Is Capital Pride socially disabled?

A proposed smoking ban on municipal properties such as City Hall could hurt attendance at the Capital Pride festival, say organizers who are calling for a grace period this summer if the new rules are approved.

Starting July 2, proposed bylaw amendments would issue tickets for smoking on city properties such as parks, beaches, sports fields and areas outside municipal facilities, as well Marion Dewar Plaza outside City Hall where the 2012 Capital Pride festival will take place.


In a press release, festival organizers stated that smoking rates are higher in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender and queer communities, and the proposed ban could discourage many people from attending the event.

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O P I N I O N

OK, I am a strong supporter of Ottawa's Capital Pride, but this request to the City to extend special rules so people can smoke at Pride is ridiculous. Do they really believe that the LGBTQ Community has 'special needs' when it comes to smoking cigarettes?

I smoked for many years, and one of the best things I ever did for myself was quit 15 years ago. When smoking in bars subsequently became illegal, I breathed a  sigh of relief that I no longer had to breath the fumes or go home stinking of other people's smoke.

Yet despite all the legal changes, it is still impossible to enjoy Ottawa's patios without having to wade through a cloud of second-hand smoke. Most smokers still do not abide by the rule to move 15' away from the building, so the smoke is even stronger because they all squeeze into a small space by the door.

Pride is no different. It is time for the LGBTQ Community to act like other grown-ups and stop imposing their self-destructive habit on the rest of us who wish to live without it. It's time to stop asking for special rules or nobody will ever take our community seriously.

Besides, I have no doubt that the decrease in smokers who come to Pride will be more than offset by the increase in non-smokers able to come and enjoy the smoke-free environment.

Incredible Floats From Rio's Carnival 2011

Although Carnival (Carnaval in Portuguese) is celebrated in towns and villages throughout Brazil and other Catholic countries, Rio de Janeiro has long been regarded as the Carnival Capital of the World. The Rio Carnaval is not only the biggest Carnival, it as also a benchmark against which every other carnival is compared and one of the most interesting artistic events on the Globe. Almost everyone has heard of the Rio Carnaval. Foreign visitors to it alone number around 500,000 every year.

Have a look at some of the floats that were at this year's celebration! Click on this post's title.

And find more at the Official Carnival website.

A very loose interpretation of 'Queer'

Kingston will once again be home to one of the country's most important celebrations for the queer community: the 12th annual Reelout Festival 

"It has been amazing to see the festival grow and evolve over the years. Originally, it was run as a collective by dedicated community volunteers. "

"Now Reelout is at a point where it runs very much through self-generating revenue, we now have full-time staff and office space," he says. "It's a real credit to them that we're now recognized as a festival that shows the best films, and pays each artist - something that is really crucial to us."

Salton explains that there are 13 countries represented at this year's festival, such as South Africa, Dubai and the Netherlands.

"We still try to look for between 45 and 50 per cent Canadian content, but there are films from all over the world," he says.

For more information about show times and the films featured at the festival, or to learn more about Reelout's activities throughout the year, please visit www.reelout.com.

Happy MMX

Happy 2010 everyone!

A full moon on this night MUST be a good omen!

I hope you all have a fun and safe night and that this is the beginning of better things for all of us.

Here are a few pix from Playa Coronado and the fireworks to celebrate the new year.

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

Canada Border Services Agency are DINX

An award-winning film, on its way back to Canada from an international gay and lesbian film festival in October, was held up at the Canadian border for more than a month.

On Nov 24, Edmonton filmmaker Trevor Anderson received a letter from Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) informing him that his short film DINX had been detained on Oct 21 and was being investigated for obscenity. A few days later, the tape was returned to him in the mail.

"It concerns me that the determination of what gets into our country is in the hands of individual border guards," he says.

"How long does this battle have to go on?"

The fallout from the blocking of three gay films at the border has reverberated across Parliament Hill. Queer MPs are universally outraged by what they see as a return to the era of Little Sister's struggles.

On Nov 20, an official with the Canada Border Services Agency flagged three films destined for Inside Out's Ottawa screenings — I Can't See Straight, Clapham Junction and Patrik, Age 1.5. The material was approved after the festival was over, and the delay left organizers scrambling to find replacement copies of the films to screen.

"It just seems so spiteful, so intolerant," says Davies. "I'm shocked that still, in this day and age, we're fighting a government who's determined to censor material for the queer community. What right do they have to do that?"

Canada Customs up to dirty tricks again

Canada's border guards are holding prints of three films destined for a gay film festival in Ottawa, and they won't release them until they've had the chance to watch them from beginning to end.

That poses a problem for Inside Out, a Toronto-based film festival with an annual Ottawa satellite program. They intended to show all three films this weekend. Without the prints, they're left scrambling to find grainy lower-quality copies to show audiences.

The gay community and the CBSA (formerly Canada Customs) have a long and checkered past. Border cops spent two decades harassing gay bookstores, with books and magazines arriving in Canada delayed by months or even shredded.

Vancouver-based bookstore Little Sister's took them to court and in 2000 won a partial victory. At the time, the Supreme Court of Canada acknowledged that material was routinely being stopped at the border because of its gay content, and ordered the government agency to stop.

The Politics of Pride - Beyond Gay

WORLD PREMIERE: Image+Nation Festival of Cinema, Montreal Canada, October 25th

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE: Mix Brasil, Sao Paulo Brasil, November

EUROPEAN PREMIERE: Florence Queer Festival, FLorence Italy, December 3rd

HUMAN RIGHTS FESTIVAL: This Human World: Vienna Austria, December 5th

Toronto embraces the world with Pride

Toronto beat out Stockholm to host World Pride in 2014 - the international political and cultural event that promotes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.

Mark Singh, chair of the city's World Pride committee, said the festival will highlight the acceptance of the gay community by Canadians.

So far the program calls for an opening ceremony with a parade of nations and an international human rights conference. There will also be an AIDS candlelight vigil along with three parades including a Trans March, a Dyke March and Pride Parade.

The 2014 events will replace the city's usual Pride Week, and will be scheduled to celebrate Canada Day and the U.S. Independence Day.

The eyes, ears and rainbows of the world will be on London in 2012 as they host WorldPride. What promises to be an event on a truly mammoth scale, it (WorldPride) will be held between two other significant celebrations - The Queens Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games.

Known “murder music” artist dropped from concert

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, October 7, 2009

Toronto: In response to repeated calls from Egale Canada, Elephant Man has been pulled from the concert line-up this weekend at Downsview Park.

Elephant Man has released many “murder music” songs over his career, talking about executing, beating, and setting on fire and otherwise assaulting gays. Other lyrics have suggested raping lesbians. He continues to profit from the sale of these lyrics and has refused to denounce advocating and glorifying the violence and murder of gays and lesbians in his music.

Egale Canada welcomes the decision.

Egale Canada is Canada’s LGBT human rights organization: advancing equality, diversity, education, and justice.

Bombs + Bashings Mar OutGames in Copenhagen

As many as three explosive devices reportedly detonated in two track stadiums of the Outgames in Copenhagen, leaving one person with minor injuries.

Before the men’s 4x200-meter track relay in the afternoon, two bombs were thrown onto the track and exploded instantly. An Outgames athlete was taken to a local hospital with injuries to his right hand from flying shrapnel. He has since been released.

Participants on the field were unharmed but shaken by the incident.

Less than an hour later, a second bomb was thrown in another stadium. Luckily, no one was injured, but track events were delayed for 90 minutes.

Police now have a 31-year-old male suspect in custody.

This is the second violent incident in less than a week for the Outgames.

Three men -- from England, Sweden, and Norway -- had been attacked in the Danish capital following opening-night ceremonies over the preceding weekend. All three victims were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries and were later released. In that incident police arrested two men whom witnesses reported shouted antigay phrases before beating the men. Both suspects, who were believed to have been inebriated at the time, held criminal records and were expected to remain in custody for the remainder of the event.

FOLLOW THIS LINK to Towleroad story

Welcome to Copenhagen - World Outgames 2009

Can't Stop Won't Stop

Every year members of Toronto’s queer community nominate and vote for the individuals and groups they feel should lead off the Pride Parade and the Dyke March. Those chosen are not only prominent members of the community, but also personify Pride Week’s theme, which this year is “Can’t stop, won’t stop.”

While those chosen this year — at a Pride Toronto general meeting back in April — are known to many, they may not be known to all. Here is a primer on just who will be leading your Pride Parade and Dyke March.

2009 Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade video

Check out this VIDEO of last Saturday's Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade!

DNA Magazine - Mardi Gras Parade 2009 from straightmedia on Vimeo.

Chubby Tuesday

If you were home at your local restaurant or bar and someone offered you a string of $1 beads in exchange to see your breasts or genitals, how many of you would oblige? Probably not nearly as many as might oblige at Mardi Gras.

Several years ago, some scientists studied sexual behavior in the context of Mardi Gras.

They found that about half of men in their study expected to have a new vaginal or oral sex partner while at Mardi Gras and about 20% expected to have anal sex with a new partner. Fewer women had such expectations. More women had new partners than they planned to - and, as you might guess, some of the men overestimated their chances of hooking up at Mardi Gras.

Picture it ... Italy, Suddenly Last Winter

Suddenly Last Winter is the story of Gustav and Luca. Their life changes when the Italian government presents a draft law that would give rights to unmarried and gay couples, prompting a wave of homophobia in Italy. The Vatican and conservatives fight against it, preaching that the end of morality and the family are nigh if the legalisation on civil unions is not blocked. Together for over eight years, Luca and Gustav want to understand the different positions and undertake a journey into a country they did not know before and did not expect to find: their own.

Here is a trailer for the film

Click through to the website to see a video/discussion by the film makers

Hong Kong's Gay Revolution

For a few hours, a city that usually seems immune to surprises watched in awe as approximately 1,000 parade-goers stopped traffic, filled the streets and spread their message to "celebrate love." A rainbow-colored dragon bobbed over the heads of carefully coiffed men donning dainty dresses and dancing to "Celebrate Pride," which warbled through a loudspeaker in the center of the city. Men with fiery red-feathered tiaras chanted, "Pride parade! Pride parade! Pride parade!" in Cantonese and English while marching through Hong Kong's congested Hennessy Road waving multicolored pride flags

Home Movie Day is just around the corner

Bring your home movies to the Film Reference Library from August 20 to October 3 [2008], for a free inspection and evaluation.

Films will also be considered for the curated programme screening, during the sixth annual Home Movie Day at Cinematheque Ontario in the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Admission is FREE and attendance is not contingent on having a film in the programme. For more information, visit the Film Reference Library website at filmreferencelibrary.ca.

Stratford ex-Artistic Director Richard Monette dies at 64

Richard Monette [ IMDB ], the longest-serving artistic director of the Stratford Festival, has died at 64. [ 2008-09-10 ]

Monette had been suffering from vascular disease and was going into hospital for tests Tuesday evening when he suffered a pulmonary embolism, said Antoni Cimolino, who is general director for the theatre festival in Statford, Ont.

Montreal World Film Festival opens with Tributes

The Montreal World Film Festival prides itself on bringing films from around the world to make their international premieres. Almost half the films are having world premieres.
The festival has ensured some Hollywood glitz with a tribute to actor Tony Curtis, known for comedies such as Some Like It Hot, and a special award for lifetime achievement to be presented to Alan Ladd Jr., former president of 20th Century Fox and MGM/UA and producer of Braveheart.
Brian de Palma is scheduled to give a master class to filmmakers.
Twenty films, including two from Quebec filmmakers, are entered in the World Competition, where the major prizes of the festival are awarded.