OUTeXpressions
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OUTeXpressions Newspaper, a social enterprise of QueerWest.org. Located in edgy, artsy, booming Queer West Village, which has room for everyone: Hot indie music scenes, celebrity-chic shopping, all-night dance parties and an uber-cool mixed crowd. We are an Exclusive Media Publication. Listing only the hottest happenings, in the coolest places. Girlsport.com Montreal: 2010 "Calling itself Toronto's second gay village, the city’s west end is an Absolute Hothouse for LGBT life. In recent years tons of hip bars / restos / shops that cater to or favour a homo clientele have opened up shop, and you’ll find them all via QueerWest.org. Their listings section is excellent! OuteXpressions has been tearing up gay Toronto for 10 years, finding cool stuff, we think you'll enjoy. Copyrighted 2010. All Rights Reserved. Masthead Get our Free: Bent eBlast Hey! Get Social. You can now join us on Twitter Contact: Michel outexpressions@gmail.com
Public's interest in Toronto's Queer West Village climbingMonday March 29, 2010 Toronto. Although QueerWest.org web site has 10,000 megabytes of bandwidth in reserve, in March according to our Cpanel Logs, it rocketed to close to 5,000 megabytes, with so many site visitors. Last year our bandwidth only climbed 4,000 megabytes in May and June only. (Pride Months) It averages between 2.5 to 3,000 megabytes. There is definitely a surging interest in queer west Toronto, what our organization is doing, in festivals, our OUTeXpressions events and our social enterprise newspaper listings. There were close to 2, 500 key word phrases in March that landed people on our site, from all over the world. If you're not advertising or listing your events with us you should be, unless of course you're on our black list.
The Annual Queer West Arts Festival is rebranding its identityWednesday March 24, 2010 The annual Queer West Arts and Cultural Festival will NO LONGER be held in June. The Queer West Board of Directors and Arts Collectives feel Toronto's LGBTQ fabulousness shouldn't be all jam packed into that month. Queer West Fest Week has moved to August. Staged from Friday August 6 to Sunday August 15, 2010. We feel there are tourists in the city all summer long, especially in August; they will be looking for something different. In August there is; Caribana, Distillery Arts Festival, Buskerfest and Toronto Festival of Beer and now Queer West Arts and Cultural Festival Queer West Arts and Cultural Festival will then be able grow; faster, bigger, better and more international, if the Toronto queer public and out of town tourists, doesn't confused us, with Pride Toronto. We don't think there's really, a shortage of sponsors to approach in August. Securing media coverage, sponsorship and funding, is more a function of how successful we market our Festival. On top of it all that, doing it later, gives us more time to plan. Here are some of the new Arts Festival events we are booking and organizing now:
Volunteer OpportunitiesContact Jaclyn Isen (QWF Program coordinator) if interesting in volunteering, or have a youth type event, you would like included this year's festival line-up. queerwestfest@gmail.com (Volunteer Opportunities Description ) Queer West exists to celebrate the history, courage, diversity and future of Queer West Toronto's LGBTTIQQ2S communities (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, Two-Spirited) Produced and organized by Gay West Community Network . Queer West Fest is the brainchild of Michel François Paré Queer West Arts Festival Toronto A not-for-profit corporation. # 1752698. P.O. Box 204 Stn. C. Toronto ON M6K 2A9.Queer West Toronto gaybourhoods (Map) queerwestfest@gmail.com or Queer West Film Festival - Program Director - Casey Reid qwfilmfest@gmail.com
 Queer West has Live SupportThe Live Support Green logo top right of your screen. LiveZilla's integrated real-time visitor monitoring feature enables us to see instantly, who´s on our site. See who referred our visitors, where our visitors are from, what keywords were used to find our site and the path by which they navigate our website. Gather valuable marketing information and interact with our site. Our Operators can chat with you anytime, you need assistance or Queer Toronto community information and / or our events. The Help Desk contains no advertising, as we own service. We are the first LGBT organization in Canada to use Live Support. Why not unite the five distinctive queer districts in Toronto and tell the world of their uniqueness? Thursday February 18, 2010. by Michel F. Paré, Publisher. Church Street businesses are feeling the heat. In a not unheard of move, are trying to get you to think of area as just the Church and Wellesley Village. They have been dropping the references like crazy, as Heart of Toronto’s Gay Village. Hoping the bad publicity will die with it. All references have been stripped from the Church and Wellesley BIA web site. www.churchwellesleyvillage.ca Every newspaper gay and heterosexual has written about the demise of Toronto Gay Village. Gay strip on the block -www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=173248 Death Knell Sounds for Toronto Gay Village -www.queerwest.org/newsArchives/2009%2011%20-%2012.php Just how long we will have to put up with this mythical name change is anyone’s guess? They have already started in 2010 Church and Wellesley Village combines enthralling
days and vibrant nights (Metro News Jan 28, 2010) Church and Wellesley village nurturing a bright
future (Metro News Jan 28, 2010) ["Church and Wellesley Village is known best as the home to Toronto’s gay rights movement"] The Right's movement happened all over Canada from Toronto to Ottawa to Montreal's (Sex Garage a watershed moment in 1990) not only in gay Toronto. ["Brave activists who decades ago marched against prejudice down Church Street."] The demonstration reference in the article, was in 1981 after bathhouses raid and it was on Yonge St. Not Church Street. Church Street business men are moving a queer west Toronto monthly public forum, because they are too lazy, to go to one held on the last Tuesday of the month at then Gladstone Hotel to Gladaman's Den on Yonge St., for the following Sunday, calling it Bent Village. The message is; Gladaman's Den Boozers and Businessmen, think they are still centre of universe in gay Toronto and the rest of new queer neigbourhoods don't exist. It's time they got over this backward thinking. I am happy there is no longer a central gayborhood, not that there ever was, since The Village has moved around the city over the last 40 years. Any place in the city can be gay village. Now that we have four new distinctive queer districts in the City; Queer West Village, Duwest Gay Village (Dundas St. W. ), Parliament Street Gay Village and Leslieville Gay Village in the east end of the City. Questions to think about. Will selling the idea that, Church and Wellesley is a completely new neighbourhood with a gay history or will the idea backfire? Should we let Church & Wellesley Village join the new Four City District Queer Union as the fifth district? Can Church & Wellesley Village ever give up thinking, they are centre of the universe? There are many American cities with more than one gay village, New York and San Francisco to name two. Why not Toronto? Why not unite the five distinctive queer districts in Toronto and tell the world of their uniqueness and stop the crying game. Who's ready to form a special commitee of gay businessmen and community leaders, representing the five districts and make it happen today? I'm ready. How about you? Michel F. Paré, Toronto gay rights activist.
For some gay males condom size does matterTuesday February 16, 2010 OUTeXpressions NewspaperA large minority of male condom users complain that ill-fitting prophylactics are liable to split and break during intercourse and be a sexual turnoff, researchers told Associated Press today. US investigators analysed questionnaires completed by 436 men between the ages of 18 and 67 who had been recruited via ads in newspapers and a blog on the website of a condom sales company.The volunteers had used condoms for vaginal intercourse in the previous three months. A remarkable 44.7 percent of the respondents said they had experiences of condoms that were ill-fitting, the doctors found. Poorly-fitting condoms more than doubled the risk of breakage, slippage, erection loss and difficulty in reaching an orgasm, either by the user or his partner. They were also five times likelier to cause irritation of the penis. Such problems prompted many users to remove the condom before intercourse ended -- a worrying phenomenon in the fight against unwanted pregnancies and sexually-transmitted disease. The work is reported online by the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, published by the British Medical Association (BMA). The researchers, led by Richard Crosby and Bill Yarber at the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction in Indiana, acknowledge that the study may have been limited by self-reported data. Even so, the evidence highlights some worrying problems about the use of condoms, especially as a barrier to sexual pleasure, which made using it a real deterrent for some. It also shows the need for "public health messages" to enjoin men to get the right size of condom, they said. On this point, men -- and condom manufacturers -- will have to deal with the delicate question of penis size, say the authors. For one thing, widespread pornography may have distorted the male self-image, making it harder for some men to accept that they have a less than gigantic member. Average penis length (flaccid/not erect): from 3.4 inches to 3.7 inches (8.6 cm to 9.3 cm)Average penis length (erect): from 5.1 inches to 5.7 inches (12.9 cm to 14.5 cm) Average penis girth (circumference when erect): from 3.5 inches to 3.9 inches (8.8 cm to 10 cm) The packet usually gives measurements of the condoms inside. If your a gay male want smaller rubbers look out for those called ‘trim’ or ‘snug fit’ or these brands – Durex Closefit, Mates Conform, Pasante Trim. If you want wider or longer rubbers look out for those called ‘XL’ or ‘Magnum’ or these brands – Durex Comfort XL (longer and wider), Condomi XXL, Trojan Magnum XL (longer).
Gays and Lesbians Battle Discrimination in SyriaFriday February 12, 2010 This article is from the Institute for War and Peace in the the UK Law and society treat homosexuals as criminals, outcasts or mentally ill. Alaa al-Sayed, 20, is waging a battle for acceptance not just from Syrian society but from his own family since they discovered he is gay. “It’s so difficult to feel that you are a stranger and an outcast even in your own home,” he said. When his parents found out about him after he went out with a man one night, they beat him and locked him in at home. Later, they decided to marry him off, he said. Alaa al-Sayed, 20, is waging a battle for acceptance not just from Syrian society but from his own family since they discovered he is gay. “It’s so difficult to feel that you are a stranger and an outcast even in your own home,” he said. When his parents found out about him after he went out with a man one night, they beat him and locked him in at home. Later, they decided to marry him off, he said.“This is the solution in their opinion. The solution is doing an injustice to a woman for whom I feel no emotional or sexual desire,” he added. Many gay men and women like Sayed lead a life on the margins of Syrian society, which generally sees them as perverts or mentally ill. They also suffer from discrimination on the part of the state that considers homosexual acts as “moral offences” punishable by up to three years in prison. The Syrian penal code prohibits "carnal knowledge against the order of nature", which is mostly used to criminalises sodomy, so lesbians are less liable to be persecuted than gay men. In addition, unlike gay men, lesbians are less likely to go cruising in parks and on the street where they could be caught by the police. While most gay people in Syria prefer to hide their sexual tendencies and submit to social norms or lead a double life, more and more say that they are slowly asserting their right to be different. Some say that they are not afraid to display their sexuality in bars and nightclubs in the way they dress or behave. For many of them, especially young gay men, the internet has helped them to regroup, create a network of social support, and meet others in similar situations. “The internet brought a real change to my life,” said Nouhad Ibrahim, a 21 year-old gay man from Damascus studying economics. “I discovered gay communities from around the world and that made me feel I was not alone in this world.” Online, Syrian homosexuals can find several dating and chatting websites where they can exchange photos and telephone numbers and sometimes fix dates to meet. But some gay men are also using the internet as a platform to demand recognition and respect. A pan-Arab Facebook site aimed at countering the negative stereotypes about homosexuality has more than 400 members including a large presence from Syrian gays. Members of the group say that they are trying to muster support especially from international organisations to show how gay men can contribute to the development of society and do not have lower intellectual capabilities. A separate Facebook group called Syrian Gays has 170 members and is used for chatting and meeting partners rather than as a platform for discussions around homosexuality in the country. But for most gay men, the topic of their homosexuality is still a taboo and so they prefer not to divulge their tendencies in a society that values machismo. Amir, a 24-year-old gay man who works in his father’s clothing shop in Damascus, said that he had to pretend to be very manly in the way he talked and walked during the day. Amir, who refused to give his last name, added that at night among his gay friends he felt more relaxed and able to express his “feminine side”. Syrian gays today say that there are several cafes, bars and nightclubs where they meet in Damascus. Cruising for sexual partners also takes place in certain public squares or gardens during the night. Gay prostitution is also evident at these sites but many say that the places are monitored by the morality police. Individuals who are caught by the police engaging in homosexual acts are often rounded up and sent to court where they generally receive a sentence of few months’ imprisonment. An official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the authorities do not recognise gay rights and homosexuality was rejected by Syrian society and culture. “For gays and lesbians not to be subjected to mistreatment or harassment, they must keep their sexuality concealed,” he said. Dr Jalal Nawfal, a Damascus-based psychiatrist, said that the authorities were only responding to the social and religious realities of Syria, where homosexuality is strongly rejected. He added, however, that the government needed to raise awareness about homosexuality. Although homosexuality is no longer regarded as a psychological disorder in the West, many Syrian psychologists still see gays as mental patients. Some even say that sexual harassment during childhood plays an important role in determining sexual orientation during adulthood. Christian and Muslim clerics who have a strong influence over social attitudes in Syria are more severe in judging homosexuality. According to Mohamad Habash, the head of the Centre for Islamic Studies in Damascus, some Muslim clerics overtly incite the killing of homosexuals. Other less extreme opinions favour providing gays with social support to help them “overcome their illness”, he added. The media in Syria also consolidates the negative stereotyping of homosexuals by publicising stories that link gays to criminal acts or sordid incidents. Last year, for instance, a court sentenced three men to death for killing a diplomatic employee after having sex with him. Media also reported that a young man died after throwing himself from a balcony in the city of Aleppo to escape two men who wanted to rape him. Many gays in Syria believe the spreading of similar stories harms their cause.  Toronto queer youth film festival and juried photography show 2010Friday February 12, 2010 Toronto Ontario. Gay West Community Network Inc (Queer West) is adding a Queer Youth Film Festival their second , last one was held in 2008, August 23. They are also adding a Juried Queer Youth Photography Exhibition (Prizes for Best of Show) The Queer West Youth Film Festival will be held on Saturday August 14, 2010 there is a callout for submissions. A Queer West ShOUTqueer youth by queer youth project that aims to explore and refelct ideas around one’s own location be it a personal, political, completely undefined or transitional space. ShOUT Queer Youth Program and Unconferences are collaborating with Griffen Centre in North York ReachOUT Program “impressive photo portrait project” for the Queer Youth Photo Exhibition.” Festival organizer Michel Pare’ said. The photo exhibition will be held during the Queer West Arts Crawl on Saturday September 18, as Part of the Youth Festival in Parkdale. Toronto’s Queen West Art Crawl is a three-day celebration of creativity. More details to be announced soonest. Queer West Fest 2010 – Official Events www.queerwest.org/queerwestfest_official_events.php Queer West Film Festival 2010 – Submission forms www.queerwest.org/queerwestfilmfest_2010 This projects will be made possible by a partnership with The Queer West Arts
and Cultural Centre and the Griffen Centre in North York ReachOUT Program.  July 19 is Pink Monday in Düsseldorf in 2010A friendly takeover: The largest fair on the Rhine lasts nine days
and is for everyone, but on Monday gays and lesbians rule. 50,000 of them turn
the party up a notch. For more information about Pink Monday, the Fair, and Düsseldorf , please contact: Rainer Perry, 934 8th Avenue 2b, New York, NY 10019, phone: 212 957 6653, fax: 646 419 4070, email: perry.r@duesseldorf-tourismus.de.
 OUTtv Teams up with Queer West shOUT TeamPress Release. Gay West Community Network Inc (Queer West) Tuesday January 26, 2010. Queer West Board of Directors shelved the Java Knights Forum and our Queer Peers Mentoring Program. “Looking back on the history of our first two programs, they were the Model T automobile (Tin Lizzies) of queer public forums.” said the President of Queer West, Michel F. Paré. “Your program may be local, but your topics are of national interest to our 1.5 million (Nielsen numbers) gay and lesbian viewers across North America, we would like to partner with you. “ said David Taylor Senior Director, Broadcast Advertising OUTtv Canada’s Premier National gay and lesbian television Network, during a private meeting with Shout Innovators on Monday January 25, 2010 at OUTtv offices in Toronto ON. The sponsorship package would include future display advertising on the main site. Several one minute spot announcements and interviews with ShOUT guest speakers on national topics of interest. OUTtv’s David Taylor, will be one of the guest speakers on a future topic for discussion: Queer Representation on TV/film. Jaclyn Isen is doing a follow up proposal for David Taylor, outlining future topics and guest speakers . We have moved into the future of queer public forums and programming. Shout has a completely new concept, that queer television audiences and forum attendees will be excited about. OUTtv has new deals in the UK, Europe, and South America. The Project Innovators, Michel F. Paré (Queer West’s Founder and President) and new SHOUT Program Manager and Queer West new Vice President, Jaclyn Isen, started developing the revised concept on Friday December 11, 2009. They are reinventing how gay and lesbian-focused public forums are produced and presented to the community. The long range plan is a weekly drop in program, expanded services, paid staff and volunteers. SHOUT a public forum for Queer Youth and Young Adults. Will offer Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Intersexed, Queer, Questioning and Two-Spirited (LGBTTIQQ2) youth and their friends and allies (ages 18-27) residing in West-Central Toronto with a focus on Parkdale, an innovative series of live monthly events that aim to stimulate a needed community dialogue on a wide range of pertinent topics to them. Thematically-relevant community leaders, scholars, activists and artists will
be invited to act as panelists and performers at each unique event that will
be wholly planned, promoted and facilitated by the Queer West Arts Collective.
In doing so, ShOUT! will provide a safe, supportive and enriching context in
which its participants can foster new knowledge, skills, and above all, meaningful
relationships in their community. a.jpg) Poetry Slam with a Queer Twist coming again in June 2010OUTeXpressions Newspaper poetry event review Monday January 25. The Queer West Arts Collective first night of bent poetry, an evening of queer expressions on Sunday January 24 night was a terrific success. The Press Club a bar at 850 Dundas St. W. holds 50 and 50 came. The Patio was closed, due to chilly rainy weather, it holds another 30. Some of best queer artists in city were performing Phlip Arima, Parul Pandya, Nicki Ward, Philip Cairns, Kirk DeMatas, Yehuda Fisher, Jay Stewart, David Bateman and Duncan Armstrong. I never met any of the eight (Poets) before Sunday. They were all virtual Facebook friends. Now they are not. Philip Cairns I do know, was the MC. All the door money went to performers, enough for a few pints of beer. The artist sold few chap books; some gave a copy away to fans and admirers. I went home with three poetry books; one I paid $17.50 for, but it was worth it. All the performers want to do Poetry Night again in a couple of months, maybe in June. Most of the performers identify with Church St. gay village. Being welcomed in new queer space in the west end of the city was a pleasant surprise. Next time we will expand the event to including musicians and more poets and spoken word artists. - Michel F. Paré, event organizer. |
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