
strangers message anyway.
My names Patrick and I work in casting
with TitanMen.com. Is there any chance
youd be interested in modelling for us?
Oh. My. Fucking. God. Me? A Titan porn
shoot? Youre not screwing with me?
Some things I would literally trade my
soul for. Maybe this one I wont have to. But
its not a decision I should rush. After no
less than seven minutes of careful delibera-
tion, I cast the die to make me the freshest
Canadian face in gay porn.
Im 29, the age most pornstars are lining
up for Geritol and preparing for retirement,
but clearly its my time to shine.
Am I crazy?
Ive got a real job, making good money.
My gigs consistent, Ive got healthcare,
client parties, vacation and perks. Most
importantly though, Ive got respect.
On the flip side, Ill get fucked by Tyler
Saint. And get filmed by TitanMen in full-on,
inglorious HD while it goes down. Decisions.
Decisions. By my calculations, nine inches
far outmeasures any cotton-candy promises
of stability. Easy.
See, Id been planning for years
to get into the magical world of porn. You
could ask most of my friends and theyd all
tell you how bored they were of hearing me
say, Im gonna do it. Im gonna do porn.
I dont know how, but Im gonna do it.
And its not like there was any shortage
of opportunity. Since turning 17 Ive been
approached by six different studios. Despite
temptation Ive always turned down the
opportunity because it had to be right.
Then along comes Titan and I know it
is my last, best shot at industry penetration.
So I say yes.
Titan arranges a shoot in San Francisco
in six weeks. My schedule goes into over-
drive as I spend every possible minute alter-
nately in gyms or state-of-the-art tanning
beds, beautifying to depths unknown. It pays
off too. Ive got nerves but at least I know
Ive done everything possible to make the
scenes a success.
i
step off the airplane and am whisked
to the Titan apartments in downtown
San Francisco. I cant help but think
Im walking into the gay porn Big Brother
house. The rules are simple: No guests,
dont make a mess. Mostly no guests. And
to ensure strict respect of the rules, cameras
on all exits. No problem. Ill keep my dick
in my pants until told otherwise, anyway.
The apartments arent your everyday
accommodation. The kitchen is stocked,
not with food, but low-fat spreads (mostly
expired), unidentifiable raw-food product
and countless half-consumed feedbags of
high-impact protein powder. Privacy isnt
a consideration either; the model suites are
merely curtained-off rooms, if youre lucky
(or demure) enough to even get a privacy
partition. Floor-to-ceiling mirrors adorn the
modern loft-like walls, excepting a few gaps
where kitschy retro porn posters remind me
why Im here. The bathroom is fully outfit-
ted with a piped-in ShowerShot. A few days
later I came back to find one of the other
models obsessively cleaning the shower
with this convenient and maneuverable
enema nozzles high-pressure spray.
Unsettling and hilarious.
My first stay at the apartments is short;
only a few hours of relaxation before we head
back to the airport to pick up model (and
a personal porn hero) Tyler Saint. For real.
While looking around for Tyler in pas-
senger pickup, I realize that I barely know
what Im looking for. Wondering if Id even
be able to recognize him fully clothed, my
gaze locks on this hot, muscle-stud laughing
away on his cellphone up ahead. Yep, its
him alright.
Tyler hops in the back and a rush hits me
as I come to terms with the reality that this
friendly, deep-eyed and dark-skinned man
is gonna be makin it with me in the morn-
ing. At this sexless moment, I love porn
more than ever before.
We drive for about an hour, along a coastal
highway that Im pretty sure is from Basic
Instinct, to a town outside San Francisco
where we find the Titan ranch. Past the
security gates and pulling up the driveway
in the darkness, Patrick and Tyler trade
stories about nosy neighbours, big moun-
tain cats and the endless debauch thats
been committed here by studs in the past.
The house itself is gorgeous and sprawling.
No pool but acres of forest. Cabanas with
outdoor showers surround the main house.
Im overwhelmed wandering through and
imagining just how much hard-core fucking
has gone down here.
I meet some of the cast of Titans wonder-
works including directors/cinematographers
Brian Mills (Funhouse, Bad Conduct and
Flux) and Paul Wilde (Triage, Fist and Piss
and Shock Treatment). Tyler and I horse
around a bit to get comfortable. Its late,
though, and before long its time for a snack
then off to bed. I wish I could sleep but the
time shift is making me jumpy. Or maybe its
cause Im gonna be shooting porn in the
morning? Fighting my way down, I finally
doze off. Get your beauty sleep, man.
The shoot schedule goes like this: Wake
up and eat for 7am, hose off at 8am and
be ready to shoot for 9am. The meals on the
ranch are expansive spreads, lovingly pre-
pared by Wilde and full of the healthiest
most nutritive things known to humankind.
This first scene with Tyler is for a flick
called Folsom Maneuvers (Titans official
release for the Folsom Street Fair this past
September). Its a full-on military scene.
Tyler fucks the hell outta me while Im
strung up in parachute rigging, dangling
from some heavy foliage, as if my chute got
caught in the trees and I couldnt get myself
loose. But somehow my fatigues got lost on
the way down. Air resistance, I guess?
Getting nailed in this improvised sling
is the single hottest, hardest and best fuck
Ive known to date. Three hours later, Im
covered in piss, cum and sweat; Mills shouts,
Cut. The scene ends and I cant wait to do
more. Though I am walking kinda funny.
The scenes with Tyler take about two
full days to shoot before he disappears into
the night. New hottie, recent TitanMen
exclusive JR Matthews, returns in his place.
JR is a muscle-twink strawberry blond
whos got a massive dick, still more
massive shoulders and can be coerced
into self-sucking on command.
For my scene with JR were both bottom-
ing with some pretty heavy toys: unsurpris-
ingly on-brand Titan Tools (toys are for
boys, tools are for men). This ones gonna
be called, fittingly, Toolbox when its
released early in 2010 and, among other
things, we plow each other with vibrating
nightsticks and a double-ended monster.
The scene culminates with me working JRs
ass while he sucks himself to completion.
Seriously, I get paid for this?
But things arent all fun and games
on set. These are outdoor scenes and the
weather isnt fully cooperative. Despite
looking like its a blazing summer day, were
hemmed in with massive heaters just out of
frame. Keeping raging hard-ons in the cool
is tough stuff but being able to fuck around
with the likes of JR and Tyler in between
shots makes the going a touch easier.
The single biggest hard-on killer, how-
ever, comes just as were taking the first
couple of still photographs for Toolbox.
Totally unannounced, a real estate agent
shows up with an older married couple who
are there to see about buying the property
(the Titan ranch is moving from San Fran
to Palm Springs next year). Quick! Hide! Or
at least put on some pants so were not just
wearing boots and boners!
As the trio, who probably have about
half a millennium among them, approach
the house, I remember that Ive left some
of the tools all over a bed inside. Charging
down the hill from the cabanas where were
shooting, cordially greeting and passing our
guests on the way in, I slip ahead and hide all
the black rubber strewn about. Our hard-ons
last just long enough to be awkward for the
entire duration of the prospectors visit so JR
and I can hurriedly pump ourselves back up
when they leave and its finally time to start
shooting again. Its all about timing, really.
A few hours of assplay and fucking later,
Im chilling with some of the coolest homos
around. That night Mills and I sit around
watching American Beauty, laughing hys-
terically as Peter Gallagher pounds Annette
Bening and asks, You like getting nailed
by the King? before she screams, Oh, yes,
I Iove it! Fuck me, your majesty! I suddenly
know exactly how she feels.
Its these magical moments that Ill
cherish forever. And, of course, the inten-
sive, hours-and-hours-long poundings with
monster cocks.
Keep up with Ryan Russells latest porn
antics at Ryanrussellxxx.com or follow him
on Twitter @RyanRussellXXX. Squirt.org, the
sexy hookup site run by Xtras publisher Pink
Triangle Press, is launching a series of pornos
starring Russell early in the new year.
Popping my cherry
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a Titan shoot with Tyler Saint.
Ryan Russell dishes the dirt on his first-ever porn shoot
Popping my cherry
xtra! NOV 19, 2009 arts
21
Film reviews
Nicholas Davies
w
ATCHING THE
late Jos Rodriguez
Solteros 16mm films
rekindled my love-
hate relationship with avant-garde
cinema. Long unseen, Jerovi from
1965 and Lupe from 1966 now
seem to fit perfectly in the canon
of 60s American film culture, find-
ing their space in the constellation
whose other, brighter (canonized
overkill) stars include the likes
of Andy Warhol, Jack Smith, Ken-
neth Anger and (because I love to
invoke her any chance I get) Maya
Deren. Torontos Alucine festi-
val (continuing till Sat, Nov 28)
screens both Soltero rarities.
The 50-minute Lupe is ostensi-
bly (and very loosely) based on the
career of Lupe Velez, the Mexican
actress perhaps best known in this
day and age (thanks to Angers tale
about her in Hollywood Babylon)
as the woman who, despite
attempting a graceful suicide,
wound up drowning in her toilet
at least according to rumour.
Its raw, low-to-no budget film-
making starring Mario Montez
(who appeared in Smiths Flaming
Creatures and was a Warhol
superstar). Theres lots of bad
lighting, extreme blurry closeup
work and a general lack of conti-
nuity along with all the requisite
experimental camera movements
and acknowledgment of the mate-
riality of the cinematic form.
Jerovi, on the other hand, is
a silent, 12-minute take on the
Narcissus myth that involves
a young man having a wank in
Central Park, then rushing about
in a gorgeous brocade cloak.
After the screening, I sorted
through my various thoughts about
what Id just experienced the
vague menace of Deren crossed
with the rapid-fire dreaminess of
Anger; the devil-may-care raucous-
ness of Smith with the meanness
of Warhol and decided that what
really marks these films is none of
these things: Its their playfulness.
For example theres something
that approaches childlike play-act-
ing in Mario Montezs performance
as Lupe, which involves a great
deal of severe drag make-up, tatty
glamour and some dramatic mug-
ging. This is real, proper camp
not the bitchy queenery that goes
by that name today but
a real, heartfelt
sendup of a hero-
ine. (Lets not
forget that Montez
named himself
after another
Latin screen
siren.) The film
begins with Lupe
on the telephone,
with her mad red
hair and mad red
housecoat, after
which she excit-
edly repeats, Im
going to be a movie
star again! From here, its up, up,
up, and then down, as Lupes final
act is to turn on the gas and lie
down forever.
Also amazingly striking is the
intensity of colour saturation in
the film, as though Soltero couldnt
get enough lipstick red. For me the
most satisfying element of all is
the makeshift sets. The best exam-
ple is a sequence in which Lupe
performs some form of veil dance
in front of a filthy blanket pinned
to a filthy wall in a filthy apart-
ment. Imagination is the thing!
Jerovi is a very different film,
restrained and poetic. Again Solt-
ero indulges in colour saturation
but here, rather than fire-engine
red, we have the intensity of a ver-
dant park in which a young man
pleasures himself. In a near-comic
sequence at the end he appears to
be running sometimes toward,
sometimes away from himself,
until he comes to rest in the lush
vegetation near a pool.
Both films are well worth a
look, whether you are a cinephile
with that incessant hunger to plug
the gaps in your viewing knowl-
edge, a freak for Latin-inflected
Warhol-soaked New York in the
60s or just a pop-culture junkie.
Youll find yourself fondly remem-
bering playing dress-up and lets
pretend assuming, of course,
that you were that sort of child.
Jerovi and Lupe screen at 7:30pm
and 9:30pm on Fri, Nov 20 at
Cinecycle (129 Spadina Ave);
admission is $8. There are lots of
other queer offerings at Alucine,
like the Brazilian doc on the burial
of a trans woman, The Shoes of
Aristeau, 7pm, Nov 23; and local
docs Our Faces, Our Stories by
Samuel Lopez and My First Time
by Alex Flores, 7pm, Nov 26.
Most screenings at Lennox
Gallery (12 Ossington Ave);
call (416) 971-4273 or go to
Alucinefestival.com.
Hidden in the queer
underground
Yet saturated with child-like imagination
rAriTies. Lupe (pictured) and Jerovi, the little-seen films of Jos Rodriguez Soltero, screen
at Alucine Toronto Latin Media Festival.
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Family Service Toronto
David Kelley Services
is looking for Long Term Survivors who
are interested in a therapy group
exploring well-being while living with HIV.
This 20 week group will focus on:
Living Well
Are you feeling stuck ?
Uncertain? Depressed ? Alone ?
If you answer yes to any of these questions,
this group may benefit you.
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT
JOINING THE GROUP,
CALL 416-595-0307 Ext. 505
Xtra Ad November 2009.indd 1 11/12/2009 4:40:18 PM
22
arts NOV 19, 2009 xtra!
WORLD
AIDS DAY
Community Carnation Memorial
December 1st, 2009
Join us on at 5:45pm at The 519
Church Street Community Centre
for refreshments, remarks and the
Community Carnation Memorial.
This community event honours
and remembers those we have
lost to AIDS and supports those
living with and affected by
HIV/AIDS, both locally and
globally.
ALL ARE WELCOME
The 2009 Community Carnation Memorial is
coordinated by the Toronto People With AIDS
Foundation and the AIDS Vigil Committee,
with the support of The 519, ACAS, ACT, APAA,
Black CAP, McEwan House and Voices of Positive Women
DANCE
Stephen Slessor
a
RT CAN CHANGE
the world that per-
spective informs every-
thing Lloyd Newson
does. The creative force behind
Britains famed DV8 Physical
Theatre brings his latest project,
To Be Straight with You, to Toronto
this month as part of World Stage.
The work takes a harsh look at the
real-life intersections among
homosexuality, race and religion.
The piece couldnt be more timely
with the local gay community still
reeling from the murder of one of
its own.
There has been a lot of engage-
ment in the show, says Newson.
Its about the notion of tolerance,
who tolerates what. In Europe,
theres a massive issue now about
this mass migration and in terms
of different cultures, different reli-
gions. How we can live or coexist
with one another while having dif-
ferent value systems? How we can
respect people having different
value systems but at the same time
accept divergence? Thats incredi-
bly tricky.
Over the course of 20 years, DV8
has developed a reputation for
daring physicality and difficult
subject matter. Gay themes often
feature prominently. Newson has
taken on AIDS, public sex and a gay
serial killer. But hes also addressed
straight male pub culture, disabil-
ity, age, love and marriage.
The majority of my works are
not necessarily about gay issues
per se, says Newson. What hap-
pens is every now and then my
fury rises again. I think that things
have changed for the better, and
then all of a sudden, I start getting
furious when I hear a previous
head of the Muslim Council of
Britain start saying that homosex-
uals undermine society, were
dangerous to family life, were
basically a health menace. So
I end up making a work like To
Be Straight with You.
After participating in a recent
public discussion linked to the
Dublin run of To Be Straight with
You, Inayat Bunglawala, an official
with the Muslim Council of Brit-
ain, published an article in the
Guardian calling for greater toler-
ance and understanding of the sit-
uation of gay Muslims. Newson
sees it as a beginning.
DV8 avoids the typical trap-
pings of contemporary dance, par-
ticularly the tendency toward
abstraction. Instead Newson taps
into a raw realism
that flows from exten-
sive preparatory
research. For the new
work the company
did 85 in-depth inter-
views plus 200-odd
random streeters with
people representing a
full range of opinions
and experiences with
race, religion and
homosexuality.
Newson ultimately
drew on diverse mate-
rial from 25 of the interviews to
create a series of monologues in
motion for his actor-dancers.
To Be Straight with You also
incorporates audio-visual effects
such as music, animation and film.
For example, it includes what
Newson calls reggae murder music
lyrics from homophobic songs.
One of the black lesbians that
we interviewed said if you just
change the word gay in these songs,
the word batty man patois for
a gay man if you just change that
word for black or for woman or for
Muslim, there would be an uproar,
he says. Because theres a historic
colonial guilt thing operating, we
allow it to get by.
DV8 often has an educational
component to its work. The DV8
website (Dv8.co.uk) has a down-
loadable educational kit for To Be
Straight with You. The company
has also made its acclaimed films
available to high schools and uni-
versities. In Toronto, they plan to
visit students at the Triangle Pro-
gram, an alternative stream for
queer students who have had diffi-
culty in regular public schools.
These days, in places like
Canada and the United Kingdom,
with comparatively progressive
laws, complacency is common in
the queer community. Newson,
thankfully, is anything but com-
placent, and his political engage-
ment fuels his artistic drive.
He laments that of all the people
he interviewed, very few of the gay
folk who were also members of reli-
gious or visible minority groups
would agree to use their names for
fear of the consequences within
their communities.
We cant underestimate even
within our supposedly liberal
democratic societies how hard it
still is for two people, regardless of
faith or colour, for two people of
the same sex to walk hand-in-
hand down the road without being
intimidated. What other group
does not have that privilege?
Set the world straight
DV8 Physical Theatre explodes with gay fury
hAtE bAitiNg. The provocative dance piece To Be Straight
with You tackles race, religion, violence and homophobia.
to bE StrAight
With You.
$15-$40. 8pm. Wed, Dec 2-5.
2pm. Dec 5.
Fleck Dance Theatre.
207 Queens Quay W, third floor.
(416) 973-4000.
The Youth Line is a free service
for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans youth,
and those who have questions.
:: Anonymous & Confidential
:: Toll-Free from any phone in Ontario
:: Open Sunday to Friday from 4:00p to 9:30pm
for young people 26 years of age and under
:: Talk to other youth for support and information
www.youthline.ca
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are
not
alone.
Holly, jolly
HOLIDAYS
Gift Wrapped
Nov 19, 2009

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Gift Wrapped NOV 19, 2009 xtra!
Love the one(s)
youre with
Planning your holiday shopping?
Weve got you covered
GIFT WRAPPED
Bradley Turcotte & Marcus McCann
Illustrations by Mia Hansen
s
TRESSING ABOUT GIFT GIVING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON?
Here are some suggestions for those you love for your girlfriends, your casual
lovers, your best friend and even yourself.
Come to the rescue of readers who are procrastinating,
picky, or panicked by giving them perfect gift ideas.
Booking Deadline: Wed, Nov 25
Artwork Deadline: Thu, Nov 27
Release: Thu, Dec 3
Contact Xtra to book your space:
(416) 644-5214
xtra! NOV 19, 2009 Gift Wrapped
3
Big time sensuality
Before getting your rocks off, why
not try putting some hot rocks on?
An excursion to the spa is the perfect
palatial gift. The hot stone treatment
aims to increase blood and
lymphatic flow, release toxins and
calm the central nervous system.
Hot stone treatments start at $80.
Cinderella story
It turns out that theyre not just a fad. These boots have staying power.
The knee-length footwear is great gift for your butch pals provided
you go with Doc Martens (from $160) or another military-inspired pair.
Theyre also a great gift for that special femme in your life, so long as
you find a slender design like the new line with heels from
Michael Kors ($400).
Are you versatile?
Music is universal, so what could
be a more versatile gift than
concert tickets? Consider pick-
ing up tickets to super campy
Quebecker Jon Lajoie (Jan 9,
Queen Elizabeth Theatre, $50
pair) or indie twink-fronted
Final Fantasy (Jan 12, Mod
Club, $26 pair). If you want to
kick it up a notch, twins Tegan
and Sara are playing twin con-
certs in Toronto (Jan 19 and
20, Massey Hall and Kool Haus,
$60 pair, $120 for a pair for both
nights).
Lilies of the valley
Nothing says endearment like watching something beautiful die. For
acquaintances, family and even lovers, consider flowers this year
although perhaps the potted variety, since they have a longer shelf life.
Give ivy for fidelity or asters to express contentment. Prices start as low as
$6, if youre willing to go with a convenience-store quality present.
Down boy
If youre looking for an affordable and
alluring gift, strap on a pink spiked collar.
Your dog might hate it, but your slave will
love to hate it. Treat them like the pet
they are and teach them to heel. Available
at sex stores everywhere. Prices start at
$30 although higher quality fetish wear
comes with a heftier pricetag.
4
Natural Food Market
416.466.2129
Organic Produce Bulk & Grocery
Locally Raised Meat Organic Dairy & Eggs
Fridge & Freezer Vegetarian Caf
Appliances Body Care Department
Wholistic Dispensary
416.466.8432
Vitamins & Minerals
Vibrational & Homeopathic Remedies
Books Herbal Remedies
Professional Staff Professional Product Lines
Free Nutritional Store Tours
Organic Juice Bar Cooking Classes
348 Danforth Ave.
(1 block w. of Chester subway)
thebigcarrot.ca
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00-9:00 Sat 9:00-8:00
Sun 11:00-6:00
SPECIALIZING IN ORGANICALLY GROWN, NON-GMO AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE PRODUCTS
The weekender
A day and weekend trip out of town is a gift made for sharing. If Montreal and New
York are your usual haunts, why not try a more laid back weekend in Ontario. In
Ottawa, the National Capital Commission is offering a package for cozy couples.
Skate your way to two nights hotel accommodation and a choice of admission to the
Canadian Museum of Civilization, the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian War
Museum or the Museum of Aviation. Weekend packages during Winterlude start at
$265. If history isnt your thing, you can swap in Ottawa Senators tickets for an addi-
tional fee. For more info visit ottawatourism.ca.
Ice queens
For an original gift for a lover or a friend, send them on the next iceberg to Reykjavik,
Iceland. The annual Winter Lights Festival, held in February of each year, celebrates the
end of the dark winter months. Combining aspects of music, sport and art, the festival
sees many local establishments taking part in the dazzling drama that is living above
the Arctic Circle. Known as the greenest city on earth, Reykjavik also has numerous gay-
friendly businesses and many festival events are free. For more info contact the Icelan-
dic Tourist Board at info@visitreykjavik.is or call +354 (0)535 5500.
xtra! NOV 19, 2009 Gift Wrapped
5
TINSELTOWN
Aubry Laufer
t
HE ULTIMATE NAUGHTY VS
nice story of 2009 belongs to Kanye
West and Beyonc, courtesy of this
years MTV Video Music Awards
(MVAs) in September.
In case youve been living under a rock,
Taylor Swift had just won one of her first
awards and went up to receive it, ecstatic.
Then a crazed Kanye West snatched the
microphone and told Taylor: Im really
happy for you, Im gonna let you finish,
but Beyonc had one of the best videos
of all time.
Of course, Beyonc looked horrified, but
pleasantly horrified.
Though Beyonc lost one award to
Taylor, she won the more important VMA
for video of the year. Well, Beyonc did
something very nice. Beyonc got up
and gave Taylor Swift her moment back.
Beyonc said: I remember being 17 years
old, up for my first MTV award with Des-
tinys Child and it was one of the most excit-
ing moments of my life, so I would like for
Taylor to come out and have her moment.
Incidentally, I got out to a Beyonc concert
this summer and it was pretty incredible.
Whoever it was Imagineering the event really
turned it out. The highlight was the part when
Beyonc did a mashup of Sarah McLachlans
Angel with wait for it Ave Maria.
And if that wasnt enough, there was
a costume change that was simultane-
ously orchestrated putting Beyonc in a
giant feather skirt with heavenly lighting.
Not only did she succeed in appearing
angelic, she incorporated Can-con! And
this was just for her Canadian show! At
the end of the night, Bey dedicated Halo
to the recently deceased Michael Jackson
(whose broke, addicted ass was a wee
bit naughty, according to opportunist
Canadian biographer Ian Halperin).
Speaking of halos, dead celebs have
been very, very nice this year. Breakfast
Club director John Hughes was sainted
by the press after his death in August. But
his departure was so sudden that it didnt
give him enough time to become a charity
spokesperson for the disease that was killing
him unlike a host of very sweet, termi-
nally ill celebs like Farrah Fawcett, Patrick
Swayze and Michael J Fox. Whoops, MJF
isnt dead yet, but you get the picture.
Even reality TV stars have been relatively
nice this year. Both the gay contestant on
American Idol (bridesmaid Adam Lambert)
and the lesbian contestant on Canadas
Next Top Model (the impish Rebeccah
Wyse) were gracious losers in the face of
controversy that they were turfed because
of their sexualities. Indeed, nasty reality TV
stars are now largely relegated to specialty
channels (Im looking at you, Jon and Kate.)
Meanwhile, poor Kanye just gets naughtier
and naughtier. I mean, after the VMA fiasco
youd think hed go to great lengths to change
his public persona. But no, Kanye was in the
press not long afterward with more reports
of bizarre diva
behavior.
It turns out, at Commons benefit in
Hollywood in September, Kanye had a major
freak out when everyone around him was
eating chicken but he wasnt offered any!
The Kanye effect (making other stars seem
nicer by comparison) worked for Common,
who was raising money for projects benefit-
ing urban youth. Speaking of contrast,
around the same time we heard reports that
Beyonce pulled a sick girl up on stage during
a concert in Sydney and sang Halo to her
for her birthday. Just sayin.
The nail in the coffin? Kanye had to pull
out of a tour with Lady Gaga (who has had a
very good year by the way) because no one
wanted to buy tickets to see a tantrum-throw-
ing, mic-snatching, naughty guy in concert.
But I feel for Kanye, you know? Its got to
be hard out there in the spotlight, with all
eyes on you in the centre of the ring just like
a circus. It makes people crack. And maybe
this isnt about being naughty or nice as
much as whos stronger, more calculating
and has better people working for them.
And Beyonc is the best in the biz.
That lady has carefully crafted an airtight
image and that probably has less to do with
how nice she actually is and more to do
with how smart and powerful she is, which
is why its no surprise that Lady Gaga
ditched Kanye and went straight into
a highly anticipated collaboration with
Beyonc . Ironically, Im sure the video
will be very, very naughty.
Naughty & nice
Xtra takes a look at whos
in Santas good books
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23
On stage
Serafin LaRiviere
l
ONG BEFORE H1N1
reared its porcine head, the
Spanish Flu claimed more
than 50 million victims world-
wide. It was 1918, World War l had
just ended and medical science
was still pretty much at the leeches
and cod-liver-oil stage. In The
Madonna Painter, Michel Marc
Bouchards new play at Factory
Theatre, the citizens of a remote
village in Northern Quebec turn
to the Catholic Church as the only
hope of healing and protection.
The arrival of an enthusiastic
new priest injects fresh energy and
hope into the beleaguered com-
munity. The young cleric (played
by Marc Bendavid) is convinced
that only a demonstration of faith
will keep the villagers safe; he
commissions a painting of the
Madonna (Mary, not Madge) from
a travelling Italian artist named
Alessandro (Juan Chioran).
The painter begins to audition
local girls to sit as his model,
finally settling on a young girl
named Mary of the Secrets (Jenny
Young). Unfortunately it seems
that Alessandro needs to dip his
brush into more than just a pot
of paint to capture beauty. Mary
demurs at first, but finally relents
after being told by the priest that
its her duty to inspire the mercu-
rial artist.
Its about the obscurity and
control of religion, says Bouchard,
who drew from his own experi-
ences growing up in a strongly
Catholic town. I was born near
the end of what we call The Great
Darkness in Quebec when the
church was everywhere the
schools, the courts, everywhere.
This was during the reign
of ultra-conservative premiere
Maurice Duplessis and his Union
Nationale. Duplessis strictly
enforced Catholic doctrine upon
Quebeckers until his death. This
ecclesiastic omnipresence made
a big impression on the young
gay Bouchard.
My first contact with magic was
the church, he says. This guy dies
for three days, and then he rises and
flies. It was beautiful mythology.
Images of a half-naked guy on
a cross didnt hurt either. It was
my first sensual and sexual awak-
ening. Like the Madonna painter,
I was looking for ecstasy.
Bouchard is truly a painter of
words, using evocative and mellif-
luous text to create vivid stories.
So lyrical and delicately lovely are
his plays Lilies and The Orphan
Muses that Im embarrassed to
admit I didnt realize they were
originally written la franaise.
Im relieved that Bouchard
is pleased with my confession.
Excellent, he laughs. Then we
did our job!
The we hes referring to is him-
self and translator Linda Gaboriau,
a long-time collaborator in export-
ing Bouchards work to the world.
Gaboriaus contribution goes far
beyond merely translating the
words. Hours of conversation,
questions and clarifications go
into her meticulous recreation of
Bouchards vivid prose in English.
Every playwright has his own
musicality, says Bouchard.
(Linda) knows my music, my
poetic construction and can hear
the musicality of the words in
French. Shes one of the best.
Director Eda Holmes also
hears the music in Bouchards
words. The celebrated dancer,
choreographer and director is
approaching The Madonna
Painter from an almost impres-
sionistic point of view, highlight-
ing both the mystical and human
nature of Bouchards piece.
This is play made of art, says
Holmes, and is an amazing exam-
ination of the way art functions.
On one hand we want art to be
beautiful and show us beautiful
things, but the pursuit of art is to
show the truth. With Michel Marc
the two often collide, and thats
what makes his art so influential
and compelling.
The Madonna Painter also stars
Nicola Correia-Damude, Brian
Dooley, Miranda Edwards and
Shannon Taylor, and makes its
English debut on Thu, Nov 19.
the MadOnna
Painter.
$15-$35. 8pm. Tue-Sat.
PWYC. 2pm. Sun.
Thu, Nov 19-Dec13.
Factory Theatre Mainspace.
125 Bathurst St.
(416) 504-9971.
Factorytheatre.ca.
Looking for ecstasy
Art & religion in a time of fear
PLaY Made OF art. The vivid, musical text of playwright Michel Marc
Bouchard (above) tells of magic and abuse in rural Quebec in The Madonna
Painter (starring Marc Bendavid; left).
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24
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25
Montreal police had
been raiding and
harassing gay spaces for
decades, only this time
no one was going home:
Outside stood 16 police
cruisers and 40 offcers
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Richard Burnett looks back at the 1990 police raid of Montreals Sex Garage party / Xtra.ca
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IN PRINT
Allison Martell
m
OST ACADEMICS
write with careful
detachment. But in
her new book, When
Gay People Get Married: What
Happens When Societies Legalize
Same-Sex Marriage, MV Lee
Badgett opens on an unusually
personal note, recounting her own
decision to marry. Then again,
Badgett is an unusual scholar.
A professor of economics at the
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, she is well outside the
mainstream of academias most
relentlessly right-wing discipline.
Interested in the economics of
labour and sexual orientation, her
last book was Money, Myths and
Change: The Economic Lives of
Lesbians and Gay Men.
This new book recounts a year
Badgett spent studying marriage
in the Netherlands. The Dutch
were the first in the world to legal-
ize gay marriage in 2001, and
Badgett arrived in late 2003. When
she and her partner left the United
States, they could not share health
insurance or even fill out the same
customs form. By the time they
returned home, they could marry
in Massachusetts.
Pulling together others
research, her own statistical analy-
sis and in-depth interviews with
19 queer couples, Badgett has
written a book less about the fight
to win marriage rights than about
what happens next. She is inter-
ested in why some couples choose
to marry while others do not,
whether marriage equality changes
the institution of marriage in
general and what impact marriage
has on the queer community.
In the profiles of Dutch cou-
ples, Canadian queers will find
plenty to identify with. Personal
stories make for engaging reading,
and the nitty gritty social science
is tucked away in appendices, so
the book is accessible to a general
audience. Its also an excellent
survey of all the progress made
towards marriage equality in
North America and Europe
and a reminder of how messy
and uneven that progress has
been beyond our own borders.
Badgett takes opponents of gay
marriage seriously so you dont
have to her book is an ideal
passive-aggressive gift for that
homophobic uncle youre tired of
debating at family reunions. She
thoroughly debunks conservative
commentator Stanley Kurtzs
claim that gay marriage in
Scandinavia and the Netherlands
caused straight couples to marry
at lower rates and give birth to
more children out of wedlock.
Stanley Kurtz
actually was the person who made
this issue come alive, says Badgett
over the phone from her office
in Massachusetts. It was every-
where, in op-ed pages all across
America. It became the conven-
tional wisdom for a while. And it
just turned out to be completely
misleading.
Badgett illustrates, in exhaustive
detail, that the trends Kurtz identi-
fied were well underway before
gay marriage was introduced.
But her criticism is not con-
fined to the right wing. She also
has plenty to say to queer people
opposed to marriage, a group she
terms marriage dissidents.
People talk about marriage as
a patriarchal institution, she says.
And I think theyre looking at
marriage very much the same way
that the right wing talks about it,
that its about a particular set of
roles that men and women are
supposed to play. She argues that
the institution of marriage is a
moving target. Theyre both look-
ing at something that I dont think
exists anymore. I think marriage
has changed tremendously.
But that isnt to say gay marriage
is responsible for the change.
I dont think its that gay people are
changing what marriage means,
says Badgett. I think that whats
probably changing is how hetero-
sexual people see gay couples.
At times Badgett seems a bit too
eager to play down her own results.
On monogamy she writes that
most of the male couples she inter-
viewed were not monogamous.
This suggests that the queer
community is developing its own
concept of marriage. But Badgett
focuses on the fact that in her inter-
views, despite this non-monogamy,
her subjects said they aspired to be
monogamous. She argues, oddly,
that these aspirations are more
important than actions.
For her part Badgett was most
surprised to discover the emotional
impact of gay marriage and how
much marriage changed the way
friends and family saw the couples.
In some cases heterosexual
people helped to remind gay
people that they were in fact mar-
ried, in funny ways, teasing people,
saying, You cant call her your girl-
friend anymore, shes your wife,
says Badgett. Heterosexual people
have expectations of gay people
related to marriage, which I think
is something that many gay people
had no idea about.
Wedded twist
Marriage is changing & it might be changing us too
WHEN GAY PEOPLE
GET MARRIED.
MV Badgett.
New York University Press. $37.35.
Site: J@V@ Junkie
Address: Javajunko.blogspot.com
Queer blogger Java Junko is
a 37-year-old Scorpion living in Dau-
phin, Manitoba (population 7,906). Hes
creative, Madonna-obsessed, high on
java juice and blogging about, as he
puts it, Me, me, me!
He is also the cutest fucking thing on
the planet with his shaved head, twin-
kling eyes, devilish grin and furry pelt.
Grrrr.
Whats so great about his blog is that
Junko proves that a artsy queer person
can live a full meaningful life in a small
town. With the help of the Internet, you
can still be in touch with whats going
on in the world. He shares his love
of family, Lady Gaga, pumpkin spice
lattes, sock monkey caps, modern art
and design. His recent trip to New York
was an eye-opening experience (lots of
pics). His memories of his late partner
(of 10 years) Marcel (whom he lost to
cancer two years ago) are both sweet
and heart-
breaking.
I think
Im going
to move to
Dauphin.
S e r i -
ously, this
man is a
catch.
John Webster
26
Going viral.
December 1st.
Same favour... less calories
PositiveLite.com

Xtra, Canadas largest lesbian and gay publication, is
nowaccepting applications for its Journalism Winter
Internship Program.
Are you a journalism student wanting to spend the
winter frolicking in Torontos lesbian and gay commu-
nities? Do you need a full-time, temporary internship
to complete your course requirements? Do you have
a passion for activist news reportage in a variety of
media? Do you need real work experience in a fast-
paced newsroom environment?
Xtra may be able to help.
Qualified applicants will work with Xtras editors to
pitch, research and write news and feature stories
and conceptualize and execute ENGvideo pieces for
web. You will attend Xtras editorial meetings, learning
the mechanics of activist journalism fromour team of
consummate editorial professionals.
Its a wonderful way to meet the movers and shakers
of Torontos gay and lesbian communities, a great
chance to build your portfolio of published work and
an invaluable way to earn on-the-job experience.
Internships run from early January to late April.
Interns will earn modest freelancer remuneration for
their published work. Flexible schedules may be avail-
able for those with course work or part-time jobs.
TO APPLY SEND RESUM, COVER
LETTER AND SAMPLES OF YOUR
WORK TODAY:
Matt Mills
Editorial Director
Xtra!
491 Church St, Suite 200
Toronto, Ont.
M4Y 2C6
matt.mills@xtra.ca
No phone calls please.
XTRA! JOURNALISM WINTER
INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
@
Careers that build community
ROCK IT
Andrew Robertson
b
UDDIES IN BAD
Times gets ready to rock
Fri, Nov 27 with a fund-
raiser for the popular
queer theatre featuring the origi-
nal anti-diva Carole Pope and
alt-songbird Lily Frost.
Pope has had a remarkable
career as a solo artist and a
member of Rough Trade, winning
Junos and Genies, writing a best-
selling autobiography and recently
appearing in the vampire film
Suck. The Canadian rock legend
will use the Buddies gig to debut
her new song God = Love. Its an
unequivocal stand on equal rights
with condemning lyrics like, Im
so tired of this hypocrisy/ Dont
you dare call this democracy.
We love Pope and shes been
featured in the pages of Xtra
numerous times. Because we
can never have enough of a good
thing, this time out Pope kindly
answered some totally random
and at times ridiculous questions
in order for us to learn a little
more about the legend that is
Carole Pope.
XTRA: What is your favourite
thing about live theatre?
CAROLE POPE: The immediacy
of it.
XTRA: What was the last great
stage production you saw?
POPE: Anne Hathaway in Twelfth
Night because she was dressed as
a soldier. And Spring Awakening,
it had it all: straight sex, gay sex,
rape, a little incest and great
songs.
XTRA: When are you happiest?
POPE: Performing and/or making
love the two things are inter-
changeable at times.
XTRA: If you could have any
super power, what would it be?
POPE: Flight.
XTRA: What was the last good
film you saw?
POPE: A Single Man.
XTRA: What would you like to
know about the future?
POPE: What year New Yorks
going to be completely submerged
underwater
XTRA: If Beyonc thinks a diva is
the female version of a hustler,
then an anti-diva is?
POPE: Patti Smith, Marianne
Faithful and me.
XTRA: What is your life motto?
POPE: Fuck you if you dont
get me.
XTRA: What are three things you
cant live without?
POPE: Love, art and women.
XTRA: If Kanye interrupted you
onstage, what would you do?
POPE: I would bitch slap him hard
and tell him to take some time off
to grieve for his mother.
XTRA: Where is your favourite
place to be?
POPE: Europe.
XTRA: Who is the coolest person
you know and why?
POPE: Bjrk but I dont know
her... so Michael Schmidt because
hes charming, talented and kind.
XTRA: Vampires, pirates or were-
wolves and why?
POPE: Vampires are sexy. Im a
big fan of True Blood especially
the fang bangers.
XTRA: If you could write a how-to
book, what would the subject of
your book be?
POPE: How to survive in this
unconscious unevolved society.
XTRA: Who would play you in
a biopic and why?
POPE: Uma Thurman or Eva Green
from Casino Royale. Just so I could
watch her.
XTRA: What is your fondest
memory so far?
POPE: Letting myself be com-
pletely open with someone.
XTRA: Why is independent com-
munity theatre important to you?
POPE: Artists are not afraid to take
chances and put themselves out
there without restrictions.
XTRA: Why should people come
out to the Buddies In Bad Times
fundraiser on Nov 27?
POPE: Because weve all had sex
in the bathroom at Buddies and
the show will be great.
Fuck you if you dont get me
Carole Pope in her own words
RANDOM FANDOM.
The original anti-diva dishes
on superpowers, Patti Smith
and bitch slapping Kanye West.
CAROLE POPE WITH
LILY FROST.
$25. 8pm. Fri, Nov 27.
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.
12 Alexander St.
(416) 975-8555.
Artsexy.ca.
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REGISTRATION BEGINS 5:30PM, DOORS 6PM, LIVE AUCTION: 6:30 9:30PM
GUEST CURATOR: APRIL HICKOX AUCTIONEER: CHARLENE NERO
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCE BY ADAMO RUGGIERO
Mark your calendars as the LGBT Youth Lines 10th Annual Line Art Auction
is sure to be our best yet and an event not to be missed! We promise another remarkable collection
of 60 works from both established and emerging artists such as Stephen Andrews, Kelly McCray,
Michael Levine, Diane Davis, Micah Lexier, Lise Baudry, Will Munro and Pamela Matharu.
Come out and join us, as your support will help us to continue to provide peer support
and a sense of community to LGBT youth throughout Ontario.
Preview the collection online:
youthline.ca/lineart
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416.966.ORAL
Britney vs GaGa
Shane Percy
i
VE OFTEN THOUGHT
that gay men fall into two
camps: those with impeccable
taste in music and those who
have abhorrent taste. There are
those who know who Edith Piaf or
Nina Simone were, and there are
those who have the same taste in
music as teenage girls at their
most annoying (ahem Miley
Cyrus). If I meet one more gay guy
who really believes that Britney
Spears is a rare talent, Im gonna
lose it. Im not saying Homo A is
better than Homo B for knowing
the works of Piaf and Simone,
Homo A is just fortunate enough
to have been properly educated
about music. There is a marked
difference in the way I perceive
someone when I find out what
moves him musically.
Being the unabashed musical
snob that I am (depends on my
mood, really), I was delighted to
hear about the recent shaming of
Britney Spears in Australia where,
according to reports, people walked
out of her show en masse, protest-
ing the lack of anything resembling
a true performance. The Spears
camp essentially said it was all
made up and it didnt really
happen. But unless you were
there, who can really know?
I wouldnt be the least bit sur-
prised if its happened countless
times before, in Australia or any
other given country. Often paying
hundreds of dollars for good seats
to watch a white trash girl from
Louisiana parading around in a
lion tamer costume, lip-synching
to songs she had no hand in writ-
ing, its no wonder people are fed
up, regardless of whether the
Aussie-revolt rumours are true.
Britney Spears, bless her heart,
has little talent. Her songs are
overproduced and same-y. Sure,
Toxic was brilliant, but she just
lucked out in selecting it. It could
have been sung by anybody. Shes
essentially good at stripping and
pole dancing and, sorry to say, she
comes off dumb as a sack of ham-
mers. If youre gonna lip-synch, at
least try to put some effort into it.
Enter Lady Gaga. Ill admit
when I first heard Gaga (real name
Stefani Germanotta) I pegged her
for just the latest in the assembly
line of overproduced, American
skanks who cant lay off the auto-
tune button. How wrong I was.
I finally came around when I heard
the Cherrytree Sessions EP issued
earlier this year. Her latest single,
Bad Romance, is so anthemic;
its video so utterly crisp and clean
yet dirty and bizarre (check out
the last five seconds of it. Genius.)
Its clear that there is far more to
this woman than the vast majority
of her peers (if you can call them
peers).
A recent Youtube clip of Gaga
on a French TV show saw her chat-
ting to the audience (in French),
improvising French lyrics to her
music (which she writes, by the
way) and generally enthralling the
crowd who were clapping along
with her at the grand piano, in
happy amazement that America
has finally (once again) produced
a true entertainer.
Gagas talent is matched by her
flair for the creative we, as
a society, have dont expect that
anymore. What a sad reality. But
thats what makes the current Gaga
craze so exciting and inevitable.
Theres something afoot thats
long overdue. How great it is to get
excited over a performer who
deserves the spotlight! Why is this
such a foreign concept?
As a music connoisseur, DJ and
writer, it restores my faith some-
what because the major labels
have been profiting off the force-
feeding of derivative, brainless
garbage to the masses for far too
long. Could the stupendous rise
of Gaga spell the beginning end for
Spears? It could, and I hope it does
because if Spears doesnt show
some depth of artistry, depth of
character and maybe some skill,
people are going to really tire
of her and her ilk very quickly.
I already sense it happening. By
the way, I am absolutely certain
that Stefani Germanotta knows
who Piaf and Simone were. Vive
La Gaga!
Lady Gagas The Monster Ball Tour
with Kid Cudi and Semi Precious
Weapons stops in Toronto on Sat,
Nov 28 at the Air Canada Centre
(40 Bay St; 7:30pm). Tix are $49.50
and $57.50; call (416) 870-8000.
Which gay man are you?
Do you have impeccable or abhorrent taste in music?
FLasH in tHe Pan. Is Lady Gaga
the beginning of the end for Britney
Spears?
30
CHEAP DATE!
New members join now and get off for HALF PRICE!
416.966.ORAL
never mind
blogging
Express
yourself in Xtra.
Submit to
letters@xtra.ca or
491 Church St,
Toronto ON, M4Y 2C6

MUSIC
Emily Lam
s
INCE PEACHES
2000 breakout album,
The Teaches of Peaches,
the show-stopping panty
dropper and self-proclaimed
stage whore has continued to
make audiences dance, sweat and
fuck to her revolutionary electro-
punk sound and hardcore lyrics.
As she wraps up the Canadian
leg of her world tour (she played
Toronto on Nov 18 and plays
Vancouver on Wed, Nov 25), Xtra
caught up with the bush-flaunting
Canadian artist to talk about her
expanding sound and new album,
I Feel Cream.
XTRA: While the overall vibe and
the lyrics on your new album are
still very sexual, the music itself
seems like a departure from your
last three records and is more
of a dance album. We also get
to hear you sing quite a bit. What
was your creative process for this
record?
PEACHES: Ive always been associ-
ated with the dance world because
I make music with machines, but
I never thought of myself really as
a dance artist. But in the past few
years, Ive been doing a lot of
remixes for other people and DJing.
I am in the dance world and its
what Im listening to, so I actively
wanted to make a dance album.
Ive established myself as who
I am a pioneer in the electro-
punk scene, whether you want
to call it electro-clash or new rave
or hard electro [but Im also]
a singer. Ive always been able
to sing so it was just nice to be able
to get out that voice too without
pushing aside what Im all about.
My lyrical content, delivery,
directness and my sound has
all been done on three albums,
so I wanted to work with certain
producers like Simian Mobile
Disco. Their style and atmosphere
allowed me to sing melodies and
bring out a vulnerable side in
myself which I felt was important
because I always call for men to
show their vulnerable side and
women to show their macho side.
Ive always shown my hardcore
side, so I thought it was time
to bring on a new dimension.
XTRA: This record addresses sub-
jects that we havent heard you
discuss before such as anti-age-
ism and sex at 40. With lines like,
Lick my crows feet, and the
song Mommy Complex, did you
intentionally want to show audi-
ences a different aspect of your
sexuality?
PEACHES: Ive never really been
calculated about albums, but they
always end up meaning some-
thing. If we describe each album
as a sexual act, the first album
[The Teaches of Peaches] is mas-
turbation. The second album
[Fatherfucker] is role-playing.
The third album [Impeach My
Bush] is an orgy. This album is
more like going out for a really
nice dinner with someone. Youre
eating and flirting and then you
jump on the table, ripping each
others fancy clothes and just
taking everything off.
XTRA: Youre currently touring
with a live band, The Sweet
Machine, and from Ive seen and
heard you put on an amazing live
show. Can you tell us more about
the tour and whether you planned
anything special for your Cana-
dian shows?
PEACHES: I always have some-
thing special planned. Even if Im
just in my underwear with a band,
its a special plan because I can
rock you in my underwear. I can
rock you with a full band. Ive got
lasers, this thing called a wanker
rod (a long and phallic sensor
driven electronic instrument that
wails, squeals and quivers vary-
ing electro sounds as its stroked),
clap machines, light-up keytars,
guitars, bass, drums... hot shit,
tight band. We love to play
together. Ive got all new cos-
tumes for this leg of the tour and
so its quite an experience and
its a live experience. You can
watch it on Youtube, but it wont
be the same thing.
For more fruity goodness
go to Peachesrocks.com or
Myspace.com/peaches.
Diamond in the muff
Peaches sparkling after-dinner strip-fest
I Feel CreaM.
Peaches.
XL. $18.
rICH DeSSerT. Electro-
punk artist Peaches releases
a dance album, I Feel Cream.
XTRA! NOV 19, 2009 listings
31
Anna Pournikova
Come to the rescue of readers
who are procrastinating,
picky, or panicked by giving them
perfect gift ideas.
Artwork Deadline: Thu, Nov 27
Release: Thu, Dec 3
Contact Xtra to book your
space: (416) 644-5214
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6:00p.m. - 8:30p.m.
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John Caffery was dressed to
impress alright at Vazoween at Lees
Palace. He even came with vacuum
cleaner all Freddie Mercury, music
video-style. That mustache was like
butter when we pecked hello at the
door. If I didnt know better, I would
have asked for an all night ride.
Host Keith Cole was dressed as
Dubai. The irony is that I am writing
this column to you from Dubai.
Yes, no shit whatsoever. I thought
he was pulling my meaty little leg with
that one, but no, hes a city. And now
that Ive been, I tell you its pretty
damn accurate: Little less glitter,
but basically thats Dubai in a nutshell.
I have no idea what Lisa was at the
yearly Vazaleen party, cheekily named
Vazoween, that still draws all the best
freaks and ghouls and awesomesauce
the city has to offer. Lisa had feathers
glued to her lumber jack jacket and
a condom blown up as a penis. Shes
one part Scotsman, one part Slipknot
and full on the spirit of Halloween.
Mecca, meet every-
one. Everyone, meet
Meccas cock.
You know what the problem with Lady
Gaga is? Bitch cannot take a hint. She
is always following me. Like I cant
shake her. Between the late-night
booty calls, the gifts at work and the
spying on me at home, its getting to
be a bit much. Just FYI: I see you
Stefani under that used lace tampon
getup. I. See. You.
It took me a full three minutes to
figure out that it was May under that
dirty pirate zombie costume. Its not
like I arrived there on my own. After
two-something minutes of scratching
my head, she finally just blurted out,
Oh fuck this, its May! And then she
smiled. That smile gave me shivers
so deep my ovaries contemplated
making a run for it.
I could not resist putting Gay Rob in
as Peg Bundy. First, his entire outfit,
save for the mens shoes at AA leg-
gings, was in my closet and readily
available. Second, I did his makeup
so good, he threw a fit in my living
room all, Bitch, you made me gor-
geous. What did you do? I look like
JonBent-Ramsey. Even though hes
a bit fey, once he got the Peg Bundy
getup on, he was like a jock in panties
for the first time. Worst woman ever,
but a great table-dancing costume.
Costume of the week-end let me
rephrase that, Costume of the Decade
goes to Lauren who came as the
dog-man from that Daft Punk video
that launched Spike Jonzes career.
She paper masherd the head and
the radio. She had the cast and every-
thing. I gushed. Like I gushed all up in
her mutt face about it. I ran into her
the first 20 minutes out on Halloween
weekend and not one person beat this
lovely ditty for the rest of it. The best
part was when she took off the dog
face and said earnestly, Im just
trying to be ironic.
Toby and Maija clearly came together.
Even though they put almost no effort
into their costumes (obviously just
their leather Ducati jackets and some
Zoro mask shit) they were super hot
at Vazoween. There was something so
butch yet totally girlie about them,
I actually whipped around cause
I could feel their gravitational pull
through the back of my head. Grant,
for the record, was clad entirely in
wool socks like some kind of fucked
sock monkey my aunt Rosie made for
everyone as stocking stuffers at Christ-
mas when I was a kid. I love everything
about these three.
This guy told me his name was Max.
As in Max from Where the Wild Things
Are. He also made the costume
himself, or so he claimed.
He claimed a lot of things as
he howled into the night and
climbed on all the bike racks
outside of Wrongbar. Here is
the rub, he was so fucking hot
in that stupid plushy getup
that I bat my friggin eyes at
him and kinda purred when
I talked to him. Just to set the
scene for ya, I was dressed
as a plushy Tweetie Bird.
Safe to say my feminine
flirtations failed.
32
listings NOV 19, 2009 xtra!
Everything & everyone worth doing in the next two weeks
xtra! NOV 19, 2009 listings
33
TwaTTEr
Matt Sims
p
eople dont to go to Church much these
days. Church St that is. Zeldas, Il For-
nello, Crews all gone or moved
in 2009. The old Five space is transform-
ing into condominiums and now rumours of
Zipperz not renewing its lease are up in the
air! Celebrities werent the only ones dying
in 2009, Torontos gay village was apparently
dropping off fast as well
Is it the rent? Or are gay villages becom-
ing obsolete in an age where we can go to
almost any club in Toronto and be ourselves?
Or is it the stingy laws preventing any dance
spaces from opening north of Queen St?
Despite all the gossip and closures,
Halloween was certainly no indication of a
perishing Church St. I made the bad deci-
sion of going out as drag vampire Lady
Gaga (Tinyurl.com/simsgaga). My first time
(that Ill tell you at least) walking in heels. It
was fucking freezing but six shots of Jager
later, and with the body heat of thousands,
I warmed up just fine. The three blocks or
so which had been sectioned off were
utterly rammed as if it were a sold-out
rock concert. I was walking and bumping
into everything, from a giant 30-foot-tall
swine flu bug and Alice and Wonderland to
Buffy (which I steered clear of naturally).
I almost broke my ankle. A hot tranny mess
of a Sims.
There were some notable costumes to
say the least: Sheldon McIntosh had Asian
tourists going gaga over his drag incar-
nate, Marc Smith went out with me as
Undead Jay Leno, there was a girl dressed
as declined credit cards and probably a
million Michael Jacksons (and a few Taylor
Swifts and Kanyes). Later we all headed
to The Barn for my Saturday night party
There Goes The Neighbourhood (every
Saturday, 418 Church St, no cover), which
was an absolute riot. Host Matt Barker and
I ended up doing shots with DJ Betti Forde
(from Stink Mitt fame) and we got so drunk
I attempted to direct the lighting system
while Betti impromptu rapped over the
mic. I guess Halloweens all fun and games,
until you wake up in your wig and makeup
looking like Courtney Love and Buffalo Bill
had a tranny lovechild.
If you could compare nightclubs to
people at this point Circa (126 John St)
would be Lindsay Lohan young but unin-
spired, partied out and just a plain fucking
hopeless mess. After dumping 80 percent
of its staff (even security) like a beer down
the sink, the investors have attempted to
relaunch on the clubs second-year birthday
as Circa 2. Were not really convinced. At all.
After the rental sound system was stripped
out of the club, complete with the famous
tresses and lighting system, the only thing
different about Circa is that it looks like a
high school dance with the lights off. It is
clear more than ever that investors should
not be left with the marketing and promo-
tions. Thats why they are investors. I mean
how out of touch and socially retarded do
you have to be to name your new Friday
WTF Fridays after the success of a brand
like Randomland? You may as well just call
Circa 2 the new Coke, no pun intended. As
someone who worked at Circa since before
it was open, I know we had a lot of hurdles
to overcome right from the get-go. But now
forget losing the gays, with your lameness
youve managed to alienate everyone but a
905 crowd (who dont even go there any-
more either). Good job guys.
And with old clubs dying comes a
thirst for the new and exciting, the fresh
blood for us midnight vampires to devour.
Venues are opening up all across the
board. Theres The Garrison Nightclub
(1197 Dundas St W; Garrisontoronto.com)
where Shane Percy is throwing his next
Future Disco jam (on Sat, Dec 5). Theres
the new caf/club addition to Parkdale,
Blondies (1378 Queen St W) opened by
Julian Reyes former manager of The Social,
606 and Element. My personal favourite
is Cabin 5 (225 Richmond St W) the new,
cooler incarnation of the Black Betty space
(down the lane from The Fifth Club). And
finally for expensive and snobby tastes
theres the Roosevelt Room supper club
(2 Drummond Pl; Therooseveltroom.ca) open
from Nov 14 near Adelaide St W and Peter.
Closer to the gay vil-
lage, Grasp is a new bar
opening up in St Marcs Spa
(453 Yonge St) with its
own entrance, stage and
DJ and you have to wear
clothes. Aw. The opening is
Dec 5.
If youre looking for
a good time outside the
village the options party-
wise are never-ending.
Torontos first drag DJ
Miss Margot hosts her
infamous Cover Girl party
at The Beaver (1192 Queen
St W) on Fri, Nov 20. This months edition
is Margots ode to Lady Gagas Fame Mon-
ster album releasing Nov 23; its called
Lady Kaka: The Fat Monster. Now this
I have to see. Slightly more east on Nov 20
is the Yes Yes Yall jam with DJ super
group Stunts, Elle Nino, J-Ill, Hollyrock
and Sammy D. This month the roving party
is at the Annex Wreckroom (794 Bathurst
St; $6). If you are tired of hearing Britney
Spears Three on repeat at Buddies then
this night is an all hip-hop jam and just
plain old sweaty fun.
But parties aside Ive never been much
of a theatre fan (although I did cry through
Billy Elliot). There is one theatre show that
everyone (including the Toronto Star) is
buzzing about and I simply had to open
my big mouth about as well. Our beloved Nina
Arsenaults The Silicone Diaries which tells
her long arduous path of eight years and 60
cosmetic procedures to look the way she
does today. It runs at Buddies in Bad Times
Theatre (12 Alexander St) till Sat, Nov 21
(tix cost $15 to $29); call (416) 975-8555.
Ill be there opening night.
So the era of good Circa parties has
evidently ended, good gay jams are any-
where from Bathurst and Queen West to
Ossington and Dundas and while Church St
is slowly closing down, the rest of the city
is just getting its face on for nights upon
nights of future fun!
THU, NOV 19
BARS>> Goodhandys. Wall to Wall T-Girls with
DJ BlackCat and go-go shows until midnight. $5
before 11pm; $10 after. 8pm-3am l Woodys.
Best Chest Contest with Sofonda and Chris
Edwards. Midnight
DANCING>> Wrongbar. UK house and electro
with Calvertron, Foulhouse, Rhubix and O-God.
$10. 10pm
FRI, NOV 20
BARS>> Beaver. Cover Girl presents the Lady
Kaka EP release party with DJs Miss Margot,
Butch Cassidy and Omgblog.com spinning
covers all night long. No cover. 10pm l Gla-
damans Den. Georgie Girl and Robin Loren
perform as a drag duo. No cover. 10pm l
Goodhandys. Queer Idol Group B auditions
and Group A quarter final hosted by Jessexy
with DJ K-Tel. 9:30pm l Woodys. Best Ass Con-
test with Miss Conception and Heroine Marks.
Midnight l Zeldas Living Well. Fierce Friday
with Miss Conception and Heroine Marks. No
cover. 9pm
DANCING>> Annex Wreck Room. Yes Yes Yall.
Gay hip hop jam with DJs Hollyrock, Sammy
D, Elle Nino, J-Ill and Stunts. $5. 10pm. 794
Bathurst St l Barn. Battle Pop: Boys Town. DJ
Craig Dominic spins boys, boys, boys. $5. 10pm
l Fly. Prism Divas with DJ/producer Cajjmere
Wray. $10 before 11pm; $15 until midnight;
more after. 10pm l Straight. StraightHouse
with DJ Geoff Kelleway. $5 after midnight. 10pm
l Tallulahs. Rendezvous: Booty Bass Edition
with DJ Quinces, go-go boys and performance
by Anastacia Starr. Free before 11:30pm; $5
after. 10:30pm l Wrongbar. Survival Club.
Art dance party with DJs Mikey Apples, Derek
Mainella and LP, live performance by The Magic
and visuals by Liquid Hands. $5 before midnight.
10pm
SAT, NOV 21
BARS>> Gladamans Den. Salsa night with DJ
Viviana. No cover. 10pm l Play. Kendall on the
keys. 6pm. TICOTS Investiture. 8pm. DJ Oscar.
11pm. No cover l Zeldas Living Well. The
Cheap Show with Lena Over and guests with
the Best Ass contest. 9pm. No cover
DANCING>> Andy Poolhall. Cherry Bomb. DJs
Cozmic Cat and Denise Benson are joined by
Brazils Jerus Nazdaq for a full-on dance party.
Free before 10pm; $6 after. 9pm l Barn. There
Goes the Neighbourhood. Electro, dance, top 40,
remix with DJs Gangbangaz, Tuff Luv, Quinces,
Craig Dominic. No cover. 10pm l Fly. Tel Avivs
DJ Tommer with Jamal. $10 until 11:30pm;$15
until 1am; $20 after. 10pm l Goodhandys.
Sodoms King Tut party. DJs Daniel Paquette
and Aural spin pop, retro and OMG with host
Matt Barker and performance by Mahogany
Browne. $7 before 11pm; $10 after; $5 with stu-
dent ID all night. 10pm
SUN, NOV 22
BARS>> Beaver. Boob Tube Sundays. TV and
popcorn with May. No cover. 10pm l Play.
Georgie Girl. 6pm. Local drag legend Michelle
Dubarry celebrates her 78th birthday. 9pm.
BET Awards. 11pm. No cover l Woodys. Miss
Conceptions Stage to Screen show. The girl can
sing. 6pm. Michelle Rosss Drag Legend show
with Amanda Roberts. 8pm. Georgie Girl and
Donnnarama. 11pm. No cover
TUE, NOV 24
BARS>> Gladamans Den. Karaoke with Foofer.
No cover. 10pm-2am l Gladstone (Art Bar).
Bent Relationships. Andrew Vail moderates a
panel discussion with relationship experts. No
cover. 7pm-9pm
WED, NOV 25
BARS>> Gladamans Den. Leather Social with
host Mr Gladamans Den Devin Thompson and
Mr Gladamans Boot Black Boi Jessie. 6pm.
Open mic with James Quigley. 9pm. No cover l
Gladstone (Melody Bar). Granny Boots: Lady-
fest edition. Performance and spoken word
by D-Lishus, Shameless Attack, Arti Mehta,
Nolan Natasha, Airheart, Sarah Mangle, Alexis
Mitchell, Caroline Koebel and host Elisha Lim.
No cover. 7:30pm l Goodhandys. The Mandy
Goodhandy Show. Last weeks show on at 8pm,
precum show at 10pm, main event at 11pm with
live porn shoot and DJ Danny White. No cover
l Play. The Steve Roseland Show with Al Kenny
and Gary Morin. 9pm. The Chris Edwards show.
11pm. No cover
THU, NOV 26
BARS>> Best Western Primrose Hotel. Salute:
a tribute dinner for Mr Leatherman Torontos
2009 title holders. $40 (advance reservation
required). 7pm. 111 Carlton St l Black Eagle.
MLT Weekend Kick Off Party. No cover. 11pm l
Gladamans Den. Fiddlestix celtic rock band.
No cover. 9pm l Rivoli (lounge). DJ Sitchon
spins a mlange of mixes. No cover. 10pm
DANCING>> Tattoo. The In Crowd. DJs The In
Crowd and Dragonettes Christopher. $5; free
with student ID before midnight. 10pm
FRI, NOV 27
BARS>> Beaver. Off White. Post punk and new
wave with DJs Stephen Schramm and Boner
Dragon. No cover 11pm l Goodhandys. Mandy
Goodhandy Calling. Mandys 35ish birthday with
DJs, pizza, cake and spankings. No cover. 11pm
l Sailor. MLT Weekend VIP reception with
Bootblack Toronto 2010 competition kick-off.
For MLT Weekend VIP passholders only. 10pm l
Tranzac. Les Blues: the Gospel Show with Le-roi
Newbold, Dainty Smith, Leelee Davis, Kim Katrin
Crosby and Kalmplex. $15. 8pm. 292 Brunswick
Ave l Woodys. Meet the contestants of MLT
2010 and Bootblack Toronto 2010. No cover.
9pm
DANCING>> Barn. Klub: Kink Leather uniform
bash. DJs and SM demonstrations. $25. 10pm l
Fly. Dance Camp. Vocals all night long with DJ
Mark Falco. $5 before 11pm; $10 after. 10pm-
3:30am l Straight. Eva Christina with DJ Kris
Steeves and hosts Miss Margot and Cameron
Williamson. $5. 10pm l Tallulahs. Gowntown.
The B-Girlz host a drag contest with the winner
chosen by the audience followed by dancing
with DJs Dwayne Minard and Hard Kora. $7.
10pm
SAT, NOV 28
BARS>> Beaver. Hot Nuts. House music and
drag (legitimate look) with DJ Produzen-
tin, performance by GB Jones and host Mary
Messhausen. $5 (free in drag). 11pm l Best
Western Primrose Hotel. Bootblack Toronto
2010 Competition. 10am-4pm. MLTs Victory
Among the Stars Ball. 10pm. No cover for com-
petition; $30 for ball. 111 Carlton St l Califor-
nia Caf. MLT 2010 Leather Brunch. 11am-2pm
l Goodhandys. I Love Sex Parties: Dudes
in Leather version for MLT with DJs and sex
areas. $10. 10:30pm l Phoenix. Mr Leather-
man Toronto 2010 Competition hosted by Shaun
Proulx. $30. 6:30pm-9:30pm l Play. Kendall on
the piano. 6pm. Drag with Chris Edwards and
Nicollette Brown. 9pm. DJ Oscar. 11pm. No
cover l Woodys. TGBS holiday bowling brunch.
Noon-4pm. Best Mens Ass contest with Devine
and Ivory. Midnight. No cover l Xyclo Lounge.
Cocktail Confessions: Glamour and Style with
DJ Quinces spinning dance beats with perfor-
mance by Carla Oki and the Autumn Boys. No
cover. 10pm
DANCING>> Barn. There Goes the Neighbour-
hood: Lady Gaga Afterparty. Electro, dance,
remix with DJs Betti Forde, Denise Benson, Foul-
house. No cover. 10pm l Fly. Trick. Italys DJ/
producer Phil Romano touches down. $15 until
1am; $20 after. 10pm l Gladstone (Ballroom).
The Almighty Ball (see story page 19). With DJs
Vjuan Allure and Blackcat and a full-on vogueing
competition. $10 adv; $15 door. 9pm doors l
Tallulahs. DJ K-Tel spins top-40 hits and retro
classics with Donnarama performing on the
stairs. $7. 10:30pm l Wrongbar. DJs Shit La
Merde, Barletta, Brandon Sek, Nasty Nav and
Rynecologist. $10. 10pm
BATHHOUSES>> St Marc Spa. Pound Da Beats.
DJs A&R spin heavy beats with free popcorn.
Regular rates apply. Midnight
SUN, NOV 29
BARS>> Best Western Primrose Hotel. MLT
Weekend Victory Brunch. Noon-2pm l Black
Eagle. MLT 2010 Farewell Party. 3pm-8pm l
Gladamans Den. Therapy. Torch songs and
banter with Teran Blake and Heaven Lee Hytes.
No cover. 10pm
DANCING>> Goodhandys. Love Is with DJs
Vjuan Allure and Blackcat. $10; $5 before mid-
night with Almighty Ball ticket stub.
MON, NOV 30
BARS>> Michelles Brasserie. Karaoke with
Foofer. No cover. 10pm-1am. 162 Cumberland
Ave
WED, DEC 2
BARS>> Beaver. Youve Got What I Need. Soul
with DJs Roozbeh and Wes Allen. No cover. 11pm
l Woodys. Hump Day with DJ Mark Falco. No
cover. 10pm.
rEaDY FOr YOUr CLOSE-UP? DJs Miss Margot and Omgblog.com glam
it up for Cover Girl on Fri, Nov 20 at the Beaver.
CaBIN FEVEr? Try new hangout Cabin 5 in the
straight ghetto.
34
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ESPOIR
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2009 7:00 PM
METROPOLITAN UNITED CHURCH, 56 QUEEN STREET EAST

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35
ponce &
circumstance
Aubrey Laufer
t
he goal of the entertainment industry
is to sell an idea, an image, a feeling.
Inevitably there are many moments in
the world of pop where these ideas, images
and feelings just dont translate well.
Take for instance Americas Next Top
Model. This season, while a really entertain-
ing one (I know we all wanted Nicole to win),
has really crossed a certain line becoming a
grotesque affected mess. In one of the latest
episodes I was really blown away by the
bizarre and careless cultural appropriation
that Tyra Banks thought was a great idea.
The girls were in Hawaii and their photo
shoot was meant to reflect the apparent
abundance of mixed race people there.
In Hawaii, Tyra explained, they call them
Hapa meaning half. This inspired a photo
challenge where each girl became a hybrid
of races. For example, one girl was Tibetan
and Egyptian another Native American and
East Indian. Tyra photographed them, and
she and Mr J Alexander took turns coach-
ing them with brilliant direction like: Erin,
feel that spirituality! The Tibetan culture
its all about ritual. Then, one second
later, Think about Egypt. The people. What
theyve been through. This whole sequence
was intercut with interviews in which the
girls said things like, I have very vague
knowledge of Tibet except than it needs to
be freed, or I definitely dont know nothing
about Greek people.
Most of the girls were painted in darker
skin tones. It seemed so easily irreverent in
its approach, so obviously problematic and,
ultimately, tragic. Beautiful headdresses
and saris were squandered, misused and
sloppily appropriated for something as pro-
saic as Americas Next Top Model cycle 13.
Ultimately what I think Tyra did wrong
here was to exploit our sensitivities for rat-
ings and publicity. I think appropriating
cultures is a touchy subject for all of us to
varying degrees. Tyra must have known as
much since the Internet was a buzz the next
day wondering if what Tyra had done was
racist. Richard Four Four, one of the best
bloggers on the internet and great for must
see coverage of ANTM, describes Tyras evil
plan: Basically I think the formula for suc-
cessful provocation involves taking some-
thing thats outright offensive, and brushing
right up next to it maybe even crossing
paths with it while making your pretense
of a higher purpose apparent all along the
way. In this respect this photo shoot was not
unlike dancing in a field of burning crosses
in a video about the unfairness of racism or
turning a wheelchair into a fashion acces-
sory in a video about the hazards of fame.
This shoot was a crafty bait for attention.
Kind of impressive, actually.
Recently Taylor Swift was photo-
graphed with a guy at Katy Perrys birthday
party who was wearing a stylish swastika
T-shirt. Of course she claims that she didnt
notice and didnt know who the guy was. Or
did she? Maybe this too was just a publicity
stunt. How are we to know?
But of course, many celebrities do seem
to notice when offensive things are happen-
ing and they take a stand. Take Paul Haggis,
the director of Crash. He actually publicly quit
Scientology citing its homophobic stance on
Prop 8. Apparently the celebrity liaison for
the church and son of Anne Archer, Tommy
Davis, had made hollow promises to Haggis
that he would rectify the churchs stance on
the hateful legislation, making it clear that
Scientology was not in support of legislation
that violated the rights of gay and lesbian
citizens. When Davis failed, Haggis made it
clear he could not subscribe to an organiza-
tion that would support such a thing.
And in a very candid interview, Balky
from Perfect Strangers, also known as Bron-
son Pinchot, explained how one the most
famous Scientologists used to be bizarrely
homophobic on the set of Risky Business.
Bronson says of Tom Cruise: He was tense
and made constant, constant unrelated
homophobic comments, like, You want some
ice cream, in case there are no gay people
there? I mean, his lingo was larded with the
most.... There was no basis for it. It was like,
Its a nice day. Im glad there are no gay
people standing here. Very, very strange.
Very strange indeed, why Tom? Why?
resto/lounges
The Beaver. Delicious vegetarian-friendly
diner by day, debauched danceteria by
night; art-lezzie-fag mlange with patio.
1192 Queen St W. 537-2768. t
Big Mammas Boy. A Cabbagetown favourite
featuring Italian classics and gluten-free and
organic options. 554 Parliament St. 927-1593. t
Byzantium. A true Toronto favourite, this con-
vertible space opens up to a large lounge
on weekends with a tiny patio in the back.
499 Church St. 922-3859. t
Caf California. Keep your heart healthy with the
Mediterranean-influenced menu and plenty of
fresh produce. 538 Church St. 960-6161. t
Churchmouse and Firkin. Relaxed trad-
itional pub on two levels with patio, friendly staff
and traditional fare. 475 Church St. 927-1735. t
Drake Hotel. Multiple floors, a caf, restaurant
and a patio offer a variety of day and nightlife
to suit any taste; weekends a little too suits.
1150 Queen St W. 531-5042.
Fire on the East Side. Elegant and affordable
spot for dining or drinks before clubbing; snug
patio. 6 Gloucester St. 960-3473. t
Fuzion. Housed in a gorgeous mansion with a
sprawling patio; an ambitious menu and night-
life that delivers. 580 Church St. 944-9888. t
Gladstone Hotel. Queer-friendly entertain-
ment hotspot in a refurbished boutique hotel
with multiple spaces, karaoke, art and parties.
1214 Queen St W. 531-4635. t
Hair of the Dog. Cozy pub and a shaded patio;
kitchen open late. 425 Church St. 964-2708. t
Harlem. Upscale soul food restaurant with
events space above. 67 Richmond St E. 368-1920.
The Lakeview. Charming 1930s diner open 24/7.
1132 Dundas St W. 850-8886.
Lolas Commissary. Tasty new queer spot on
the strip; now licensed and serviing dinner.
634 Church St. 966-3991. t
Mitzis Sister. Set the standards on the menu
and the stage; brunch, lunch and dinner fol-
lowed by burlesque, bands and sideshows.
1554 Queen St W. 532-2570. t
Naco Gallery Caf. Authentic Mexican that keeps
it spicy with a gallery featuring local artists; unli-
censed patio. 1665 Dundas St W. (647) 347-6499.
OGradys. The kitchen stays open until the bar
closes, with big and busy patios. 518 Church St.
323-2822. t
Old Nick. Live music, English pub fare and
plenty of other comfort foods. 123 Danforth Ave.
461-5546.
Prohibition. Brit gastropub with a monthly gay
party. 696 Queen St E. 406-2669.
Rivoli. Queen St institution with everything : res-
taurant, patio, art gallery, poolhall, band and
comedy venue. 334 Queen St W. 596-1908.
Slacks. Dykes pile into this funky resto which
becomes a bangin bump and grind on the
weekend; scaled-up pub fare. 562 Church St.
928-2151. t
Sneaky Dees. For late-night munchie satisfaction
downstairs or enjoy the upstairs concert venue.
431 College St. 603-3090.
Statlers Lounge. The classic off-Broadway-style
dinner theatre and piano bar. 487 Church St.
962-1209. t
Velvet. Good old-fashioned pub fare in the heart
of Lesbieville. 932 Queen St E. 461-9762.
Village Rainbow. Affordable family eatery look-
ing onto Church St with a large, bustling patio.
477 Church St. 961-0616. t
Voglie. Inventive Mediterranean tapas menu
with nightlife programming and a patio out
front for people watching; on the pricier side.
582 Church St. 929-9108. t
Xyclo. Green and good for you Vietnamese
cuisine; DJs on the weekend. 459 Church St.
923-2695.
Zeldas Living Well. Drag, dining, upstairs bar
and year round back patio in their new venue.
692 Yonge St. 922-2526. t
bars
Baby Huey. Cozy hangout for easy pints and bar rails
while local DJs tickle your ears. 70 Ossington Ave.
992-5462.
Black Eagle. Home to Torontos leather/denim
community; play spaces, two bars, a patio and
hot action. 457 Church St. 413-1219. t
The Cameron. Queen St legend program-
ming groundbreaking music, art and the-
atre for decades; easy attitude in the lounge.
408 Queen St W. 703-0811.
Chelsea Room. Humble but surprisingly well-
equipped space keeps the vibe fresh and mixed.
923 Dundas St W. 364-0553.
Cock and Tail. Its not about throwin down
the beats, its about throwin back a beer.
1168 Queen St W. (647) 349-8245.
Communists Daughter. Stop in for a purple
pickled egg and selections from the well-
appointed jukebox at this old-style microbar.
1149 Dundas St W. (647) 435-0103.
Dakota Tavern. A honky tonkin country rock
bar with a uniquely diverse crowd and Sunday
brunch. 249 Ossington Ave. 850-4579.
Henhouse. A welcoming mixed space with
plenty of west-end dykes, a jukebox and
what you want the most: friendly faces.
1532 Dundas St W. 534-5939. t
Georges Play. Older crowd meets for drag,
karaoke and bingo; younger Latin crowd shows
up weekends. 504 Church St. 963-8251. t
Gladamans Den. Fans of fur and fuzz can grab a
beer with a bear and check out drag, a nude art
class or sing-along. 502a Yonge St. 961-5808. t
Goodhandys. Pansexual playground wel-
comes gay, lesbian, trans, bi... well, every-
one; live sex shows, sex rooms, pornstars,
burlesque and dancing. 120 Church St.
706-4237. t
Lola. Small, stylish lounge with patio.
4pm-2am, Tue-Sat. 7 Maitland St. 920-0946. t
Pegasus on Church. For boys and girls playing
other games on Church: billiard tables, video
games, pinball machines and a huge projection
TV. 489b Church St, 2nd floor. 927-8832. t
The Red Light. Like being in your living room if it
had a jukebox loaded with a music lovers selec-
tion of 45s and a bar loaded with fine whisky.
1185 Dundas St W. 533-6667.
Remingtons. Torontos only male strip club has
a new look. Check the private booths for up-close
encounters. 379 Yonge St. 977-2160. t
Sweaty Bettys. Unglamourous dive with large
friendly patio. 13 Ossington Ave. 535-6861.
Woodys/Sailor. The daddy of all Church St bars,
a watering hole for everyone offering drag, good
DJs, outrageous contests and friendly staff.
465-467 Church St. 972-0887. t
Zipperz. (see Dance Clubs)
dance clubs
Andy Poolhall. A unique large dance
space and poolhall with kitschy furniture,
mixed crowd, patio and eclectic design.
489 College St. 923-5300. t
The Barn. Revived and revamped, all three
levels are set to tear the roof off every weekend.
418 Church St. 593-9696. t
Circa. Over-the-top superclub with renowned
dcor and international DJs. Beware: When
straight clubland empties after last call the
streets are a drunken, testosterone-driven
mess. 126 John St. 979-0044.
Comfort Zone. When its not time to go home,
its time for the Zone, where Sunday becomes
Monday becomes your day off. Mainly after-
hours, so no booze. 480 Spadina Ave. 763-9139.
El Convento Rico. Experience sequined history
in this legendary drag den where Latin flavours
bump with disco and a discrimination-free zone.
750 College St. 588-7800. t
Fly. Huge warehouse-style dance club with stel-
lar lighting and sound, weekly international
guests and local superstars. 8 Gloucester St.
410-5426. t
Footwork. A long-lived Toronto afterhours; wel-
comes everyone to experience local and inter-
national talent in a midsized venue with a kickin
sound system. 425 Adelaide St W. 913-3488.
Gladstone Hotel. (see Resto/Lounges)
Goodhandys. (see Bars)
Guverment/Kool Haus. Massive entertainment
complex for top DJs and artists; a variety of bars
and sounds. 132 Queens Quay E. 869-0045.
Harlem. (see Resto/Lounges)
The Social. This artist-friendly hotspot keeps
the dancefloor jammed with a diverse DJ/event
lineup. 1100 Queen St W. 532-4474.
Straight. Boutique bar to sip champagne to
sexy house and electro beats all weekend
long with the fashionistas and the fabulous.
553 Church St. 926-2501. t
Supermarket. Early dinner crowd gives way to
eclectic dance parties. 268 Augusta Ave. 840-0501.
Tallulahs Cabaret. Music, sex, camp, drag,
art and performance thrown down in a wres-
tling match of delicious mayhem and madness.
12 Alexander St. 975-8555. t
Wrongbar. DJs, live music and a huge dance-
floor keep the action happening in this WQW
mainstay. 1279 Queen St W. 516-8677.
Zipperz. Classic drag in the piano bar for the
sit-down crowd and a top-40 dancefloor for the
upstarts. 72 Carlton St. 921-0066. t
Call (416) 925-6665 ext 229 or email oitc@xtra.ca
for queries, mistakes, additions.
t indicates lesbian and gay establishments
Check out the revamped
online bar and club listings,
Out in Your City, on the
Toronto page of Xtra.ca.
New interactive features
include reader-posted
reviews and scene photos.
mocHa latte?
Tyra Banks had
models in blackface
on a recent episode
of Americas Next
Top Model.
ROBERT G. COATES
B.Sc., LL.B., TEP
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8 1
120 Carlton Street, Suite 307
Toronto, Ontario M5A 4K2
Tel. (416) 925-6490 Fax (416) 925-4492
web: www.rgcoates.com
email: robert@rgcoates.com
BARRISTER, SOLICITOR & NOTARY
CERTIFIED SPECIALIST
(ESTATES & TRUST LAW)
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ESTATE LAW
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ADMINISTRATION & LITIGATION
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CHANCE TO
WIN!
A pair of tickets the Sound
of Music on Nov 27.
To enter email contest@xtra.ca
with your name and contact info
by 5pm on Tue, Nov 24.
Restrictions apply. Only winners will be contacted.
R
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Art &
photogrAphy
Whodunit?
OCAD Mystery Art Sale. Artists, Ontario Collage
of Art and Design students and faculty, design-
ers and creative celebrities all contribute a
5 x 7 work, and everything is on sale for the
same price of $75, but everything is presented
anonymously, so you dont know whodunit till
you bought it. Proceeds support OCAD. Public
preview. Noon-6pm. Wed, Nov 18 & 19. Gala pre-
view includes advance silent auction of mystery
work and live auction of full-scale work from a
select group of emerging artists. Also includes
cocktails and hors doeuvres. $150. 6:30pm-
10pm. Nov 18. Public art sale. 10am-4pm. Sat,
Nov 21. Ontario College of Art and Design.
100 McCaul St. 977-6000. Ocad.ca.
Doug Guildford
Requiem, new work by the multimedia artist
and printmaker. Opening. 6pm-8pm. Thu,
Nov 19. 10am-6pm. Tue-Sat. Noon-5pm. Sun. Till
Dec 18. Edward Day Gallery. 952 Queen St W,
# 200. 921-6540. Edwarddaygallery.com.
Stephen Andrews
New paintings by the local legend. Opening.
7pm. Fri, Nov 20. 11am-5pm. Wed-Sat. Till Dec 19.
Paul Petro Contemporary Art. 980 Queen St W.
979-7874. Paulpetro.com.
Photo Positive
Over the summer 10 HIV-positive men were
given cameras to document their experiences
of living with HIV and what they felt were the
HIV-related stigmas in their communities. This
exhibition is a selection of those photographs.
Opening. 7pm. Tue, Nov 24. 5:30am-midnight.
Sun-Thu. 5:30am-1am. Fri. 6am-1am. Sat.
Till Dec 6. Starbucks. 485 Church St. Photoposi-
tive.tumblr.com.
Photorama 2009
Economic Stimulus Package: Affordable Art.
The premiere event for collectors of contem-
porary Canadian photography swings around,
with work from Emily Vey Duke and Cooper
Battersby, Carole Cond and Karl Beveridge,
Lise Beaudry, Jesse Boles, Robert Burley, Jack
Burman, Ulysses Castellanos, Chris Curreri,
Johnnie Eisen, Toni Hafkenscheid, Oliver Husain,
Katherine Knight, Suzanne Lake, Gareth Long,
Hugh Martin, Geoffrey Pugen, Steve Reinke and
others in a fundraising exhibition. Collector
members are invited to an exclusive collec-
tors preview. 6pm-8pm. Thu, Nov 26. Opening.
6pm-8pm. Nov 27. Noon-5pm. Tue-Sat. Till Dec
5. Gallery TPW. 56 Ossington Ave. 645-1066. Gal-
lerytpw.ca.
Pamela Dodds
New exhibition of linocut and woodcut prints
addressing intimacy and gender. Noon-5pm.
Tue-Sat. Till Sat, Nov 28. Open Studio Printmak-
ing Centre Gallery. 401 Richmond St W, # 104.
504-8238. Openstudio.on.ca.
dAnce
Claudia Moore
The dance artist premieres the results of her
residency, a double-bill of intimate dance. The
first, Dances in a Small Room, was choreo-
graphed by James Kudelka and Tedd Robinson,
and features Moore with Dan Wild. Then Moore
and Wild perform Half an Hour of Our Time, a
piece she commissioned from Kudelka. $20.
8pm. Wed-Sat. Wed, Nov 25-Dec 5. Young Centre
for the Performing Arts. 55 Mill St, bldg 49.
866-8666. Youngcentre.ca
Film & Video
Movie-Oke 2
The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto
returns with its fundraiser, a twist on karaoke.
Act out scenes from your favourite movies, with
live musical accompaniment. A silent auction will
be held in between the performances. Hosted by
Keith Cole. $10; $8 students and LIFT members.
7pm-11pm. Wed, Nov 25. Gladstone Hotel Ball-
room. 1214 Queen St W. 588-6444. Lift.on.ca.
issues & heAlth
Trans Remembrance Day
The Centre for Women and Trans People host
the Toronto version of the international day
of remembrance. The theme for the day will
be What is Violence? What Does Violence
Look Like? and will include a day of outdoor
art-based activities and story sharing. Free.
Noon-4pm. Fri, Nov 20. George Brown College.
200 King St E. 978-8201. Womenscentre.-
sa.utoronto.ca. The 519 also hosts an event
in the evening. Free. 7pm. Fri, Nov 20. The 519
Community Centre. 519 Church St. 392-6874.
The519.org.
Empower: Youth, Arts
& HIV/AIDS
An interactive World AIDS Day event with drag,
fashion, exhibitions and discussions by local
youth activists, educators, service providers and
community organizers. Participants include Kim
Simard, Prise Positive Jay, Romeo and Company,
sprOUT, Griffin Centres Nidhi Punyarthi, Gender-
ing Adolescent AIDS Preventions Jessica Yee,
Native Youth Sexual Health Networks Jessica
Whitbread, No Pants No Problem party organizer
Henry Luyombya and more. Snacks and refresh-
ments provided. Free. 6pm-9pm. William Doo
Auditorium. 45 Wilcocks St (south of Harbord
and Spadina). cuhi.admin@utoronto.ca.
leisure &
pleAsure
Bloor Street Entertains
On Wed, Nov 25 the well-heeled dine in elegant
but unusual venues, then venture to the ROM
for dancing and dessert, all to raise funds
for CANFARs HIV/AIDS research. Have dinner
from chefs like Tawfik Shehata, Jamie Ken-
nedy or Marc Thuet at locales including the
Cartier store, Ridpaths, Tiffany and Holt Ren-
frew. Dinner. $600 (includes party admission).
6:30pm. Party. $100. 9pm-1am. ROM. 100 Queens
Park. 361-6281. Bloorstreetentertains.com.
Rope Bondage Body Harness
The inimitable Midori leads a workshop on
how to tie your lover in knots. Couples only, all
orientations welcome. Preregistration encour-
aged. $35. 7:30pm-10pm. Wed, Nov 25. Come as
You Are. 701 Queen St W. 504-7934. Comeasyou-
are.com.
MLT Weekend Seminars
A whos who of local and North American kink
experts (from Duncan MacLachlin and Trevor
Jacques to Henry James and Black Orchid)
lead a series of workshops during the Mr
Toronto Leatherman Weekend. Admission to
each individual workshop is $10, or you can
purchase an MLT Weekend VIP Package which
includes six workshops plus admission to all
of the weekends events. Sat, Nov 28 & 29.
Best Western Primrose Hotel, mezzanine.
111 Carlton St. 2bkinky.com.
tAtAr. Nico
Archambault as
Nureyev on Bravo
on Tue, Dec 1.
36
gothic sAlon. Nathalie Claude
stars in The Salon Automaton opening
Tue, Dec 1 at Buddies.
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communityone
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The S&F Award is made possible through a bequest from the estates of
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Community Appeal of Toronto) is a registered charity - #12648 2785 RR0001 -
and a volunteer-led organization. For more information about making a
bequest to Community One or our programs, contact 416.920.5422 or
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Get into Xtra!
Out in the City (OITC) is a free community
service. For information about how to get
your listing in OITC, call (416) 925-XTRA ext
2001. Mail listing to Xtra at 491 Church St,
Suite 200, Toronto M4Y 2C6; fax (416)
925-6503; or e-mail oitc@xtra.ca. Read-
ers should confirm details by phoning
the listed numbers. The deadline for the
Thu, Dec 3 issue is noon, Thu, Nov 26. The
deadline for the Thu, Dec 17 issue is noon,
Thu, Dec 10.
Community organizations holding regular
meetings are listed for free in 925-XTRA, our
touch-tone community guide, on page 39.
Note: All phone numbers in Out In The
City are within the 416 area code unless
otherwise specified.
music
Make Some Noise
Concert in the Stacks. Katie Stelmanis sticks it
to the library shushers with her performance
as part of the Toronto Public Librarys local
music series. Free. 8pm. Fri, Nov 20. Toronto
Public Library Bloor/Gladstone Branch.
1101 Bloor St W. 393-7131. Torontopubliclib-
rary.ca.
Swell, Burst & Dye
Get your lute on! I Furiosi presents a program
of music for lute and voice on the theme of the
highs and lows of life. With lutist Lucas Harris
and soprano Gabrielle McLaughlin. $10-$20.
8pm. Fri, Nov 20. Church of St Mary Magdalene.
477 Manning Ave. 536-2943. Ifuriosi.com.
Stagehands
The Broadway-rock band unleashes its new CD
with a full-on show. $7. 11:15pm. Thu, Nov 26.
Lees Palace. 529 Bloor St W. 532-1598. Stage-
handmusic.com.
Counterpoint Community
Orchestra
Classical Joy, a program of Schubert, Handel
and Dvorak. There will also be a raffle for
holiday gift baskets. Advance tix available from
Lettieri (77 Wellesley St E) and Glad Day Book-
shop (598A Yonge St). $16 adv; $20 doors. 8pm.
Sat, Nov 28. St Lukes United Church. 353 Sher-
bourne. 925-9872 ext 2066. Ccorchestra.org.
Afternoon Jazz
Dig the fine musical stylings of Kye Marshall on
cello, Andy Scott on guitar and Kevin Mendez on
percussion. Light menu available $10. 3:30pm &
4:30pm. Sun, Nov 29. The Annex Live. 296 Bruns-
wick Ave. 929-3999.
Tapestry
The contemporary opera company rings in its
30th season with one-night-only performances
by divas Patricia OCallaghan, Jean Stilwell and
Theresa Tova. $130. 8pm. Wed, Dec 2. Ferment-
ing Cellar. 55 Mill St, bldg 6&7. 537-6066 ext 243.
Tapestrynewopera.com.
Jeffery Straker
The piano troubador performs two shows
in Toronto. The first is a dinner and benefit
concert for Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network.
$75. 6pm. Fri, Nov 20. Bright Pearl Restaurant.
595-1666 ext 236. Then he performs with Sara
Kamin and Katey Morley. $12-$15. 8:30pm.
Wed, Dec 2. Hughs Room. 2261 Dundas St W.
531-6604. Hughsroom.com.
print & readinGs
Trash
Arsenal Pulp Press launches its new Queer
Film Classics film series with a book on the
legendary 1970 film from director Paul Mor-
rissey and producer Andy Warhol. The author
is programmer and frequent Xtra contributor
Jon Davies. Cheryl Sourkes Tons of Webcam-
mer Babes also launches. 1pm. Sat, Nov 28.
Art Metropole. 788 King St W, second floor.
Aresnalpulp.com.
Words of Resistance
Kenji Tokawa brings back the monthly open-mic
spoken word night. This first evening focuses
on the 16 Days of Action Combating Violence
Against Women. Free. 7pm. Tue, Dec 1. Centre
for Women and Trans People at U of T. North
Borden Bldg. 563 Spadina Ave, # 100. 978-8201.
Womenscentre.sa.utoronto.ca.
staGe
Babylon Alley
Nichola Ward hosts a staged reading of her
play. PWYC. 3pm-4:30pm. Sat, Nov 21. 519 Com-
munity Centre. 519 Church St. 392-6874. Nich-
olaward.com.
Co.ED
Or How to Become Your Gender in Ten Easy
Steps. Theatre at York launches its season with
a double-bill thats so PoMo itll make your head
spin. Writer Deborah Pearson dissects mas-
culinity with Tabletalk, about a mens poker
night that goes horribly awry when everyones
seething resentments are drunkenly uncorked.
Her attempt to write the same play, but with
a group of women, fills out the second half of
the evening. A Play About the Other Play sees
the women deconstruct the goings-on of Table-
talk. $25-$30. 7:30pm. Sun, Nov 22-Sat, Nov 28.
1pm. Wed, Nov 25 & Fri, Nov 27. Joseph G Green
Studio Theatre. York University. 4700 Keele St.
736-5888. Yorku.ca/perform/boxoffice.
Jesse Stong
Staged readings of two new works by the play-
wright: Why Raid Identity, a piece about the 1981
Toronto Bathhouse raids, and Twink Daddy, a
new comedy. PWYC. 6pm doors; 6:30pm show.
Sun, Nov 29. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.
12 Alexander St. 975-8555. Artsexy.ca.
Wit in Love
DNA Theatre mounts Sky Gilberts play about Witt-
genstein (postponed from an earlier date).
Performed by Hillar Liitoja. Directed by Hillar
Liitoja and Magdalena Vasko. PWYC previews.
8pm. Mon, Nov 30 & Dec 1. $20; PWYC Sun. 8pm.
Wed-Sun. Dec 2-13. DNA Theatre. 133 Bathurst St.
504-5099. Dnatheatre.com.
The Salon Automaton
Nathalie Claudes English-language premiere of
her newest solowell, solo-ish theatre piece,
which garnered rave reviews in its original
French-language performance in Montreal.
Claude interacts with life-size automatons or
robots costumed as turn-of-the-century stereo-
types: The Dandy, The Cabaret Artist and the
Drinking Patroness. With set designer Raymond
Marius Boucher and robotics designer Simon
Laroche. $15-$29. 8pm. Tue, Dec 1-12. Buddies in
Bad Times Theatre. 12 Alexander St. 975-8555.
Artsexy.ca.
Parfumerie
Writers Adam Pettle and Brenda Robins adapt
Miklos Laszlos romantic comedy (which, just
FYI, was the inspiration for The Shop Around
the Corner, The Good Old Summertime and that
bedrock of American cinema, Youve Got Mail).
A pair of Budapest perfume shop clerks despise
each other, all the while unknowingly exchang-
ing love letters as anonymous penpals. Starring
Patricia Fagan, Oliver Dennis, Maev Beaty, Kevin
Bundy, Jeff Lillico, Noah Reid, Brenda Robins,
Michael Simpson, William Webster and Joseph
Ziegler. Directed by Morris Panych. $28-$68.
7:30pm. Mon-Sat. Wed, Dec 2-24.1:30pm. Dec 5,
16, 18, 19, 21 & 23. Young Centre. 55 Mill St,
bldg 49. 866-8666. Soulpepper.ca.
tv & radio
Nureyev
So You Think You Can Dance Canada winner
(and all-round stud) Nico Archambault stars as
the omnisexual Russian ballet legend in Moze
Mossanens new dance biopic. Costarring prima
ballerina Greta Hodgkinson, the film attempts
to tell Nureyevs life story defecting from
the USSR, falling in love in Erik Bruhn and dying
from AIDS through dance and monologues.
With choreography by Matjash Mrozewski. 9pm.
Tue, Dec 1. Bravo.
38
rooted. Prints by Pamela Dodds at
Open Studio this month.
eXposure. Photo
Positive at Church Sts
Starbucks gives a unique
platform to HIV-positive men.
39
AIDS Action Now. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2820
Amnesty International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2195
Anti Racist Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2052
BiNet Canada-Toronto Region. . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2270
Blackness Yes! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2282
Church-Wellesley Community Business Assn.. xt 2008
Coalition for Lesbian & Gay Rights in Ontario xt 2037
Cross-DisAbilities/Genders/Sexualities . . . . . . xt 2207
Egale Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2078
Foundation for Equal Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2199
The 519 Student Legal Clinic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2017
Gay Services Committee of York Region . . . . . xt 2291
Guelph Queer Equality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2090
HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario. . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2196
LEGIT-Lesbian Gay Immigration Task Force . . . xt 2211
Lesbian & Gay Community Appeal . . . . . . . . . . xt 2099
Maggies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2088
Queers West of Spadina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2269
Salaam Queer Muslim Community. . . . . . . . . . xt 2209
Toronto Coalition Against Racism . . . . . . . . . . xt 2018
Toronto Coalition for L/G/Bi Youth . . . . . . . . . . xt 2127
Toronto Public Library
Lesbian & Gay Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2206
Artsy-fartsy: an 8-week arts course. . . . . . . . . xt 2204
Canadian Lesbian & Gay Archives . . . . . . . . . . xt 2033
Church St Pipe Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2274
CKLN Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2950
Counterpoint Community Orchestra . . . . . . . . xt 2066
Forte - The Toronto Men's Chorus . . . . . . . . . . xt 2221
Inside Out Film and Video Festival . . . . . . . . . . xt 2229
IRIS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2150
Oasis Vocal Jazz Ensemble. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2208
OCoCo Artist Resource Collective. . . . . . . . . . . xt 2237
Queer Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2155
Queer Writing Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2095
Rainbow Voices of Toronto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2166
Singing Out! The Lesbian & Gay
Chorus of Toronto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2107
Toronto Public Library - Lesbian
& Gay Collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2206
392-AIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2035
AIDS Committee of Durham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2147
AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT). . . . . . . . . . . xt 2019
AIDS Committee of Simcoe County. . . . . . . . . . xt 2228
Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention. . . . . . . . . xt 2104
Black Positive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2094
Body Positive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2912
Canadian AIDS Treatment
Information Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2164
Casey House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2025
David Kelley HIV+/AIDS Counselling Program. xt 2065
Fife House Foundation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2039
Healthy Sexuality & AIDS Prevention
Program for Hispanics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2057
HIV & AIDS Hispanic Counselling Program. . . xt 2161
McEwan House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2146
Maggies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2088
Negative Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2913
Ontario AIDS Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2031
Peel HIV/AIDS Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2048
Positive Youth Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2084
POZ Canadian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2194
QRN: Queer Nurses In Ontario. . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2172
Rainbow Health Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2119
Syphilis Information Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2218
Toronto Freedom Care Committee. . . . . . . . . . xt 2106
Toronto PWA Foundation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2024
Amazon Womens Motorcycle Club . . . . . . . . . . xt 2012
Arco Iris - Portugese GLB Group. . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2236
Au Naturel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2285
Avanti-Italian Gay & Lesbian Group . . . . . . . . . xt 2231
Bears of Toronto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2261
Canadian Gay Military Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2117
Canadian Rubber Corps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2287
Cards & Dominoes Club for Men . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2175
Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples . . . . . . . xt 2111
Classical Music Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2053
C.O.P.S - Gay Law Enforcement . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2265
Durham Alliance Social Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2130
Euchre, Dominos, Bridge Club For Men . . . . . . xt 2175
Fer Da Girlz E-newsletter for Lesbians 50+ . . . xt 2142
Francoqueer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2217
Fraternity (The) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2930
GALLEY-Gays and Lesbians
Living East of Yonge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2145
Gay/Lesbian Association of New Tecumseth. . xt 2292
Gay & Lesbian Association of Sarnia. . . . . . . . xt 2071
Gays & Lesbians in Halton Peel . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2186
Greater Riverdale Les, Gay, Business Assoc. . xt 2240
Greater Toronto Les, Gay Business
Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2250
Greek Gay & Lesbian Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2009
GXBTO - Gen X Bears of Toronto . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2281
LAMBA Car Club Intl - Trillium Region . . . . . . xt 2295
Long Yang Club for Asian & Non-Asian Gays . xt 2097
Men 40 + Primetimers Toronto . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2970
MLT (Mr. Leatherman Toronto) . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2051
Muskoka Algonquin Rainbow Connection . . . . xt 2235
Nudist Group for Men (T-Can) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2940
Ontario Queer Womens Network (OQWN). . . . . xt 2280
OutNPoz Social Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2143
Peel Gay and Lesbian Social Club . . . . . . . . . . xt 2089
Q Eng Gay Engineers Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2151
Pussy Palace - Toronto Womens
Bathhouse Committee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2115
Rainbow Toastmasters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2004
Rainbow Voices of Toronto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2166
Sappho Stories Book Club (Women Only). . . . . xt 2203
SCHMOOS - German Gay & Lesbian Social Club xt 2006
Single Adventure Bi Social Club . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2118
Society of Spankers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2102
Spearhead Leather and Denim Social Club. . . xt 2054
Swingin Out Lindy Hop Hotline. . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2068
Totally Naked Toronto - TNT Men . . . . . . . . . . . xt 3010
Toronto Rainbow Lions Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2177
Triangle Squares Square Dancing . . . . . . . . . . xt 2014
Uncut Club For Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2162
Whats Up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2108
Womens SM Discusson Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2007
A Celebration of Pride and Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2049
Aware Christian Reformed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2098
Brethern/Mennonite Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2077
Church of the Holy Trinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2168
Coven of the Sacred Cat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2082
Dharma Friends - G/L Buddist
Meditation Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2046
Dignity Toronto Dignit - Roman Catholic . . . . xt 2011
Emergence-Christian Science. . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2045
First Unitarian Congregation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2036
KARUNA - GLBT Buddhist Group ..................... xt 2271
Gays, Lesbians & Friends at
St. James Cathedral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2020
Gay/Lesbian Association of New Tecumseth. . xt 2292
Gay Roman Catholics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2296
Holy Virgin Eastern Orthodox Mission . . . . . . . xt 2134
Integrity Anglican . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2050
Lutherans Concerned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2131
Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto . xt 2013
Metropolitan United Church. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2167
Progressive Catholic Community. . . . . . . . . . . xt 2157
Propitiation (Traditional Anglican) . . . . . . . . . xt 2149
Rowan Tree Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2178
Ruah An Eco-Centred Community of Faith . . xt 2226
SAGA Presbyterian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2086
Seventh-day Adventist Kinship Canada . . . . . . xt 2184
Shambhala Rainbow Meditation Group. . . . . . xt 2138
Simcoe County MCC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2075
The Religious Science Centre of Toronto. . . . . xt 2100
Unitarian Congregation of South Peel . . . . . . . xt 2180
Unitarian Fellowship of Northwest Toronto . . xt 2153
BADINTO (Toronto Gay and Lesbian
Badminton League) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2210
Bowl Toronto Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2112
Cabbagetown Softball League . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2830
Crag Crux Climbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2182
Downtown Swim Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2064
Friends For Life Bike Rally Infoline. . . . . . . . . . xt 2840
Frontrunners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2042
Gay West Village Bicycle Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2289
Muddy York Rugby Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2174
Notso Amazon Softball League . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2260
Out & Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2800
Pride and Remembrance Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2222
Rainbow Ballroom Dance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2128
Rainbow Hoops Womens Basketball League. xt 2252
Riverdale Curling League . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2202
Soccer-Downtown Soccer Club . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2249
The Pink Turf Soccer League . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2096
The Righteously Outrageous
Twirling Corps - TO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2061
Toronto Gay Hockey Association . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2110
Toronto Gay Ski and Snowboarding Club
(TGSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2169
Toronto Golf Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2030
Toronto Historic Bowling Society . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2192
Toronto Lesbian & Gay Tennis Association . . xt 2080
Toronto Knights Volleyball League. . . . . . . . . . xt 2060
Toronto Rainbow Reef Rangers Scuba Club . . xt 2197
Toronto Spartan Volleyball League . . . . . . . . . xt 2152
Toronto Triggerfish Water Polo Club . . . . . . . . xt 2010
Women for Recreation, Information
and Business (WRIB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2083
Women4Montreal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2212
Women of Winter Shinny Tournament . . . . . . . xt 2239
A Social Support Group for Gays and Lesbians
with Mental Health Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2154
Adult Children of Addictions
& Dysfunctional Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2032
The Alliance For South Asian
AIDS Prevention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2183
AMEX Globe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2043
Arabic GLBT Support Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2227
Asian Community AIDS Services. . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2027
Bisexual Men of Toronto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2810
Bisexual Women of Toronto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2810
Bluewater PFLAG - Sarnia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2223
CASPA - Coalition Against Same
Sex Partner Abuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2069
C.E.I.U. (ON) Gay & Lesbian Support Group. . . xt 2133
Centre for Addiction &
Mental Health - LGB Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2040
Chinese Family Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2248
CLOTO - Chinese Lesbians of Toronto. . . . . . . . xt 2297
Coalition on HIV and Mental Health. . . . . . . . . . xt 2233
Cocaine Anonymous Rainbow Group. . . . . . . . xt 2286
Coming Out/Being Out Discussion Group . . . . xt 2120
Conflict Resolution Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2181
COLAGE Children of Lesbians
& Gays Everywhere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2205
Coming Out/Questioning
Your Sexuality (Women) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2193
Crystal Meth Anonymous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2126
David Kelley HIV+/AIDS Counselling Program. xt 2065
David Kelley Lesbian &
Gay Counselling Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2047
Gay Dads Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2399
Eventide AA Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2076
Ex-ex-gays and other
religious abuse survivors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2058
Ex-Jehovahs Witness (GLOW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2059
Fer Da Girlz E-newsletter for Lesbians 50+ . . . xt 2142
Francoqueer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2217
Frontrunners Group of Alcoholics Anonymous xt 2055
FTM and Transsexual Mens Support Group. . xt 2160
GABLE/P&G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2276
Gay Asians Toronto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2234
Gay Fathers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2124
Gay & Lesbian Bashing Reporting & Info Line xt 2034
Gay & Lesbian Mental Health Survivors . . . . . xt 2259
Gay & Lesbian Org of Bell Employees (GLOBE) xt 2070
Gay & Lesbian Parents Coalition International xt 2103
GCROSS-Gay Christians
Reclaiming Our Sense of Self . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2257
GLAD - Gays Lesbians of African Descent . . . . . xt 2278
hola! (Grupo Gay Latino) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2850
In The Company Of Elders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2216
Honouring Our Journey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2253
Leather, SM & Fetish Coming out Group. . . . . xt 2284
Lesbian And Gay Cancer Support . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2264
Lesbian & Gay Immigration
Task Force-Toronto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2211
Lesbian Moms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2272
Lesbian Moms of York Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2125
LGBT Parenting Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2002
Mandarin Gay and Lesbian Club. . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2188
MCC Community Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2256
Narcotics Anonymous True Colours Group. . . xt 2258
NORM Toronto- Foreskin Restorers
Support Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2214
OUTline TBLG Phone Line Guelph. . . . . . . . . . xt 2005
OutNPoz Social Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2143
Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays
(PFLAG) TO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2023
Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays in
Hamilton Wentworth (PFLAG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2101
The Polish Gay and Lesbian Association . . . . . xt 2091
Pride Employment Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2092
Queer Conflict Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2230
Rainbow Group of Alcoholics Anonymous . . . . xt 2870
Royal Bank Financial - Gay/Lesbian. . . . . . . . . . xt 2028
Serving With Pride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2299
Sexual Compulsives Anonymous . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2268
Sex & Love Addicts Anonymous . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2087
Survivors of Incest Anonymous . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2062
Syphilis Information Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2218
Toronto Bisexual Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2810
Toronto Womens Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2243
Transsexual Transition Support Group . . . . . . xt 2121
12th Tradition (Gay & Lesbian AA) . . . . . . . . . . xt 2191
Two-Spirited Peoples of the First Nations . . . . xt 2093
Ukranian Gay and Lesbian Alliance . . . . . . . . . xt 2122
U of T Sex Ed & Peer Counselling Centre. . . . . xt 2159
The Womens Counselling,
Referral and Ed Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2244
Safer Sex Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 3070
Support & Counselling Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2266
AIDS/HIV Service Listings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2267
Out In The City Info. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2001
Bluewater RainbowSarnia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2219
Central Toronto Youth Services . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2156
Coalition of Jewish Gay, Lesbian &
Bisexual Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2114
Cross-DisAbilities/Genders/Sexualities . . . . . . xt 2207
Fabulous Youth of Halton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2038
Freedom Alliance of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals
& Friends of Scarborough College . . . . . . . . xt 2105
Gay & Lesbians in in Sheridan . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2262
Glendons Gay Lesbian & Bisexual Alliance . . . xt 2165
Lesbian & Gay Student Support Group. . . . . . . xt 2079
Lesbian, Gays and Bisexuals of U of T. . . . . . . . xt 2041
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Youth Line. . . . . . . . . . . xt 2179
Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Youth of Toronto. . . . . xt2880
Opening Doors/North York G/L Youth . . . . . . . . xt 2003
Orangeville GLB Peer Support Group . . . . . . . . xt 2074
Out & Proud - Scarborough Youth Drop In . . . xt 2171
Queer Noise (Youth Choir) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2123
Queer Peers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2225
RyePride: The Queer Voice
of Ryerson University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2129
Transgendered Bisexual Lesbian Gay
Alliance at York University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2116
The YMCA Youth Substance Abuse Program . . xt 2022
Woodgreen Youth Job Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xt 2238
York Region LGB Youth Support Group . . . . . . xt 2263
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XTRAS TOUCH-TONE GUIDE TO THE LESBIAN & GAY COMMUNITY
The 519s Older LGBTT
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Mon, Dec 14 between 12:30 - 4.
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Centre - Room 135
Mistress of Ceremonies
Michelle Dubarry
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NEXT DEADLINE
MON, NOV 30 at 5PM
MARRIED? DIVORCED?
GAY? BI? HAVE CHILDREN
?
Gay Fathers meets at 7:30 PM
the first and third Thursday
of each month:
YMCA building, 42 Charles Street East, 4th floor
Our meetings are informal, confidential
and very helpful. We're here to support
you on your journey. No fees involved.
Please visit our website:
www.gayfathers-toronto.com
Call our helpline 416. 925-Xtra, ext. 2124
This exhibit features photographs froma PhotoVoice research project
conducted by Marney McDiarmid (PhD student, Queens University) with
community partners: The Centre for Spanish Speaking People, AIDS
Committee of Toronto, Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention, Asian
Community AIDS Services, The Black Eagle, BlackCAP.
Funded by the Ontario HIVTreatment Network.
PROUD LIFE
Albert John Duffy
March 4 1956 - November 5 2009
The Celebration of Life
John Duffy passed away
peacefully in his sleep.
Will never be forgotten
by his loving father, Albert,
his sister, Janice, and his
brothers David & Colin.
Will be sadly missed by good
friend Dennis.
Hell always be in our thoughts.
Love always, family & friends.
Christian Healing Service
For HIV-positive people, their friends, family, and caregivers.
Eucharistic liturgy including sacrament of anointing of the sick.
Our Lady of Lourdes Church (Sherbourne north of Wellesley). Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday November 21
st
2009 - 7:00pm
All welcome to join with us, Third Saturday of every month.
Announcements
106 in memoriam
commemorates those who
have recently passed away.
This space is donated by Xtra.
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to submit proud lives e-mail
line.classifieds@xtra.ca.
Please keep text to 50 words
or less. Ideally, photos will
be digital images at 2" X 3"
with a resolution of 250dpi.
Verifiable contact
information will be required.
We regret that space limita-
tions preclude anniversary
notices, which may be placed
as In Memoriam classifieds.
PROUD LIVES
FIFE HOUSE
CONGRATULATIONS FIFE HOUSE SPOT-
LI GHT! 2009 raf f l e wi nners: S.
Woodhead, W. Smith, K. Reader, B.
Tulloch and S. Parsons. Thanks for
your support!
107 notices
OUTNPOZ TORONTO
Out NPoz Toront o Brunch Sunday
November 8 Bumpkins Restaurant
21 Gloucester St. at 12 pm. SPARKLE
09 Saturday December 5 Sailors 4
pm t o 7 pm. I nf or mat i on at
www.outnpoztoronto.com
113 psychic/astrology
ASTROLOGER
PROFESSIONAL
LOVE, FINANCE, FAMILY. Do you need
advice? Counseling by a profession-
al astrologer will identify options to
help make a decision. Call 647-205-
3053.
107 notices 107 notices
Announcements 100
births 101
unions 102
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in memoriam 106
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groups 108
spiritual services 109
lost and found 110
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psychic/astrology 113
Real Estate 200
homes/acreage for sale 201
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homes for rent 203
homes to share 204
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ofce/business space 208
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studios 212
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apartments For Rent 215
Employment 300
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modelling 308
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help wanted 311
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Prof. Services 400
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movers 417
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ooring 430
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Merchandise 500
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hi 512
Travel 600
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adventures 604
international travel 605
travel u.s.a. 606
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travel british columbia 608
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travel atlantic canada 612
Health&Fitness 700
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restaurants 806
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performing arts 812
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Personal 900
phonelines 901
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XXX video/magazines 903
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friends female 905
friends male 906
model & escorts 907
mail orders 908
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BBS/Internet 910
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leather 912
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business personals 914
107 notices 107 notices
109 spiritual services 109 spiritual services
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41 41
LOCATION: King & Jarvis
ASKING PRICE: $699,900
SOLD FOR: $783,000
ESTIMATED PROPERTY TAXES: $3,685
R
E
C
E
N
T
L
Y
S
O
L
D
REAL ESTATE PROFILE
This unit offers 1,400 square feet of luxury condo
living plus 800 square feet of wraparound terrace
overlooking St James Park. Two bedrooms and
two bathrooms plus locker and gas fireplace
make this downtown living space comfortable and
relaxing. Condo boasts hardwood floors through-
out, granite kitchen countertops and full stain-
less-steel appliances and gas cooking for the
cultural elite. This home also comes with Califor-
nia shutters, electric awning on the terrace, gas
BBQ and a complete set of patio furniture and
planters. Lovely, sophisticated downtown living.
39 Jarvis St.
Delorme
Kevin
xceeding
xpectations
your
Sales Representative
GRAYDON HILL
GRAYDON HILL REALTY LTD. BROKERAGE
Tel: 416-922-1142
Fax: 416-922-1170
kdelorme@graydonhill.com
Call today for a
FREE
Home Evaluation
www.TORONTOFORHOMES.com
Owen Kirby Moving Ahead!
Broker of Record/ Sales Rep
okirby@trebnet.com
Condos,
Lofts & Homes
(416) 986-8983
24 years Professional Service
okirby@trebnet.com
Condos,
Lofts & Homes
www.owenkirby.com www.owenkirby.com
Congrats to Owen as
"Best Real Estate Agent 2009"
Congrats to Owen as
"Best Real Estate Agent 2009"
Sydney Weinberg, Sales Representative
Esbin Realty Corporation, Brokerage
Tel: 416-922-0777 ext. 305
email: sweinberg@trebnet.com
FABULOUS/CHURCH WELLESLEY
Bright, Beautiful Retail or Ofces with
wood strip ooring - approx. 3,000 sq. ft.
of prime space - suits clothing, furniture
and accessories, lighting, small wares
and professional ofces.
M
U
S
T

S
E
E
!
201 homes for sale 201 homes for sale 201 homes for sale
416-259-2181
www.manhattanmovingservice.ca
MA NHAT TA N
M O V I N G
S E R V I C E
204 homes to share
JARVI S & DUNDAS. Seeki ng qui et
employed responsible 2nd (35 - 50
yrs) t o share 2 f l r home. A/C,
laundry, dishwasher, cable. Large
bri ght room. Non-smoker onl y.
$550/mo incl. Must like cats (only
one). 1st and last. Jan. 1st (or soon-
er). Don 416-364-8050.
208 office space
213 investment opportunity
215 apts for rent
ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT in a house.
S e p a r a t e e nt r a nc e . Pa r k i ng
available. Near Kipling Subway Sta-
tion. Suits one man or a couple.
$800 a month inclusive.
416-255-7490
208 office space
213 investment opportunity
Creating the perfect classified ad isnt an exact
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Grab attention. Make sure your ad stands out in the
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Clarity. Be descriptive and concise. Include all the vital de-
tails to ensure that readers have enough information to
make a decision.
First impressions. The first three words of your ad are
the most important. Dont forget that these three words
automatically appear in bold text. Make them count!
Collect your thoughts. Most of us are not copywriters.
Take time to write a few sample ads and try different ap-
proaches. Better yet, show it to a friend to check their re-
sponse.
Mind your Ps & Qs. People love to abbreviate words in
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tential buyers can reach you. Tell readers if you prefer
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Motivate readers to act. Limited time offers! Special
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XTRA! NOV 19, 2009 classifeds
42 42
MADA
CUSTOM WOOD WORKING
Custom Kitchens and wall units are our specialty.
Looking for a modern look or authentic feel, we
make your kitchen into your space. Call me,
Nick, youll be happy you did.
B: 905.771.7950 C: 416.407.6864
E: eekron@hotmail.com
JOHN MONTAGUE MSW M.DIV. RSW
www.johnmontague.ca
Individual and couple counseling, some insurance
plans apply, downtown location.
Please call 416-523-6449.

Commercial/Residential, Interior/Exterior Painting l Design & colour consultation
Light Renos and Repairs l Window Cleaning l Better Business Bureau
Celebrating 11 years in Xtra l References provided on request
Sean 416.985.8639
NO MESS, NO FUSS, JUST SUPERIOR WORKMANSHIP
Newbright Painting
interior exterior painting drywall and plaster repair
416-995-4016
MANHAT TAN
M O V I N G
S E R V I C E
V o t e d # 1 Torontos Gay Owned
Local & Ontario
416-259-2181
0
9
20
09 BESTOFTORONTO
20
09 BESTOFTORONTO
BESTOFTORONTO 09 BESTOFTORONTO 09
BESTOFTORONTO BESTOFTORONTO
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9
2
0
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BESTOFTORONTO BESTOFTORONTO
www.manhattanmovingservice.ca
(416)-840-1513 Toronto
(905) 597-4340 GTA
(416)-939-9435 WEST
(905) 597-6390 NORTH
(647) 835-9283 EAST
www.locksmithintoronto.ca locksmithintoronto.@hotmail.com
TORONTO | VAUGHN | RICHMOND HILL | MISSISSAUGA | MARKHAM| THORNHILL | BRAMPTON | OAKVILLE
Employment
308 modelling
AMATEUR MALE MODELS Cute young
guys (age 18-25) needed for work in
t he adul t i ndust r y. SOLO J /O
SHOOTS PAY $600 CASH - M/M
SCENES START AT $900 CASH! Visit
http://image-scout.com for more
info.
Professional
Services
403 counselling
Compassionate and Experienced.
Relationships, addictions, anxiety,
depression, grief, sexuality, HIV, trauma.
Discover emotional balance,
joy and confidence.
Jude Johnston, MSW, RSW,
Psychotherapist.
416-921-8629

401 construction
Please recycle
this paper!
403 counselling
Free Anonymous Counselling
HIV/AIDS, STIs, birth control,
pregnancy testing, referrals, safer sex,
harm reduction and clinic locations
AIDS & Sexual Health InfoLine
416-392-2437
1-800-668-2437
406 painting
409 financial
TOO MUCH DEBT?
Baroque ... when youre
out of Monet!
Cyril Sapiro C.A.,
Trustee in Bankruptcy
Yonge/Eglinton
(416) 486-9660,
for help, info and a booklet
403 counselling
406 painting
411 medical
66 Wellesley East, 2nd Floor
Toronto, ON., M4Y 1G2
Canada
417 movers
1 MEN + TRUCK
$29/hr + travel time
416-830-8183
No hidden fees
ALPHA MOVERS Professional, reliable
service. Apartments, houses, ofces.
Serving the community for 12 years.
Reference available. www.alpha-
movers.ca Please call 416-704-3676.
406 painting
417 movers
419 general
427 computer services
Your Techno-Media Consultant
(416) 451 9637
bono@bonotech.com
Computers,Networks,
Digital Media & technology
www.bonotech.com
417 movers
419 general
428 design/interiors

WWW.KANIINTERIORS.COM... Get advice
to do it right the first time - com-
plete interior decorating service and
custom window treatments. Tell me
about your project!
403 counselling
are planning home
dcor purchases!
84
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DISPATCH FROM
SARAJEVO
Bravery amid brutality
Page 10
GHOULS
NIGHT OUT
Frightful photo gallery
Page 12
TRULY, MADLY
Rendezvous with
Madness docs
Page 26
Vigil for murdered man! 7 Jeffrey Round! 29 Fruit Fly! 34
More at Xtra.ca
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Like youve never
seen her before
PAGE 23
43 43
438 University Ave, Suite 2000,
Toronto, ON M5G 2K8
mitchellsandham.com
rcrichton@mitchellsandham.com Mitchell Sandham Inc.
416.862.5479
Bob Crichton
Your Gay Insurance Broker
High Value Specialist
- Homeowners, Condominiums, Art, Jewellery
Residential
Automobile
Commercial
-Hospitality, Restaurants & Bars
Life, Disability, Group
FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER l info@darrylmabey.com
The Caribbean beaches
of Costa Rica await you
www.BananaAzul.com
Take A Walk On The Wildside
Heels to Size 17, Wigs $50,
Makeovers $60,
Guest Rooms $99,
Transformations $150 and more!
161 Gerrard St. East
Toronto M5A 2E4
416-921-6112 or
(800)260-0102
info@wildside.org
Mon-Fri: 11am - 7pm
Sat: 1pm-12am Sun: Noon-4pm
or by appointment
www.wildside.org
Call or write for a free catalogue!

424 insurance
429 graphic design
Merchandise
Travel
610 travel ontario
424 insurance
429 graphic design
PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO. Boana-Torre
Malibu Condo Hotel. www.boana.net
By Blue Chairs and has the largest
pool i n g a y Va l l a r t a . e ma i l :
boana@pvnet. com. mx Tel : 011-
52-(322)222-0999. New B&B. see
www.boana.net/building3.htm
510 miscellaneous
605 international travel
610 travel ontario
Health & Fitness
702 registered massage
This category
is restricted to
Registered Health Care
Practitioners
BRENT ROUSSEAU RMT For treatment
of muscle injuries, pain and stress
management, and enhancement of
physical health and well being. Day,
eveni ng, and weekend appt s.
available. Insurance coverage, Visa
accepted, free parking, 416-708-
3 9 9 6 . Br oa dv i e w/ Da nf or t h.
www.brentrousseau.com
CHRISTOPHER J ALGER R.M.T. Suther-
land Chan Grad. 17 yrs in practice.
Specialize in deep tissue. New loca-
tion in Leslieville. Call 647-999-
7126. chrisser1764@hotmail.com,
www.chrisalgerrmt.com
MASSAGE THERAPYWORKS
2 Carlton
416-597-3903
Mon-Sat Visa/MC.
RMTS Available: Lori Speirs, Robert
Steffl er, Tom Komaromi , Adri an
Martins.
Swedish, Nisa, Myofascial
ROGER L EVERE RMT Deep t i ssue
and/or relaxation. For pain, stress
and well-being. In clinic Sunday to
Thursday at Church & Wellesley. For
aquatic massage therapy Monday to
Thursday mornings in Cabbage-
town. Contact 647-868-4639 or
levere_rmt@hotmail.com
STEPHEN JELLOW RMT, B.Sc. For the
best in professional therapeutic and
r el ax at i on mas s age. Swedi s h
massage/Deep Tissue, Computer
Neck, Certified Thai. Day/evening.
York and Front. Call 416-899-2604.
ST E V E N MCKE OWN RMT. Onl i ne
Booking. Treatments for back pain,
sports inj uries, headaches, sore
muscles, relaxation. Deep Tissue.
Insurance Receipts. 416-878-5688.
www.torontormt.ca
TIM DAVIS RMT providing Swedish,
Deep Tissue, & Hot Stone Massages,
Reiki Energy Healing. Specializing in
Craniosacral Therapy & Somato-
Emotional Release. Insurance re-
ceipts provided. Located near Jarvis
& Wellesley. Email tim@timdavis.ca
or call 416-895-8188
TONY LEA, RMT - Broadview/Danforth
Reg. Massage Therapist. Swedish
massage for relaxation or pain from
stiff or sore muscles. Insurance re-
cei pt s. Free st reet parki ng. In
practice since 1996. 416-461-3592
http://www3.sympatico.ca/daker
ASIAN PROFESSIONAL FRIENDLY, private
c l e a n s pa c e, s pe c i a l i z e d i n
combination Deep Tissue and Re-
l a x a t i o n S t y l e Ma s s a g e /
Acupuncture treatment,10 am/8pm,
downtown, Will , 416-910-7778.
BODYWORK, BUTT WORK, light bondage,
massage, 6 lean musc. WM. Thai,
Swedi sh Hot Oi l , Hot Stone. on
table, in/out Hotels. Therapeutic
ma s s a g e i ns ur a nc e r e c e i pt s
available. Bloor W/Dufferin. David
4 1 6 5 3 2 0 6 6 6
www.massagehotace.com
DEEP AND THOROUGH Massage i n
attractive, professional environ-
ment. Includes Swedish, Shiatsu,
Reflexology, sound & energy work.
Intro session-$55.00 Bloor/Spadina.
Call Hugh @ 416-924-4941.
TAOI ST MASSAGE by mascul i ne,
s ens ual & pr of es s i onal As i an
masseur. Surrender to the ultimate
sensual yet therapeutic experience.
Alex 416-875-2888, Church/ Carlton
702 registered massage
SURVIVE the stressful holidays. Meld
your phys i cal and emot i onal
essence with integrative massage.
Xt r a Di s count package: t hree
90-minute sessions get you through
t h e h o l i d a y s - $ 2 2 5 / p p d .
Convenient Yonge/Bloor location.
M-Sat 10:00am-9:00pm. Call Fred
416-697-3408. Details @
www.reactivationmassage.com
706 beauty care
HAIR REMOVAL
Wa x i ng , s ha v i ng , t r i mmi ng ,
massage. Hi gh qual i ty servi ce.
Reasonable rates, student discount.
Roger 416-737-2414, by appoint-
ment. (Downtown).
Please recycle
this paper!
706 beauty care
Personal
902 erotic massage
EROTIC MASSAGE BY 36 yr, 510, 175
l bs. Good rates. 8yr experience.
Private location. For appt call Paul
416-262-4984. Serious calls please.
Riverdale East.
GREAT MASSAGE ON table with hot oils.
Also hair removal (waxing, shaving).
Friendly, clean, discreet, student
rates. Downtown. Patrick 416-737-
2414.
HOT ASIAN BOY Provides a relaxing
sensual erotic massage in clean dis-
c r e e t f r i e ndl y e nv i r onme nt .
Danforth/Pape In/out . 416-466-
6240.
MAGIC FINGERS
Get a massage from me and feel
fantastic for days. My hard smooth
body and warm sensuous hands
wi l l soot he and del i ght . Cl i nt
416-469-3862.
MATURE MASCULI NE WELL- ENDOWED
Mal e. Big strong hands for ful l
hour, fi rm, ful l body, sensuous,
muscle butt massage. Stress relief.
Private, discreet, downtown. Scott
416-599-8272.
32/5"9/155/7.5 uc
Russian Nik
for certified
massage+. Vers,
friendly, discreet,
open-minded. 24/7, in/out, Finch
&Bathurst. 416-834-5415,
niknovikov@msn.com
706 beauty care
902 erotic massage
SENIOR FOR
SENIORS
F I T MA T U R E MA S S E U R o f f e r s
therapeutic and tantric full body
massage for senior men. Surrender
to the sensations. Downtown senior
rates. 416-598-5097. daninto@rog-
ers.com
906 friends male
BOTTOM 38 SEEKING job to help top
guys who are lonely and want sex.
Negotiable friendly Toronto & GTA.
Contact: marcasshole@yahoo.com
907 model & escorts
BARELY LEGAL
This 19 year old, smooth versatile
boy toy will take you back to your
most erotic high school fantasies.
Daniel 416-469-3862.
EROTIC LUV
INTIMATE AND EROTIC for all your lust-
ful pleasures. Body on body... warm,
wet & intense. Downtown. Outcalls
& Hotels. Rick 647-244-5117
907 model & escorts
BOYS R US
A smal l but superb sel ecti on of
young, f resh, honest f aces f or
your erotic pleasures. Try us first
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Todd Klinck
i
became a connoisseur of the big, curved, uncut Puerto
Rican cock when visiting a bathhouse in New York
City 12 years ago. Already a self-identified lover of
all things Latin in Toronto, I had never met a Puerto
Rican before. Because Puerto Rico is a territory of the US,
Puerto Ricans have citizenship, hence few see any reason
to emigrate to Canada.
But enough about my appreciation of the plethora of
Rican cocks at the bathhouse in New York. I want to talk
about a porn studio called Latino Fan Club (LFC). Estab-
lished in 1985 by bear-like white dude artist Brian Bren-
nan, this company features thugs and papis in solo and
hardcore action. I used to have friends who would give me
cartons of old VHS porn tapes and, at one point, I discov-
ered what turned out to be a Latino Fan Club classic Span-
ish Lessons. I fucking loved that video the amateur
shooting style, the buddy-buddy demeanour of the thugs
in the scene, hot. I think I wore that video out.
I rediscovered LFC when I got a copy of Ruffneck Rehab
a few years later. You know those porns you own that have
one particular scene that always gets you off? The old reli-
able? Scene one of Ruffneck Rehab does it for me every time.
Not the part before the credits, where there is actually a
little bit of plot (the General smokes crack in a bathroom to
indicate that he needs to go to rehab). Its the part when the
General is brought into the bathroom at the rehab
by Oliver, who tells him the rules of the 28 day pro-
gram and then proceeds to have sex with him in the
shower. The rest of the movie is good too, with all
sorts of sex happenings around the Rehab Centre.
But I keep going back to scene one. (Ruffneck
Relapse, the sequel, is hot but didnt grab me the
same way). To this day, the General and Oliver are
my all-time favourite Latino Fan Club performers
(they both also appear in Dr Penis Erectus).
Im not a big fan of plots in porn movies, but with Latino
Fan Club titles, I can tell that it helps make the boys more
comfortable knowing they are acting. Dont get me wrong,
the director doesnt try to get complicated, just a little bit
of plot to give some structure. The popular series Teen
Hustler (volumes one to four) is a good example. In each
volume, a couple of 19-year-old boys form an escort agency
and recruit new escorts and send them out on gigs. Another
series that I found hot was Parole Officer Perez (volumes
one to three). The LFC website (Theoriginallatinofanclub.com)
is advertising the next hit called Prison Doctor.
As a white guy getting an inside look at the downlow
culture of black and Latino gay sex is an honour and a
privilege. There is something very real about the guys in the
Latino Fan Club movies. The guys are just themselves, and
their sexuality is always ambiguous its very hard to tell
if they are gay or straight in real life. Which I find hot.
Latino Fan Club grew from a tiny mail order operation
in Brennans apartment to a more established studio with
bigger budgets, but they have not changed their original
aesthetic. They do not hire glossy pornstars or release
titles that contain a generic six scenes, each containing
mutual oral and fucking in three positions. They still hire
real urban guys, sometimes obviously stoned on weed.
Now the lighting is just a bit better.
THERE IS A ROSE IN SPANISH HARLEM.
Hungering for big, curved uncut Puerto Rican cock like the
ones from Latino Fan Club.
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