Gay Life in Canadian Cities

[SignalHillHiker]

The Town of Bay Roberts (the only CA on the Avalon Peninsula outside St. John's CMA) began its annual Pride Week a few hours ago.

Via Bay Roberts on Facebook:





The poor place was recently voted the worst place in Canada to live. But it's still Newfoundland, so not all that bad.

[ssiguy]

Maybe I can still see the need of Pride parades in smaller cities but frankly I think they do more harm than good in the big cities. They don't seem to stand for anything anymore except as a tourist draw. They also reinforce the word Queer which is so idiotic because wasn't the whole point of the gay rights movement the fact that gays aren't queer but rather a normal part of society?

I dunno but the big Pride parades seem to have become nothing more than the summer rendition of the Santa Claus Parade. I guess it's kind of like the Civil Rights marches in the 50s and 60s which served a purpose but they eventually dies off as societies views and the laws changed with the times. This is what I wish would happen to gay pride parades but there are now almost all about money than they are about any kind of political or social statement.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by Gerrard

My answer to that straight pride bs thing is always: because it would be boring as hell and no one would attend unless there was a football game and turkey legs for all.

No offense but I think straight vs gay pride is completely unfair.

It suggest if your straight magically your impervious to all of the problems facing gay people..

I'm on the autistic spectrum, and many of the issues LGBT face, directly correlate to autism.

The social stigma to autism is huge, It's largely advised by many in our community to never come out as autistic,

The identity issues are massive, I'd argue much more intense than you'll find in LG communities.

My point being that there are more than a few groups of straight folk that have their issues.

The one group that I think gets overlooked unfairly is low status white males. I'm not just talking about straight dudes that don't make alot of money, but more so those that are continually single, usually labeled as losers. There seems to be this stigma that any single dude has to be either an A$$hole, sexist or completely lazy if they don't have either career or relationship success. The reality is the trap of gender roles for straight men, is quite brutal if your not up to the task on taking on that role. Some of the nicest and hardworking people I know are completely overlooked.

It's something our society is incapable of discussing. For one the worst thing a straight white dude with little means can do is complain, it only makes them look even weaker in our society. Second it's every class or groups favorite punching bag. (LGBT, Woman's groups, Racial minorities, Conservative folk calling them lazy, Liberal white folk calling them whitetrash etc.) I think the main overall problem is that there exists this stereotype of what it means to be a straight man, that directly links itself to being macho. The reality is taking on the role of straight male has far more complex issues than most people are willing to appreciate.

I'm not against gay pride, but I think sometimes people gotta be more aware that there are other issues.

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by Stryker

The social stigma to autism is huge, It's largely advised by many in our community to never come out as autistic,

The identity issues are massive, I'd argue much more intense than you'll find in LG communities.

In Canada today, you're almost certainly right. People who are trans still have it pretty rough - but I've no more issues, really. There's no right I feel I don't have, or that I can't exercise openly.

The only thing that really worries me still is the high incidence of bullying and suicide among LGBT youth.

Originally Posted by Stryker

My point being that there are more than a few groups of straight folk that have their issues.

If they want to organize parades to raise awareness of those issues, I think that'd be great.

Mental health and wellness is actually a really good example. There's still a strong stigma associated with mental illness. That stigma is, I think, what makes a parade such a fitting response.

Originally Posted by Stryker

The one group that I think gets overlooked unfairly is low status white males.

You're not wrong - but you have to be careful with this sort of reaction to society because it becomes very easy to blind yourself to the reality.

Do you believe, for example, that society does too much for low status non-white people? That's objectively untrue - almost every social program we offer is accessible to white people, and used most by them.

Do you believe, for example, that low status white men have it harder than any other low status group? That's also objectively untrue - especially in Canada, where our First Nations have it very hard.

That said, people seem to assume that a white man unable to change his status has something very wrong about him. There's less empathy for him than others. It's very hard and frustrating when you have disadvantages that others don't recognize or insist don't apply to you.

It's also important to remember individual circumstances may not reflect societal trends. A white man from St. Theresa's Court who went to Booth Memorial is likely not to achieve as much in life as the lesbian daughter of First Nations parents from Circular Road who went to Holy Heart. But their circumstances are not the norm for most people of their background in Canada.

It's a bit like that "affluenza" case in the United States where the kid got off with killing people because he was too wealthy to know right from wrong. You'd never see the same logic used for those who grew up dirt poor.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

In Canada today, you're almost certainly right. People who are trans still have it pretty rough - but I've no more issues, really. There's no right I feel I don't have, or that I can't exercise openly.
I think you have to appreciate that issue is far more complex than something as straight forward as sexual orientation(ideally should be).

I honestly think it's counter productive to group those two together.

There is a massive issue of body dysmorphia, it's not just an issue that Trans folk deal with hetero people deal with this all the time. Steroids and plastic surgery tie into the same general theme of who has right to control their own body. Furthermore the medical community is in a touchy ethical position.

You can't reduce it to simple social intolerance as you can with other issues. There is a complex narrative developing and it's challenging our values at our corp, what does freedom over ones body mean, what does gender mean, what does it mean to be human, what is the medical communities role in this, where do we draw the line etc etc.

The only thing that really worries me still is the high incidence of bullying and suicide among LGBT youth.

Again i think it's not useful to view this in gay and straight terms, people pick on whoever seems to be most vulnerable, stopping the bullying in the key not swapping targets

Mental health and wellness is actually a really good example. There's still a strong stigma associated with mental illness. That stigma is, I think, what makes a parade such a fitting response.

Well the biggest problem is that many parents of autistic people see autism as an illness as well as much of the medical community. The born this way and proud is growing in the autism community. What they want are treatments that allow them to function as autistic people.




Do you believe, for example, that low status white men have it harder than any other low status group? That's also objectively untrue - especially in Canada, where our First Nations have it very hard.

Actually I think by definition a low status white male, has it worst off than your average First nations person.

Were not talking about all your mininum wage white folk, but simply a subset maybe 10-15 of the white male population.

And seriously I think the hardships of minority groups are often exaggerated. Not in the sense that the situations are not true, but more so that they happen on racial line.

The reality is low status men of any race face similar problems. People use racial lines because it's the simpler narrative. Instead of respecting the influence gender plays on these circumstance.

The biggest issue that makes it confusing is that race, income source,etc do play into it. But they only make a bad situation worst.

[Gerrard]

Originally Posted by Stryker

No offense but I think straight vs gay pride is completely unfair.

It suggest if your straight magically your impervious to all of the problems facing gay people..

I'm on the autistic spectrum, and many of the issues LGBT face, directly correlate to autism.

The social stigma to autism is huge, It's largely advised by many in our community to never come out as autistic,

The identity issues are massive, I'd argue much more intense than you'll find in LG communities.

My point being that there are more than a few groups of straight folk that have their issues.

The one group that I think gets overlooked unfairly is low status white males. I'm not just talking about straight dudes that don't make alot of money, but more so those that are continually single, usually labeled as losers. There seems to be this stigma that any single dude has to be either an A$$hole, sexist or completely lazy if they don't have either career or relationship success. The reality is the trap of gender roles for straight men, is quite brutal if your not up to the task on taking on that role. Some of the nicest and hardworking people I know are completely overlooked.

It's something our society is incapable of discussing. For one the worst thing a straight white dude with little means can do is complain, it only makes them look even weaker in our society. Second it's every class or groups favorite punching bag. (LGBT, Woman's groups, Racial minorities, Conservative folk calling them lazy, Liberal white folk calling them whitetrash etc.) I think the main overall problem is that there exists this stereotype of what it means to be a straight man, that directly links itself to being macho. The reality is taking on the role of straight male has far more complex issues than most people are willing to appreciate.

I'm not against gay pride, but I think sometimes people gotta be more aware that there are other issues.

That's not really a good counter argument for what I was commenting on. Gay Pride has very little to do with socio-economic status. What it has to do with is a celebration of sexuality. There's the political element to it (and AIDS activism), which was a counter to (often and historically) discriminatory laws and police brutality etc. which gay people had to deal with -no one has ever made it illegal to be a heterosexual white male regardless of economic status. It's about visibility and acceptance. For the world at large but really and mostly for ourselves.

The Parades don't exist as a middle finger to the straight white community. They are for us. That is what I was saying. Yet...many people (straight and sometimes gay) either resent the fact that we have the parades or feel because full (legal) rights have been achieved that somehow ever vigilance and yes, celebration should be put to bed now.

Either way, poor white males still have it better than 90% of the world's population. And they certainly have it much better than poor white women or women of any color. And yeah there are a ton of issues on this planet, so throw a parade for them. Make a charity. Don't resent people for participating in something that they feel is important to them (and who is to say these same people aren't active in other issues the other 364 days of the year).

So when people say check your privilege (to presumably straight people) it's certainly a reflection of the world we live in. Because last time I checked being straight won't get you the death penalty or a prison sentence like it will in some odd 30 countries on this planet and if a man and a women are walking hand in hand down the street in most nations on Earth (certain Islamic states notwithstanding) they won't be called faggots or dykes and they are rarely under the threat of physical violence (something that can happen even in a country as liberal as Canada).

And it's never an us versus them scenario and that's what a lot of straight people don't understand. It's just an "us" thing.

[soleri]

Gay pride parades have never been exclusively one thing or another. The political part, even in the past, was subordinate to the celebration of difference for its own sake. Yes, that's political as a value but it can't be seen as an exclusively gay preoccupation. It's gotten to the point that being "gay" is ultimately an affirmation of mankind's Dionysian impulse. You can be straight and march in a gay pride parade for this reason. That's why these parades are so huge now. It's a celebration of the body, of sexual identity, of desire, of sensuality itself. If you don't live in Amsterdam, don't worry. Amsterdam will come to you at least for one day a year.

[SignalHillHiker]

The man that many of us hope becomes the next Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador was interviewed by our LGBT mag:

Steve Kent, PC Leadership Candidate, talks LGBT with The Outport

Newfoundland and Labrador's political landscape has changed significantly recently with two of the main political parties going through leadership conventions. Currently, the governing Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is on the search for a new leader, who will automatically become Premier before the next provincial election. One of the PC leadership candidates, Steve Kent, sat down with The 'Out'port Magazine to share some insight into his views as they affect our community.

Steve Kent has been present and participated in various LGBT events recently. These events include the Rainbow Flag raising at Confederation building during the Sochi Winter Olympics, as well as being the only PC leadership candidate to enter a group in the St. John's Pride Parade 2014 (the other two provincial parties also had groups in the parade).

"Visibility is important," Kent said. "LBGT people are part of an invisible minority. I believe that people who hold positions like the one that I do should attend these events to create awareness and support diversity within our province."

Kent said there's more to supporting diversity than just saying the words and highlighted some of the issues he believes the province must address, ones that are especially relevant for the LGBT community.

"Bullying, for example," Kent explained. "When children are being beaten at school because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, that’s a problem, and I want to be part of the solution. While it’s true that much has been done to support the LGBT community in our province, I still think we can do better. I want to create a new office that focuses specifically on LGBT issues. This will require maintaining a dialogue with the LGBT community and consulting with LBGT service providers as well. I want to find out what works, what doesn’t, and what else needs to be done. Even though there have been many achievements legally, the LGBT community is marginalized, and because of this, LGBT youth are at a higher risk of suicide, addiction and homelessness than heterosexual youth. I want to create opportunities for the LGBT community to share their struggles because so much can be learned from those experiences."

Kent believes it's especially important to establish the appropriate resources and supports for people who are trans. Currently, those seeking sex reassignment surgeries face the daunting prospect of traveling to another province for mandatory assessments and some operations they themselves must pay for.

"I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to go through that process without having the support of your family and friends because you have to leave your home," Kent said. "I want to consult with other Premiers to find out how other provinces are offering these types of services so we can eliminate those barriers."

Until then, Kent plans to maintain a presence at LGBT events in Newfoundland and Labrador to ensure his message to our community is heard:

"I’m proud of you," Kent said. "I want to work with you and for you. Together, we can build a province that promotes equality for all."

http://www.theoutport.com/#!Steve-Ke...1-D249F45D61CE

[Doug_Cgy]

Pride happens in Calgary this weekend. So MANY events, it's going to be awesome. Weather looks decent too, sunshine & temps in high teens/low twenties.

You Can Play, along with players from the Calgary Flames, Stampeders, Roughnecks and Hitmen are participating in the parade. It will be a cool draw for the crowds.

www.pridecalgary.ca

[SignalHillHiker]

Oh, that's AWESOME!

[ssiguy]

How many people usually show up at the Calgary Pride?

[Rusty van Reddick]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

How many people usually show up at the Calgary Pride?

It's gone from around 5,000 the first one I attended in Calgary (in 2001; I moved here in August 2000) to around 45,000 last year. It has done nothing but grow- it's now the second biggest parade in Calgary after Stampede. Here are a couple of pics I took at last year's to give you some sense of the size of the crowd:





And what I think is the defining feature of Calgary Pride as it's evolved: the sheer number of kids present, as marchers and spectators:

[Rusty van Reddick]

Calgary Pride was today and was FUCKING AMAZING. Here are a few shots I took:

Del Shores, the creator of the US version of Queer as Folk, was grand marshal:



ATB was a major sponsor and their float was stuffed with kids- this is what makes Calgary Pride amazing:



Approaching parade terminus at Shaw Millennium Park- crowd was thick from beginning to end of a route of more than a mile:



"Street Fair" at Millennium Park:

[Darkoshvilli]

Two men expelled from bar for kissing

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montre...sing-1.2752297

[SignalHillHiker]

I imagine the bouncer will be looking for employment elsewhere soon. I doubt his actions reflect the bar's policies.

I do wonder how it must've looked sneaking off, though. Two people, secluded staircase... seems a little more likely to reach an inappropriate level than just staying amongst the crowd.

[ssiguy]

Sounds like they were doing more than just kissing.............they deserved to be thrown out. A kiss in a bar is one thing but trying to save yourself the expense of renting a room is quite another.

[vid]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Sounds like they were doing more than just kissing.............they deserved to be thrown out. A kiss in a bar is one thing but trying to save yourself the expense of renting a room is quite another.

Yeah, because once you get horizontal kissing you're basically fucking at that point. I don't think anyone has ever made out horizontally without fucking, especially in a bar!

It reminds me of this photo of a couple in Vancouver having sex in the middle of the street:



Scandalous.

[SignalHillHiker]

Scotland often finds itself in a similar situation to Newfoundland - part of a larger, far more conservative country.

Unlike us, and incredibly unfortunately, LGBT issues are often one of the dividing lines for Scotland - with it wanting far more inclusive, progressive policies than the United Kingdom is comfortable to allow.

They managed equal marriage without the United Kingdom, passing a bill that should soon come into effect:

• Video Link

And now, jeddy1989 sent me a link about Scotland's LGBT community throwing its support behind independence in this month's referendum:

Scotland independence campaigners publish Rainbow Paper on gay equalit

Kirsty MacAlpine, co-convener of Yes LGBT, said, ‘Independence offers Scotland a unique opportunity to secure the powers and resources we need to ensure full equality for LGBT people here and to play our role in promoting human rights around the world.

‘Over the past 15 years of the Scottish Parliament, Scotland has consistently taken a more progressive approach to LGBT equality than Westminster, with world-leading laws and leadership in the areas where we have control.’

Yes LGBT said Westminster was holding back and threatened to reverse progress on LGBT rights. The group said it would address ‘outstanding deficiencies that the Westminster Parliament has been unwilling to act upon,’ such as protection from discrimination for all transgender and intersex people, equal pensions provision for same-sex couples and ensuring that sexual orientation is counted as a protected characteristic from harassment.

Patrick Harvie, the co-convenor of the Scottish Green Party, said, ‘Holyrood is a Parliament which has never once voted against any aspect of LGBT equality and that’s not something that can be said of Westminster. There are many opportunities which independence offers, from a humane asylum system to constitutional protection for all citizens’ equality. We have nothing to fear from independence and much to gain.’

Alan Cumming, Hollywood actor and LGBT activist said, ‘I’m proud that an independent Scotland will give its LGBT citizens the rights and respect they deserve and enshrine those rights in the constitutions.’

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/s...equality020914

[wg_flamip]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Scotland often finds itself in a similar situation to Newfoundland - part of a larger, far more conservative country.

Unlike us, and incredibly unfortunately, LGBT issues are often one of the dividing lines for Scotland - with it wanting far more inclusive, progressive policies than the United Kingdom is comfortable to allow.

They managed equal marriage without the United Kingdom, passing a bill that should soon come into effect:

Same-sex marriage was legalized in England and Wales before it was in Scotland. The only part of the UK that still does not have marriage equality is Northern Ireland, which for various historical and cultural reasons is usually the most socially conservative of the Home Nations (on abortion, LGBT rights, immigration, etc.).

[SignalHillHiker]

Yeah, you're right. 2013 versus 2014.

I wonder what they're going on about then?

And you can't say they're only referring to Westminster, not the various national Parliaments, because England doesn't even have its own independent of the United Kingdom's.