Vancouver’s Red Dress Ball and a Night on the Town

I love Friday nights in a big city! Normally a hot night on the town where I live is a movie release in our only theatre, maybe dinner out by the water, or a concert - nothing to sneeze at of course - but it certainly doesn’t compete with the city for getting out and rubbing shoulders with all the GLBT glitterati. Especially those in drag!

My friend Sandy and I started out in a great new hot lounge space on Granville Street downtown: The Space Lounge. This was an impulse stop, like much in my life these days, and I still can’t decide if it was my four-inch stilettos that drove me in, or the four gorgeous women in black at the entrance who drew me in. There’s nothing like a long open back on a summer little-black-dress to catch the eye, feet be damned!

The Space Lounge has a great decor, even if it did take me back a bit to the eighties, and the tapas menu has some interesting choices, such as ‘Space Poutine’, chilled prawns with wasabi and coconut dipping sauce, and my favorite, crispy tuna with a licorice soy glaze. I’m a huge tuna fan, so that was a very different approach to an old standard. The martini list is extensive and eclectic. We were in around 8pm and it was a reasonably quiet spot to have a great cocktail and share the tapas, but I can imagine it gets rocking later in the evening.

Red Dress Ball does not disappoint

After noshing and imbibing, we sauntered off (there is no imagining me sauntering in those tootsie-torturing little booties) to the Commodore Ball Room for the 7th Annual Red Dress Ball, a benefit for the GLBA Foundation Youth Scholarship Fund.

Presented this year by TD Canada Trust (that reminds me of the great shot I got at the 2006 Pride Parade in Vancouver showing a horizontal groin group picture of some buff young lads in rainbow hued jockeys and TD tattoos on their chests; I sent it to my father, a long-time and conservative TD Bank customer with the tagline: “Not just your father’s bank anymore”. Ha ha. He never replied.) and KPMG, with a long list of impressive sponsors (Global BC, Xtra West, WE etc), the entrance was everything one might wish for in a grand ball. Red carpet, delightfully attractive actors in 1930’s bank robber & moll garb, camera flashes popping, and gorgeously decked out attendees everywhere. Of course, Sandy and I are included in the latter. Ahem.

Resplendent in our red and black, we entered the ballroom to find a bar and soiree area packed with men in dresses and ball gowns, women in tuxes, and all manner of garb in between. The silent auction drew a consistent crowd, and Sandy and I posed with two of the outfits harkening back to olden days (I feel positively ancient) while we sipped champagne, nibbled on delicious appetizers (okay, et them in two bites) and listened Five Alarm Funk go crazy on stage.

Beautiful optical thread lamps and red bags dotted the tables. It was beautiful!

I’m awaiting the final report from GLBA Executive Director Barry Goheen for total number of attendees and funds raised, and will update the post as soon as I have it. It’s on the calendar already for next year as one of the must-attend events of the season!

Read more: Gay and Lesbian Business Association of BC

International Conference on Gay & Lesbian Tourism

2008’s conference, held in beautiful Vancouver, in one of the most beautiful seasons of the year for British Columbia - early fall - promises to be serious brain food and strategizing for any business catering to the gay and lesbian traveler market.

Now in its ninth year, and produced by Community Marketing Inc., the Gay Market Research and Development Lab, the International Conference on Gay & Lesbian Tourism will be held at the Sheraton Wall Centre from October 5-8, combining diverse topics and a varied cross-section of attendees to create an absolutely must-attend event this year.

Topics include: trends and tracking, online/Internet marketing, community involvement programs, LGBT niche markets (I can’t wait to hear more about that one), press relations, direct and print marketing. There is also a one-day Travel Expo for exhibitors and service providers to the GLBT market, part of the annual schedule for the HX Gay & Lesbian Travel Expo circuit, which is marketed both independently and in conjunction with the international conference.

Special conference hotel rates are available, as are discounted multi-attendee registrations for organizations or companies sending more than one person.

For more information, please visit the Community Marketing Site conference page.

Review: Ask Joanne

When I was married, and my husband and I were trying so desperately to figure out what was going on in our marriage, why I cried every time we had sex or had to be drunk, we each had sites that were great resources to us at the time.

Joanne Fleisher, who wrote the now-Oprahcized book, Living Two Lives: A guide for Married Women Awakening to their Attraction to Other Women also created an online resource in the form of a moderated discussion board, for married women to work through the process of questioning, coming out, evaluating their current relationships, and deciding how to move forward. There is a companion board for the single gay girlfriends, who have their own unique issues and perceptions to deal with when in relationship with a married woman.

Aside from the dated appearance and hodgepodge header area on the board, it can be an effective tool for any woman who suddenly finds herself blindsided by an attraction to a specific woman, or women in general. The stories on the board run the gamut from wondering whether the attraction is part of a bisexual nature and therefore can be managed within the current heterosexual relationship, to women who have come to the absolute stop sign in their lives that says, “hey, you’re same-sex attracted and it explains all the issues you’ve had around intimacy with your spouse, and now what are you going to do?”.

Another good thing about this board is that the moderator, and indeed many of the participants, don’t take a stock approach which can often consist of telling the married woman she MUST come out, MUST leave her marriage, is copping out if she stays, etc. Given that coming out can have enormous ramifications for every area of a woman’s life, especially in the US (Canada is a bit more tolerant policy-wise), risking economic disaster and/or devastating legal bills, the loss of custody of minor children, health care coverage… it’s no small thing to just say, “come out, the weather’s fine”. Often women are wise to work through the attractions, which can be physically and emotionally all-encompassing, and get to the reality check and planning/implementation stage for a move. Those girl scouts have it right when they say ‘be prepared.’

The moderation is spotty - at times one or two women will dominate the board for a period and get into those unfortunate catfights many of us have little patience for… frankly, when you don’t know whether you’re going to live or die for a while just out of emotional and psychological stress, ego-driven flamewars are particularly ill-timed and obnoxious.

Still, it made the difference to me, just to find a community of women who felt much like I did, were willing to share and hold each other up through times of intense transition. If you are a married woman struggling to find your way, stop in and peruse the board. Membership is free. The book is also highly recommended.

Bulletin Board Link: Ask Joanne
 

Laurie McConnell - Bigpacific.com/Bad Dog Design Inc.

Well, I am the editor of QReview.ca, but that’s just one title in what seems to be a growing list!

My main gig is http://www.bigpacific.com, a site about the Sunshine Coast of BC. I started it in 1997, way back in the day, and it’s been my pastime, my vocation, my joy ever since. Over 2000 pages of content and images later, it’s the “official” site of the Sunshine Coast and has outlived and outlasted many other competitors… I think out of sheer will and passion.

My other role has me creating and maintaining web sites for a diverse clientele, mostly on the Sunshine Coast - but that’s not by choice. After coming out two years ago, I’m slowly moving towards serving the GLBT business market for web design. After all, your designer can be anywhere these days. I specialize in small business, template-driven web sites that can be edited by their owners - they’re fast to go up, affordable, and easy to maintain.  That’s the www.baddogdesign.com part.

A third hat is as Sales & Marketing Manager for the Internet’s #1 Photography Resource - www.photographytips.com, started by my very good friend, Dan McCormick. It’s a membership-driven site with everything you can imagine for aspiring and professional photographers, written in easy to understand language. We also sell and ship worldwide our “Posing Guide” CD and our “Guide to Posing the Female Model” ringbound pocket guide to posing for professional photographers.

And now here comes QReview. Life is just too short not to make the most of it. If I can help you with anything out of these areas, don’t be too shy to write! info@qreview.ca is where to send it.

 

Duane Burnett - Photographer

Interview with Duane Burnett, May 2008.
 
So you’re a Sunshine Coast BC photographer extraordinaire. How long have you been doing photography?
As soon as I could hold a camera. Can’t keep away from them!

Tell me about your history.
I grew up as a community volunteer very concerned about the planet earth, particularly wetlands and estuaries in the Fraser River Delta. Came to the Sunshine Coast and never left.

What’s your best moment as a gay man?
Producing, directing and hosting community television shows education and entertaining the public about AIDS.

What do you love about living on the Sunshine Coast?
The spirit of the Sunshine Coast people and its gorgeous scenery.

What’s your favorite subject in photography?
Gorgeous things, which well, I am in love with the planet so I think everything is beautiful.

What sets you apart from other photographers?
I have a dynamic fun friendly funny personality that makes people at ease and laugh and smiling which brings out the best of them and translates into a wonderful photo.

Do you have a web site?
Of course - www.duaneburnett.com

What’s one fascinating thing about you that almost no one knows?
I was found floating in a wicker basket in the slough amongst the reeds.

What’s your best characteristic, and your worst?
I am compassionate, loyal, understanding, forgiving, loving, joyful, easy going but don’t push your luck as I eventually will snap and then that’s it, some call it stubbornness. LOL

What trait do you admire most in your friends?
I really love friends who are funny and exciting, intelligent, creative, dynamic, spiritual and can be having lots of crazy fun or just as comfortable sitting quietly and still.

If you had to go to a desert island, a la Survivor, what is the one thing you would bring with you?
Pocket knife like a swiss knife with all the blades and fixings on it.

Favorite book, movie, meal
I have a lot of favourite spiritual books which I read every morning with my coffee. My fave movie, hmm, Mary Poppins, fave meal, toss up between pepperoni pizza and anything seafood and steak like lobster, prawns, crab.

Best gay event you’ve ever been to?
I don’t go to a lot of gay events but I would say the Vancouver Pride parade is fun.