EDITOR’S COMMENT Being a gay man from another African country where dictatorship rather than democracy prevails, I am fully aware of the need for vigilance when it comes to the protection of all civil and human rights. The functioning of any democracy depends upon it, and no citizen should ever become complacent. But with rights come responsibility. We must participate in the process. We have a duty to vote. We must inform and be informed. We must act when necessary, step back and take a deep breathe when we have to, and be strategic when we need to be. By definition, any feudal body consisting of tribal leaders, whether it is the House of Traditional Leaders or the Curia, is going to be patriarchal, conservative, resistant to change and reactionary. So it is no surprise that they would want to return to a romanticised past where gays remained invisible. Of course the traditional leaders would like to amend the Constitution to remove sexual orientation protection. They would probably prefer that there was no Constitution at all to amend. Perhaps this group of old men has no place in a modern constitutional democracy, but really how influential are they? Of course they should be taken to task for suggesting the amendment in the first place, but we really should be careful of over-reacting. We have inadvertently given them prominence they do not warrant. And while we need to protect the Constitution, sexual orientation is but one of many issues we should be concerned with. Human and civil rights are indivisible. Congratulations to Malawi’s new president Joyce Banda for wanting to overturn her country’s anti gay laws. And thanks to UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay for her wonderful speech defending gay rights and at least trying to talk to Zimbabwe’s patriarchs. This issue we interview Shimmy Isaacs, the funniest woman in South Africa, and up and coming playwright Neil Coppen. We see how the novel Moffie becomes a ballet and talk to the newest dance sensation, The Skinny Bitches. We remember Disco Diva Donna Summer and show some really Hot Stuff in our fashion spread. We talk to some of the Gray Gays, examine the Olympic Closet, re-visit Cape Town Pride and broadcast the first ever SA Leather Pride. We keep you up to date with the latest in motoring, food, music, theatre, books, film, health and fitness. Remember, winter is shorter than you think! Evan Tsouroulis
published by: Patterson Publications P.O. Box 397, Sea Point 8060 Tel/Fax: 021 434 6034 E-mail: outmagafrica@telkomsa.net evan@outafricamag.co.za Advertising Sales: Tommy Patterson 082 562 3358 Robert Simpson 072 266 7051
MANAGING EDITOR: Tommy Patterson Contributors:
Daniel Dercksen Glenn de Swardt John French Gary Hopkins Genevieve le Coq Gabriela Marquez Tim Owen Jarred Plu’g Veri Dre Sweet Additional Photography: Barry Reid, Danie Bornman Printed by ABC Press, Cape Town
Copyright: All articles, stories, interviews and other materials in OUT Africa Magazine are the copyright of the publication or are reproduced with permission from other copyright owners. All rights are reserved. No articles, stories, interviews and other materials may be copied, modified, published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written permission of OUT Africa Magazine or Patterson Publications.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments in this publication are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of OUT Africa Magazine or any employee thereof. OUT Africa Magazine and Patterson Publications cc., will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in any information contained in the publication.
CONTENTS INTERVIEWS
24
4 SHIMMY SHAKE: SA’s funniest woman 10 MEET THE SKINNY BITCHES: The energetic performers that took Pride by storm 24 KAMIKAZE PASSION: Writer/Director Neil Coppen shares a few thoughts
FASHION 26-27: HOT SUFF: Hot winter looks to keep out the cold
REVIEWS 42 OUT TO LUNCH: Some like it hot 45 MUSIC MOVES: A look at the latest sounds around. 46 OUT ON FILM: What to miss on the circuit...and what not to! 47 WORD PERFECT: Book reviews 48 ON STAGE: The performing arts all over South Africa
26 SCENE OUT 28 - 35 Who’s been spotted out and about the party scene
28 FEATURES 1 EDITORS COMMENT: 2 MY 15 MINUTES OF INFAMY: by Tim Owens 3 WHO’S YOUR DADDY: Cape Town’s quirky boutique hotel 5 SAY NO TO PAROLE: Sign to keep these murderers in jail! 6 THE BUZZ: News, snippets & gossip 8 A SEXY ALL-ROUNDER: The new Audi Q3 13 ELEGANCE HAS A NAME - Renault Megane 14 THE INVISIBILITY OF GAY OLYMPIANS: 16 10 THINGS ABOUT BRANDLEY GALLANT: Getting to know Mr Gay Pride 2012 16 CHRONICLES OF A DRAG QUEEN: More gos from Ms Gabriella Marquez 17 OUT OF THE RED: Pride makes up it’s shortfall 17 PRIDE DATES TO DIARISE 18 ENDLESS SUMMER: Tribute to the late disco diva 20 OUTING AGEISM: John French looks at the pink prejudice 21 DJ DAWID’S TEN WINTER DANCE FLOOR SCORCHERS 22 WINTER FOR WHAT? Keeping in shape with Jarred Plu’g 34 ALL LUBED UP: Mens health issues - focusing on lube 36 MORE ACTION AT AMSTERDAM: Amsterdam Action Bar expands 37 JO’BURG’S NEWEST & HOTTEST GAY STORE 38 HANKY PANKY: What are those hanky codes all about? 38 LEATHER PRIDE COMES TO SOUTH AFRICA 39 FETISH WEAR FOR THE UNINHIBITED 40 THE VERI SWEET LETTERS: KZN’s latest gossip 41 A GYPSY DISCOVERS GAYPIER: by Genevieve Le Coq 43 OLD FRIENDS GET A MAKE OVER 44 MOFFIE: A look at the dance adaptation of Andre Carl v/d Merwe’s book Cover Model: Neil Viljoen - Photo: Thomas Holder
Mag 1
MY 15 MINUTES OF INFAMY
I
by Tim Owen
think it is absolutely unacceptable to put off something you don’t want to do until tomorrow – unless putting it off till the day after is completely out of the question. I think it might be safe to say that I am the world’s most accomplished procrastinator, at least when it comes to things I don’t want to do. If it’s buying a new 3D HD flat screen too big to fit in my lounge, I get very sulky if it’s not in my possession by the end of the day that I decided I needed it. If it really doesn’t fit in my lounge then we’ll just have to have the entrance hall wall removed – on the same day, of course. In 1990 my new year’s resolution was to write a novel. In 2010 I got around to doing it, but only because I was bored of my flat screen TV and could think of nothing better to do. I wrote it. Then I got it published. Then I got it into our local Exclus1ve Books. The End.
Did you spot the problem? It was the part about “the end”, see, cos what’s supposed to come next is the frenzied sales, people fighting over the last copy, urgent email’s flying off to distributors, groupies camping outside my house (which won’t go down well with the neighbours, just FYI) and of course, thick bundles of royalty cheques. Having been a professional IT geek for most of my life, I did what came naturally which was to do a root cause analysis and come up with a few proposed solutions. My final assessment of the situation was the fact that the book was classified as a gay novel. Firstly, and absolutely no offense intended to gay literature, but Aaron Bradley, Closet Detective is not a gay book, it is simply a book with a couple of gay characters in it. Who fall in love. And shag a bit. I set out to test this theory. This next part is not something I’m particularly proud of, but I wanted sales, and I wanted them now. So, I went into my local Exclus1ve books and redistributed all but one of the copies onto the Mag 2
straight shelves, glancing guiltily at the security cameras embedded not so discreetly in the ceiling. The fact that nobody apprehended me for suspicious behaviour can only lead me to conclude that they were not monitoring the security feed at that particular moment. I mean, obviously the best thing to do when you are misbehaving is to act natural, but somehow that advice just isn’t accessible to the brain when you are actually up to mischief. Acting far too nonchalant, but heroically managing to resist the urge to whistle in a carefree manner, I withdrew some arbitrary book from the “O” section, glanced briefly at the back cover before putting it back, slipping mine down alongside it with Houdini’s sleight of hand. I then repeated the procedure in the New Arrivals section, and the Popular South African Fiction section. I may have whistled a bit towards the end there. The net result? When I went back the following week, all the copies on the straight shelves were gone, but the single copy I had left in the gay section was still there. At least, until I accosted the man who was browsing nearby and insisted he buy it, even producing my I.D. to prove I was the author. He bought it, but didn’t even bother to ask me to autograph it, the boytch*. Like I said, I’m not proud of myself. I felt like a literary whore. Realising how pathetic this was, I decided I needed to try something less degrading, so I hired a publicist. Being a bit of a fag-hag, Grace loved Aaron and was so excited after reading it that she promptly distributed copies to all her contacts in the industry. Pretty soon, she got me my first public interview – it was with SAFM. The first sign of trouble was when I arrived at the studios and the producer told me how brave I was for doing this. At my quizzical look, she explained that the SAFM audience might be, well,
just a little bit homophobic. “Brace yourself,” she said with a mordant smile as she closed the studio door behind me with a solid whump. (I just discovered the word mordant this week and have been itching to use it – humour me). The feeling was similar to that of the Christians after they were led into the arena and heard the metal cage door clang shut behind them just before the lions were let in. Maybe not exactly like that, but I’m sure it’s close. Karabo introduced me and we chatted briefly about the book before she opened the lines. First caller. “Hi Karabo. I just want to say that I’m not a judgemental person, but I really don’t like gays. They’re just not natural. Thank you.” And he hung up. Well, that wasn’t too bad I thought. At least he had good manners. “Callers, I just want to remind you that we are talking about Tim Owen’s book, Aaron Bradley, and not about gay people,” Karabo said before taking the next call. “Tell me Tim, what’s it like being a paedophile?” Dave from Springs wanted to know. Taken aback, and more than a little confused by the question, the best caustic comeback I could muster was, “I beg your pardon?” “Well,” Dave from Springs reasoned out loud, “’gay’ really is just another word for paedophiles who molest boys instead of girls, isn’t it? Everybody knows that you people
infiltrate schools to harvest your victims. If I had….” Click. “Oops,” said Karabo, off air. “Sorry Dave, but we seem to have lost your call. Let’s take a small ad break before we get back to the lines,” she said. A few minutes later, the third call. “I think it is completely unacceptable that you cut Dave off when all he was doing was voicing an opinion. That’s all I want to say,” and he hung up. Fourth call. “Hi, this is Dave from Springs again, I think we got cut off.” Now, it is generally considered bad practice in writing to have uninterrupted “dialogue” from a single character for more than a paragraph or two, unless you are William Shakespeare in which case they just invent the word soliloquy, and call you a genius. For this reason I’m not going to transcribe the entire phone call, which continued on until the end of my allotted 15 minutes on air. His last words were: “I know all about you, I was molested by a man when I was a ten,” and of course it suddenly all made perfect sense. Even though I should have seen it coming, I was shocked but before I could say something, anything, Karabo ended the interview and thanked me for coming in. Just as well too, because what exactly do you say to that? Suggest therapy? Mention that most of my gay friends had similar experiences? I don’t think any of this would have been at all helpful to Dave, or to me, or to the homosexual community as a whole. I have to admit that I left the studios feeling a little bruised and battered, and completely unhappy with how I handled the situation. Living in the hub of cosmopolitan Johannesburg, I had grown complacent, taken my right to homosexuality for granted, forgetting that in some parts of the world, even some reaches of my own city, homophobia and misinformation are still rife. I’m not used to having to be on the defensive anymore, and I had not been prepared for the assault. Slowly, it dawned on me that before I can become fabulously famous for my writing, I have to address the community’s biases towards me, and what I as an individual represent to them. We have plenty of gay icons and role models, but that are all for the gay community. Suddenly it felt like I was being forced to be a gay representative in the straight community, and that’s not what I signed up for. Why should it be? I just want to write, and sell books, and be recognised for my ability to tell a story, not be judged and criticized for who I am. Yes, I am whining. In the end, I figured out that the best thing to do is to keep on writing, and to do my damndest to impress with my work. I was over the whole publicity thing. So, if anybody should feel compelled to buy Aaron Bradley, Closet Detective, let me just save you a bit of time by mentioning that the best place to look for it will be under New Arrivals, in the middle of the top shelf, obscuring the latest effort from Sidney Sheldon. Boytch n: A bitchy male, usually of the homosexual variety. Read the review Tim’s latest novel, The Killing Cycle on Page 47. Both Tim’s novels can be bought online from amazon.com & amazon.co.uk
WHO’S YOUR DADDY?
T
here are lots of reasons to love the Grand Daddy Hotel, the quirky hotel in Cape Town’s Long St, just a short stroll from the Gay Village. It is a historic landmark which opened its doors in 1895 as the Hotel Metropole, until it became the Grand Daddy. The vintage elevator is the oldest operational lift in Cape Town. It has a Trailer Park on its roof – albeit a luxury one with Airstream caravans. How’s that for unparalleled camp value? No wait… there’s also the Pink Flamingo open-air cinema screening cult classics on the roof. More gorgeousness and opulence await in the rooms, bars and restaurants. But now there’s more reason to love your Daddy. The hotel has embarked on a series of Pink Parties and Events to tickle you pink. Saturday night is party night in the Daddy Cool Bar and Versace Cocktail Lounge (formerly the very popular MBar), with great music, cocktails and tapas, from 9.00pm till late. Sundays are Tea Party days on the roof from 1100am to 9pm with free shooters on arrival, sexy boys and lots of other daddy surprises. Bloody Mary, anyone? DJ Craig, formerly of the Bronx, will be laying down the beats at both events. The Grand Daddy is well on its way to become the funkiest gayfriendly venue in the city centre with more special events in the pipeline For more information visit www.granddaddy.co.za or like the Grand Daddy Hotel page on Facebook.
WIN
A lucky reader can win one night for two in either a room or luxury trailer. The prize includes cocktails and dinner for two. All you have to do is answer this simple question: “Which popular gay bar was the granddaddy of the Daddy Cool Bar?” Send us an e-mail with the subject “Grand Daddy” to outmagafrica@telkomsa.net before 25 July for a chance to win. Ts & Cs apply. Mag 3
Stand up comedian, writer, producer and actor Shimmy Isaacs has been called the funniest woman in South Africa as well as being described as being “beyond politically correct”.
SHIMMY SHAKE
Born and raised in Worcester, Western Cape, Shimmy Isaacs has gone from runaway teen to one of Cape Town’s most entertaining and skilled comedy female performers. She is an AFDA Film School Honours Graduate who has also studied at the Black Nexus School of Performance in New York City. She has worked with many of the country’s top comedians such as Marc Lottering, Marianne Thamm and Alan Committee. Her awards include Best Production “Dens Wit Me” Ikwezi Baxter in 2009: Best Production “Allie Pad Funny Worcester” Ikwezi Baxter in 2011; and most recently she walked off with the Best Theatrical Solo Performer Award at the KYKNET Fiesta in February. She appears regularly at Jou Ma Se Comedy Club in Observatory, Cape Town. Shimmy recently came to our attention during Cape Town Pride. We caught up with her to find out more about her. Mag 4
OUT: You headlined at the Pride Comedy Night at Beefcakes to a mainly gay audience. Is there a difference between gay and straight audiences? Does your material change according to who is in your audience? Shimmy: What the fuck? I don’t have any gay jokes! It was mostly gay male. They were just another audience and my material does not change whether someone is gay or not. But you do have to adapt to the environment where you do your standup. Every performance develops from my stand-up material at the time and there is nothing more engaging than the truth. I don’t define myself by sexuality, I’m a Christian, I’m traditional. I think it is important that aspects of our lives need to be addressed and comedy is one of the genres that give a platform. I am good at letting people fill in the blanks. Don’t underestimate the intelligence of your audience. Different kinds of people do react differently. We are cool as a gay community, and we are ready to move on. Others need to get on with it. I would like to see more diversity within the spectrum of the performing arts. Everything in my art has to have an impact on society. OUT: What’s in your handbag? Shimmy: It’s not a handbag! This is a business briefcase for artists who take themselves seriously. Notes, scraps of paper, cell phone, certified copies of my ID, and an old laptop. I’m still looking for the internet button on it! My girlfriend says I’m her clutch bag OUT: Tell us what not to wear this winter? Shimmy: OMG……underwear, I swear to you! I find not wearing any makes me look slimmer & makes me feel I can bend down & touch. But if you are a size 36D Cup, you do want to get some kind of support like an Over the Shoulder Boulder Holder or a Cross-My- Heart OUT: Gaga or Madonna? Shimmy: Jirre, never Gaga. Madonna was my salvation when I was growing up in Worcester; I was very sad and depressed when I still lived there. I felt I was born on the wrong planet. She was a revelation to me at a time when I struggled with my religion. She changed the way people think about entertainment along with religion. You can’t ignore who you are. She made that statement in the 80s. Gaga tries too hard. OUT: Were you always funny? Shimmy: Coloured people are funny & I’m Coloured so yes. I am proud of being Coloured, proud of where I come from and proud of my family. I did have an identity crisis growing up and the only way you can get over it is if you have information. I later discovered my Khoisan roots and developed my sense of pride. We have great humour in this country. My comedy is based on race and culture. We never heard the world racism in my house, so when I was exposed it, I embraced it and used it in my art. OUT: Did you think that you would be a comedian? Shimmy: I love making people laugh, but I’m critical about what I’m saying, Being gay is only part of who I am. We need to confront our stereotypes. I am known as a comedian but I majored in film and studied the craft of performance. I write and produce everything I do, making sure that I have ownership of the creative process. It is time we take ownership of our own stories. I was a runaway kid on the streets but I knew I was destined for better things. My circumstances would not determine who I would become. Education and my knowledge would get me out not of just the ’hood, but up here.
SAY NO TO PAROLE On the 16th April 2006, Brett Goldin and Richard Bloom were kidnapped, robbed at gun-point and ultimately murdered. The perpetrators were quickly brought to justice and convicted. Two of the individuals involved in this heinous crime had applied for parole, but were turned down due to the efforts of the Goldin & Bloom families. However it has now been discovered that offenders Nurshad Davids and Jade Wyngaard received six months special remission of sentence from the Presidential Amnesty of 27 April 2012, and that there will be a further parole board hearing on 4th July. This appalling development is a travesty of justice and now there is a further petition to keep the perpetrators behind bars. If you want to see justice prevail please sign the petition at: www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/criminalsbehindbars OUT: Do gay people need to a sense of humour to survive? Shimmy: LOLOLOLOL! No they need a sense of mind. OUT: Who is your role model/inspiration? Shimmy: My mom is my muse in everything I do. Every character I do comes from her core of values. But she’s not my role model because she doesn’t act. There are people whose work I appreciate. I look at myself and allow that to be my model of the day or year. We are missing as South Africans the little things. We always look outside for inspiration. Why write about something you don’t know? The greatest gift my parents gave me was to teach me to think for myself. I make my own opinions OUT: Who’s the funniest person in South Africa? Shimmy: Oooh! My family
Mag 5
THE BUZZ O SKYFALL
CALL ME KUCHU
ne of the highlights at the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival is a film about the stories of ordinary gay Ugandans, or “kuchus”, fighting for their communities – and for their lives. Among them is activist David Kato, one of the few who dares to publicly protest statesanctioned homophobia. Working with an idiosyncratic clan of fellow activists, David fights Uganda’s government and tabloids in the courts, on television, and at the United Nations. Because, he insists, “if we keep on hiding, they will say we’re not here.” The film explores the background to Uganda’s homophobia. But one year into filming Call Me Kuchu, David is brutally murdered in his home. His death sends shockwaves around the world, and leaves Kampala’s kuchus traumatised. Beyond the tragedy of Kato’s death, the film tells the nuanced story of David and Kampala’s kuchus as they work to change their fate, and that of other kuchus across Africa. A story told in his words, David Kato’s final testimony lives on in this film. Call me Kuchu won the Teddy Award 2012 at the Berlin International Film Festival Teddy Award 2012 and the Hot Docs Best International Feature 2012.
The Encounters Festival happens from 7-24 June at NuMetro V&A Waterfront and The Fugard Theatre in Cape Town and NuMetro Hyde Park and The Bioscope Independent Cinema in Johannesburg. Mag 6
D
ishy Daniel Craig is back as James Bond, everyone’s favourite secret agent. In Skyfall, Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. As usual, the action is gripping and the eye candy sweet. Directed by Sam Mendes of American Beauty Fame. In SA later in the year
all social sanctions and mores. When the film came out in 1982 it was revolutionary in a subversive way – straight man Blake Edwards making a film with his wife Julie Andrews, a camp icon to a generation of gay men, about homosexuality and gender confusion. The film set in the Depression–era Parisian demimonde, is one constant rebuttal of stereotypes using comedy and music. Blake Edwards, director of the original Pink Panther series, was one of the funniest men in Hollywood and Victor/Victoria has some hilarious Clouseau-esque moments, as well as some spectacular song and dance numbers. There are some fantastic performances from Robert Preston as Victoria’s Svengali, Toddy, and from Lesley Ann Warren at her ditzy best. To celebrate its 30th Anniversary, this classic gets a welcome release on DVD
BITCHES BE CRAZY
VICTOR/VICTORIA TURNS 30
T
here is a marvellous moment in Victor/Victoria where macho, red blooded all American James Garner is about to snog Julie Andrews, a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be in woman, telling him/her: “I don’t care if you are a man.” Julie Andrews replies “But I’m not a man”. Garner retorts “I still don’t care” and kisses Vic again. It is such a wonderful scene because it shows that in the end desire and attraction transcends
G
rahamstown will never be the same again! The sleepy Eastern Cape university town is going to get crazier than usual this winter when comedian and 2oceansVibe Radio DJ Rhys Woods takes his two wacky bad-ass drag personae to the National Arts Festival. Yes, foul-mouthed New York lesbian nu-punk rock legend Mary Scary and Namibian socialite and biltong heiress Champagne le Roux will be starring in Bitches be Crazy, the drag rock show that will challenge all you though you new about drag shows. Grahamstown National Arts Festival, 6 Shows 28, 29, 30 June 1, 2, 3 July
KYLIE’S SILVER JUBILEE
a continuing series of surprises, worldwide. As part of her Silver Jubilee, Kylie has released The Best of Kylie Minogue, on a Special Edition CD/DVD, featuring 21 of her best known songs.
3 OF THE BEST AT OIA
N I
t’s a year since Kylie Minogue was in South Africa and enchanted us with her fabulous Aphrodite Concert. This July marks the 25th Anniversary of the release of Kylie’s first single, The Loco-Motion. She is celebrating this milestone all year with an eclectic program of musical releases, concerts, collaborations, publications, merchandise, film and other surprises. She recently headlined The Mardi Gras in Sydney before immediately embarking upon her bold and much anticipated Anti Tour. The Princess of Pop performed for the Queen’s Jubilee in front of Buckingham Palace, and will be headlining Proms in the Park, followed by
ot to be missed at the forthcoming second edition of the 19th Out in Africa Gay & Lesbian Film Festival: Cloudburst This winner of 10 Awards (and counting), will have its African Première at OIA. Directed by Thom Fitzgerald (Hanging Garden, Beefcake) this film is a hilarious road movie filled with truth and humanity. Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker are outstanding as an ageing lesbian couple. Keep the Lights On Described by Variety as “a gay ‘Scenes from a Marriage’, and by Salon as “gorgeous” and “wrenching,” this film charts the progress of a fraught decadelong relationship between two men in New York. Directed by Ira Sachs, the film was first screened at Sundance and went on to win the prestigious 2012 Teddy Award in Berlin. Kaboom Directed by Gregg Araki (Mysterious Skin), this movie is a horny, druggy,
conspiracy-fuelled college comedy packed with everything that makes Araki Araki: genius insults, conspiracy theories, drugs, sex, blood, barf, and apocalyptic twists & turns that result in true genreless-ness! Winner of the first ever Queer Palm at Cannes in 2012. OUT IN AFRICA SA GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL Nu Metro – V&A Waterfront, CT & Hyde Park, JHB, 27th July – 5th August 2012
Mag 7
AUDI Q3 A SEXY ALL-ROUNDER By Lex Lovemore
Motoring Journalism. It’s not exactly a profession that would garner an episode on Discovery Channel’s “Worst Job’s in the World” program, is it? To the contrary, I’m sure Jeremy Clarkson, even with his bad hair and terrible style, is one of the most envied men on the planet. Just imagine the plethora of cars at your disposal, each filled to the brim with fuel and for the most part lacking licence plates. I mean really, how hard can it be? All you have to do is drive some or other manufacture’s new car on various routes - through town, on a freeway, maybe a little jaunt up Signal Hill, and most definitely a very slow cruise past the Pink Strip to show how cool you are. Next you find some pretty little spot on the peninsula, snap a few pretty pictures of the car from a bunch of different angles. Then finally you bang out a quick article, fill it up with nonsense about the car - what you liked about it and what you didn’t like, drop in a joke or two to keep everyone entertained, e-mail it off to the magazine and voila, your work is done! And, with a blind enthusiasm reminiscent of Catherine Tate I thought to myself “I can do that!” and hatched a plan…
S
o there I was, holding up the bar with the editor of this fine magazine, plying him with Jagermiester, extolling my virtues, and telling him I was the perfect man for the job. “l love cars!” I stated (who doesn’t really), “I aced English at high school!” (a blatant lie), and so it continued until he finally relented. “Fine”, he told me, “you can do the test, just don’t bugger it up!” And while I was 90% sure the only reason he gave in was so that I would leave him in peace, I didn’t care, I was getting my hands on a sexy new car for a weekend! Two long weeks later, in the work parking lot, stood said car. I was to be entrusted with Audi’s latest offering, (thanks to Audi Claremont), the Q3. It’s their brand new baby SUV, designed to take on BMW’s X1 and on looks alone, it thrashes the X1 by a country mile. Taught, with a high waist line, Audi’s design language translates perfectly. The Audi Claremont rep, Marais van der Merwe, (a hottie) reluctantly handed me the keys, Mag 8
diplomatically informing me that I was covered by Audi’s insurance. But after seeing the glint in my eye, added “please don’t crash it, it’s the only one we have at the moment!” Putting on my most angelic face, I promised to look after it. I don’t think he was convinced. After a long night at work, I leapt into the Q3 and headed home. I intended covering every corner of the peninsular the next morning, but right then, I needed my bed! After the uneventful 2km journey, I stood under the moon staring at the Q3. It was an eerily quiet evening, punctuated by the soft hissing of what I thought was the fuel pump still running. Wait a minute! It shouldn’t run after the car is turned off, and why the hell was the car lowering in front of me? My heart sank as I noticed the glint of a 2 inch nail imbedded in the tread! I went to sleep with Marais’ words still ringing in my ears and resolved to fix this little speed bump in the morning when I was fresh. Unfortunately, it
was less of a little speed bump and more brick wall. First light found me rummaging through the boot, digging out the various paraphernalia needed to change a tyre, confident of a quick fix. And then it all started to go wrong. The spare is a biscuit tyre, with DON’T DRIVE OVER 80km/h emblazoned on the rim. While I know these are used to save space, my cool rating would be severely hampered by driving around on a something so thin Lance Armstrong wouldn’t even have it on his racing bike! The next and much larger stumbling block came when I couldn’t find the lock-nut key to remove the last wheel nut. As I was now sure my first road test may also turn out to be my last, I swallowed my pride and called Audi Assist, who were also well and truly stumped as to where to find the lock-nut key. This car is so new not even they had seen one! Within 10 minutes however, Audi Claremont had sent someone to help me out, and before you could say “Gay in Distress” the Q3 was back on four wheels (well three and a half!). The rest of the day was spend tiptoeing around the city, petrified that I would do something else to damage the car and making sure I drove past any trendy spots with the good side showing. A quick cruise up to the Noon Day Gun over the Bo Kaap’s notoriously bumpy cobblestones to take some photographs, (which now had to be taken from rather precise angles to hide the gimp wheel!) caused my heart rate to increase
exponentially. But by the end of the day, I had completely forgotten about the biscuit tyre holding up the rear. No longer was I clenching every time there was a small ripple in the road or screaming at people who dared to come too close to my precious. The result of the lowering of my blood pressure to near normal levels was the realisation that the Q3 is a joy to drive - it has a lovely raised seating position, yet handles as good as an A3. The steering is so light at low speeds you can turn it with one finger. The interior fit and finish is pure Audi, i.e. fantastic. The diesel engine has a lot of grunt and is so smooth the only time it gives its propulsion power away, with a bit of that diesel grumble, is when it kicks in at a traffic light. In short, it is a brilliant car.
THE AUDI Q3 AT A GLANCE Design and body: • Sporty, coupe-like lines with flat D-pillars and a wraparound tailgate • Lightweight body with ultrahigh-strength steels in the occupant cell; aluminum engine hood and tailgate. • Base vehicle weight 1,445 kilograms Interior and controls • Elegant interior with attractive colours and new materials • Intuitive control concept and superior build quality • Spacious rear seat; variable luggage compartment from 460 to 1,365 litres Engine and drivetrain • Two TFSI and two TDI engines, with power output ranging from 103 kW to 155 kW • All four-cylinder models
•
And now for the big question: Would I buy one? In short, no. But then, I’m definitely not going to be running after its competition, the BMW X1. Granted my test car was fully loaded, which pushed the price up to R 491 891, with extras ranging from Milano leather seats to rear parking sensors. But that price places it right into the lower range of Big Brother Q5 territory, which in my opinion has more presence and will more than likely be better in the rough stuff. Alternatively, if you like all the mod-cons and extras, grab an A3. It’s the same size inside and is like for like, about 70 grand cheaper. Having said that, if I see someone pulling up in a Q3, I definitely wouldn’t judge them. It’s a sexy car, a great all-rounder and easy to drive. And after the help I got from Audi Claremont and Audi Assist, the ownership experience is likely to be a pleasure too. For any enquiries regarding the new Audi Q3 contact Marais at marais@claremont.co.za
standard with start-stop and recuperation Front-wheel or quattro allwheel drive depending on the engine S tronic with free-wheel mode
• Chassis and control systems • Efficient electromechanical power steering, four-link rear axle • Wheels ranging in size from 17 to 18 inches, electromechanical parking brake Standard Equipment across the range • All engines feature a start-stop system and energy recovery • 17-inch cast aluminium wheels quattro® permanent fourwheel drive* for traction and driving pleasure (*excl. Audi Q3 2.0 TDI 103 kW manual) • Rain and light sensor with auto dimming rear-view mirror
•
• • •
• • •
Connectivity package including: Audi Music Interface; Voice Control; and Bluetooth Connectivity Front centre arm rest Hill Decent Control with ESP® 3-spoke Q-design multifunction steering wheel , with shift paddles for S tronic models Climatronic Air-conditioning Concert Radio with pop-up colour LCD screen Driver Information System with Efficiency Programme Split rear seat
• Additional Standard Equipment for the Audi Q3 2.0 TFSI 155kW quattro S tronic: • Xenon Plus headlights with LED daytime running lights and rear LED lights • Rear Park Distance Control • Cruise Control • Leather Upholstery Mag 9
FOOD DOESN’T TASTE AS GOOD AS SKINNY FEELS MEET THE SKINNY BITCHES The Roman historian Pliny said that there was always something new out of Africa and this February something very outré launched itself in the Mother City – the Skinny Bitches! This energetic dancing trio stormed Cape Town Pride with a breathtaking routine that pulled the rug from under most of the other performers. They are unlike anything seen before. But first things first: the Skinny Bitches are not a drag act. They may sometimes perform in heels, but they do not tuck and they do not have false boobs – they sometime dance shirtless. There is no doubt that they are men, but they experiment with the notion of androgyny, music and dance. They are all professional dancers, and this is evident from their performances So who are the Skinny Bitches and what makes them tick?
L-R: Foxy, Marlin & Llewellyn
Llewellyn Mnguni is from Mafikeng and he began his dance training in the field of Latin American and Ballroom dancing. He attended the National School of the Arts and added Contemporary, Ballet, Spanish and African Dance to his skills. A seasoned dance teacher and choreographer, Llewellyn is one hell of a versatile Skinny Bitch. Llewellyn met Mahlatse “Foxy” Kgoale when they were both at school in Johannesburg, Foxy’s hometown. Foxy’s love for theatrics and need to tell stories began with speech and drama in high school at Sacred Heart College. He got his B.A degree in live performance, majoring in acting for screen dance. One of the highlights of his career so far has been dancing in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. After touring the country with High School Musical, he has made Cape Town his home which has allowed him to explore the Art with the self. Llewellyn & Foxy had a Photographs: www.marguerittakruger.com mutual friend, socialite and blogger with some of South Africa’s top choreographers and directors. Mika Stephano and started hanging out together in Jozi. Marlin and Llewellyn also danced together for a time in Jo’burg. When Llewellyn moved to Cape Town he met Marlin So all three members already had professional dance careers Zoutman through a friend. before forming their troupe, so where did the idea for the Skinny Marlin, from the small Western Cape town of Saron, fell Bitches come from? in love with dance at an early age. On entering high school “Me, Marlin and another Foxy in Jo’burg were in a group called at Wynberg Senior Secondary, he immediately enrolled the Dancing Gals which was performing in a theatre”, says in private classes and later took dance as a subject. After Llewellyn. “It was the same concept that we are doing now. We graduating, he joined Jazzart Professional Dance Company, all moved to Cape Town during the course of last year and began and later Inspirations Dance Company under the tutelage of performing at Bubbles in Cape Town individually towards the end the legendary Adele Blank and Philip Boyde. He has worked Mag 10
of the year. So we’d hear people saying things like ‘who are these skinny bitches’ or ‘I hate those skinny bitches’. Sometimes there would all of us performing together, and other times just one of us carrying the vibe. Performing at Bubbles was a transition for us. So we decided to form a group”. “We actually liked what they were calling us so we decided to adopt the name Skinny Bitches’ says Marlin. So whilst the genesis of the group was in a drag bar what they do is not Drag in the traditional sense, mainly because they dance, they do not mime or sing. And although they wear make up, they don’t try to look like women. Llewellyn explains that they enjoy exploring androgyny, and that they could also be performing something really masculine using elements from both sexes. “We are exploring the idea of gender, which is not necessarily assigned to the particular person or as performed by the person”, says Foxy. “The question is whether art imitates life or does life imitate art? Either way you look at it we all have something to say about the world around us and the world has something to respond to. The idea of gender has been one such philosophy. Gender according to societal norms is no longer assigned but performed. Take a high powered business woman making her way through the corporate jungle; she takes on the masculine role as the hunter, the bread winner and the protector. A single father too takes on a feminine role that is not assigned to him, that of being the nurturer and the home maker. These polar opposites are very fascinating to us for they all exist within every human being in different ways. Looking at how they vary from people to sub-cultures and media will be our focus.” The Skinny Bitches use Fashion, Photography and Performance Art to get audiences to think critically. They use dance to showcase the fusion of grace, elegance and fluid motion, and juxtapose them with jarring, hard static movements to communicate the themes being explored in each piece. The use of costumes helps them achieve this. Heels, make-up and hair combined with tight body hugging clothes accentuate the contours of the body. The dance genres that inspire them to go against the natural design of their bodies and almost defy gravity are classical ballet, hip hop, contemporary and vogue, to name a few. Against the backdrop of the pop world the high energy, striking lights and electric atmosphere lend themselves to the exploration of different sounds and eclectic music. They were reluctant to name their biggest influence, as there were so many. When pushed, Llewellyn named Australian choreographer Wade Robson, the genius behind many routines for Michael Jackson, Britney, Madonna, Beyonce and Justin Timberlake. “We love different people for different reason,” says
Foxy. “Laurianne Gibson, who has choreographed for Lil’ Kim, Gaga and Nicki Minaj, is fantastic!” When choosing material, Marlin says that they do things that they like: “We have our niche. We decide to do number because nobody else does it.” Llewellyn adds that although they have similar tastes, they are inspired by different things: “We also know our limits as dancers, and we do want to exert ourselves. We also want to send the message to people that you can do anything” “We can tell stories, using our bodies to create interesting tableaus”, Foxy explains. “Creatively, we feed off each other. Usually we just need a catalyst and then we start going with it. We just need a concept to go crazy with. My favourite is when we are working it on stage and go with the creative flow. We are interested in doing more theatrical performances using interesting venues like museums and art galleries. ” It is obvious when talking to the three of them that they are in love with what they do, brimming with ideas. Watching them on stage, it is hard not to get swept up in the tornado that is the Skinny Bitches. As they are fond of saying: “We are the Skinny Bitches Dance Crew, androgyny is our name, and dance is our game!” Watch out for them…they are going places.
Mag 11
at With Princess Pop
Every Wednesday at 7pm
Dine and lunch in ’ cozy atmosphere, with a super cocktail bar and a real fire for winter evenings. Situated in the heart of the Gay Village, Madame’s will insure to stimulate all of your senses. Open six nights a week, closed on Mondays.
49 Napier Street, De Waterkant For Bookings & Venue Hire Call : 021 421 1106
Murder's AT Coming Soon!
Book your Table Now 076 403 0oo8 Sponsored By
Mag 12
ELEGANCE HAS A NAME
Associated Motor Holding t/a Cape Town Multifranchise is proud to be associated with Out Magazine serving a very discerning sector of Cape Town’s population.
O
a 6 year Anti-Corrosion warranty and a 5 year / 100000 kms ur dealership situated at cnr of Kings and Section Service plan. Please don’t forget about the 24 7 Renault Roadside Street in Paarden Eiland hosts one of the biggest Assistance – giving you complete peace of mind driving. Multifranchise dealers in the Western Cape under the leadership of Dealer principal, Philippe Cahay. We represent the following brands Kia, Renault, Daihatsu, Proton and have an Imperial Select pre-owned department with a stock holding of 40 odd hand- picked vehicles. Our workshop and parts departments open from Mondays to Fridays @ 07.30am and closes when business is done for the day. Our Renault division’s New Vehicle Sales, under the leadership of Stuart Keet, has just appointed Trevor Viljoen to serve you, your friends and family and is available to answer any questions that you might have concerning the Renault brand. The Diamond emblem symbolises nothing but the best for this brand and is right now celebrating the arrival of the New Koloes and Scenic models. It wouldn’t be fair if we did not mention the two vehicles advertised below as the two headturners of our range. The Megane Cabriolet and Megane RS have proven over the years to stand out amongst the rest with the awesome design lines and smooth silky body with standard features including an industry leading 5 year / 150 000 km factory warranty,
For further information please feel free to contact Trevor on 021 514400 or 076 2005539.
Mag 13
THE INVISIBILITY OF THE GAY OLYMPIANS The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad, will be taking place in London from 27 July to 12 August and millions of people will be glued to their TV screens to watch the Greatest Show on Earth. For whilst there may plenty of athletic eye candy for the average gay spectator to ogle at, we will be hard pressed to find many openly gay athletes amongst the over ten thousand who will participating.
I
n Athens in 2004 there were eleven openly gay athletes competing and only 10 in Beijing four years ago. We cannot expect any significant increase in London. Although there has been much progress made by gays and lesbians in sport over the last decade, and spectators and athletes no longer need to feel that “gay” and “sports” are incompatible, most gay Olympians remain firmly cosseted in the closet, and most athletes who do come out usually do so at the end of their careers. Canadian Olympic swimmer Mark Tewksbury, who won gold in Barcelona, came out after retiring. He explained that sports remains cloistered in its own heterosexual image, despite the fact that popular culture increasingly makes space for gay and lesbian lives. “It’s incredible that sports has remained the last bastion of 18th Century thinking’, he explains. “It’s a very difficult space to be in if you’re not straight”. There are many reasons why athletes stay in the closet, but fear of the consequences of being out -- from the effects on performance, interaction with teammates, fans and the media, and, in some cases, endorsements, seems to be the main one. In addition, most Olympic athletes are under 30, a time when most humans are wrestling with their sexuality. Being an Olympic athlete requires full-time dedication and a lot of things get put on hold. It is just easier to hide and deal with one’s sexuality later. Prior to the Athens Games, US medalist equestrian Robert Dover spoke about why more gay athletes are not open. “You spend a day with these athletes, and it becomes obvious that gay people are everywhere. The reason many of them aren’t out is because they’re focused on their job during this time when sports is the No. 1 thing in their lives.” This argument does make sense…kinda. But perhaps it remains a self-justification in the face of rampant homo-prejudice in most sports. And direct homophobia is not the only reason to keep
Olympian Mark Tewksbury came out after retiring “It’s a very difficult space to be in if you’re not straight”.
quiet. There is a sense among gay competitors that sexuality should not dominate discussions of athletic skill. The relationship between sexuality and sport can be complex. Take the case of gymnastics, which is one of the most popular sports amongst gay spectators, and one where not a single Olympic gymnast has come out. Out gay Gymnast Brandon Triche thinks “that for closeted elite gymnasts, not only are they scared to be a role model for gay youth, they are afraid that coming out will confirm the perception that they compete in a ‘gay sport.’ The misconceptions are so far from the truth. Gymnastics is one of the toughest, hardest and most gruelingly difficult sports in the world.” The public perception of male gymnasts as being more likely to be gay arises, Triche says “because any time a male’s wearing a leotard they think ‘feminine’”. The result is that amongst the straight jocks in the
With Budget’s great deals, a weekend away fits your budget! Simply quote rate code WNW to take advantage of our fantastic weekend special. Rates include: •250kms per day • collision damage waiver • theft loss waiver. Rates are valid from Thursday 08h00 - Monday 20h00.
Budget - great value, good service, wide choice.
086 101 6622
www.budget.co.za Mag 14
From R140* per day
locker room “there’s so much chick talk because they are afraid that they might be perceived as gay”. So gay athletes are reluctant to come out until more like them do the same and prove that being a “gay athlete” is not an oxymoron or impediment to success. But even athletes who are open about their sexuality are usually reluctant to be the Poster Boy of Girl for Gay Rights. For gay athletes it is often the case that being out overshadows their athletic accomplishments. Those very few openly gay Olympic athletes often have a complicated relationship to their sexuality. For example, the only out lesbian athlete at the Winter Games in Vancouver two years ago, Dutch speed-skater Ireen Wust, bristled at media questions about her sexuality and her relationship with team mate Sanne van Kerkhof. She said at the time “I want to talk about ice skating. You are not asking Sven Kramer (presumably heterosexual Dutch gold medallist in speed skating) about how his relationship is going. So why would you ask me? If I would’ve had a relationship with a guy, you wouldn’t have asked me either.” Lesbian speed-skater Ireen Wust
Being out turns the label “athlete” into “gay athlete” and even competitors comfortable with their sexuality may feel that coming out changes the focus. The endless questions an athlete even suspected of being gay might face can be enough to force
them to operate under the radar. American figure-skater Johnny Weir’s elaborate costumes and outlandish make-up made him the talk of the Vancouver Games. At the time he consistently refused to confirm whether he was gay. Some of his reasons were similar to Ireen Wust’s—that his sexuality has nothing to do with his sport: “People talk. Figure skating is thought of as a female sport, something that only girly men compete in. I don’t feel the need to express my sexual being because it’s not part of my sport and it’s private. I can sleep with whomever I choose and it doesn’t affect what I’m doing on the ice, so speculation is speculation.” He has subsequently come out and in December 2011 he married his boyfriend Victor Voronov. Australian gold medallist diver Matthew Mitcham has no such problems. He is one of the few athletes who embraces the media attention and uses his high profile to focus attention on gay issue in sport. As one of a handful of openly gay professional sports people, Mitcham is now widely acknowledged as a gay sporting icon – something he has actively embraced through involvement in the Sydney Mardi Gras, Melbourne’s Midsumma Festival and his role as an ambassador for the Gay Games. As the face of swimwear maker Funky Trunks, he also regularly features in sexy advertising Sexy gay Olympian diver, Matcampaigns printed in gay thew Mitcham loves the lime-light publications around the and is an international gay icon world. The greater issue is that homosexuality remains a criminal offence in a substantial number of the 204 nations that will be competing in London. While the Olympic Games are ultimately about sport, we still crave gay role models and visibility in sports. In South Africa there is not one prominent sportsperson who is openly gay, yet we all have a friend who has a friend who knows of somebody who has slept with a Springbok! Again it all comes down to visibility. The more openly out gay people there are in sport, entertainment, business and in every day life, the more things change for the better. The more visible gay people are the harder it becomes to discriminate. Maybe one day the Rainbow Flag will fly proudly next to the Five Olympic Rings. But until then, we can still enjoy all the joy and beauty of the Olympic Games and hope for better days.
Drive with pride, turn heads with Budget’s cool cars! Budget Cool Cars range from the chic Mini Cooper Convertible to the striking Toyota Fortuner. For more information or to hire one of the Cool Car vehicles contact Budget’s central reservations. Cool Cars are exclusively available in Durban, Cape Town and Gauteng.
Budget - great value, good service, wide choice.
086 101 6622
www.budget.co.za Mag 15
10 THINGS ABOUT CHRONICLES OF A DISPLACED BRANDLEY DRAG QUEEN GALLANT
By Ms Gabriella Marquez Brandley Gallant walked away with the Mr o hello again people! Isn’t Cape Town Pride title in February and is one it just Paula! So much has of the models in this issue’s fashion spread. happened since our paths last crossed. I got to go home a Here’s what you should know about him
S
bit. (And I mean a bit – Cape Town I Love You) and felt all “refugee” . . . Thanks Helen! T’was most enjoyable but what was most interesting was that upon my return to The City of Roses, there was a call extended by members of the newly formed Bloem Pride Committee about a potential “Bloemfontein Pride”. With my make-up off and my feet up, I go through some info. Needless to say I was a bit excited at these prospects, because if a girl works hard, she also needs to play hard, and BOY do we like it hard!
1.
Brandley is not just a pretty face. He studied Science at the University of Stellenbosch and was involved in socio-economic and developmental programs such as Green Peace and Habitat for Humanities. He was also active in athletics, the Gym committee at his res and the Stellenbosch Debating Society where he represented the university on numerous national levels. He was also a member of the Maties Amateur Drama Society and the Stellenbosch University Choir. 2. Music, with its supernatural power to advise, console, uplift, heal and inspire is his passion. He a professional singer, a Tenor, who has represented South Africa with the Stellenbosch University Choir at the 5th World Choir games in Graz, Austria in 2008 where they won three Gold Medals. His Choir is currently ranked 2nd in the world. 3. He is a mountain rather than a beach man, which is just as well since he loves hiking, running and adventure sports. He loves swimming too, but not in the icy Atlantic. 4. He is a briefs, not a boxer, kind of guy. And he would never wear neon coloured male stockings! 5. Music, good company and nice wine are his way of unwinding. 6. His idea of a good night out includes good friends getting on down with good music in a great venue. 7. When asked who his role model was he said he believes that we have a great amount of potential, so he prefers not to limit himself to admire one person, but to admire the fact that we can become great. 8. Of all the famous people, dead or alive, he could have dinner with he surprisingly chose Hendrik French Verwoerd as he would like to show him how easy it is to look past our differences and to find that common thread that makes us man 9. Since winning the Mr. Cape Town Crown he has been hit on a lot more than usual, but sorry guys, he does already have someone special in his life. 10. Brandley believes that he can be a role model and use his position to improve conditions for gays & lesbians by leading by example and by engaging with his peers. Mag 16
So after doing some (re)searching and chatting and “fishing” – which is what we are SO good in!, I finally got word that a Mr Teddy B Vuitton, and Ms Talita Griesel (organisers of the event) plan to have the event in September 2012. He also specified that . . . “I have decided that I am not going to host it as an organisation but instead make this a pink community project.” The call was also further extended to volunteers and the like. One can only hope a decent list of Gay/gay friendly accommodations will be a by-product of this venture. I mean, it’s tough searching (when you don’t know how). One of the venues which came on board, without a doubt, is Buzerant, located on Orange Grove Farm (one of the oldest gay establishments in S.A) and notably with some of the most friendliest patrons! One’s trip is not complete without an introduction to Manny, the DJ. An older gentleman (just how I like them) who says “It’s awesome to deejay at a place like Buzerant! Remember, I will never be an old man. To me “Old Age” is always 15 years older than I am! So enjoy dancing!” Other places which are also on board unfortunately cannot be mentioned as they are either undergoing a renaming or don’t exist any longer. That seems to be a sad reality in Bloemfontein – the fact that it’s so difficult to find regularly frequented spots to hook up with friends or just get down right down and dirty! But back to the story! I must admit, this is so nice to see and I hope I get to be a part of this event. Even the townships are being involved. This is history in the making and certainly something which is needed, to form solidarity and a unified front in this ominous atmosphere around the fact that the South African Constitutional Review Committee is currently entertaining a proposal from the House of Traditional Leaders to scrap “sexual orientation” section from the bill of rights contained in Chapter 2 of the Constitution of South Africa. Now that, that right there would make take to the streets, “met lus en oepe tone” as Ms A Parker would say. Clearly these people have never seen an angry mob of Queens (and kings) but let’s hope it does not come to that. We all know times change, they just need to change for the better, especially where human rights are concerned. So, regardless if we will have to stand together and fight today or tomorrow or not, one thing will remain, and that is the feelings of community and connectedness which this Pride event draws upon in the hearts of each “family member” living here. Till next time darlings . . .
OUT OF THE RED
I
t is a wonder that Cape Town Pride happened at all this year given last year’s financial disaster that nobody has yet taken responsibility for. It is a wonder that a shortfall of around R60 000 could simply be ignored. And it is a wonder that two well- meaning individuals thought that they could pull off Pride with such an encumbrance and no support team. We must acknowledge their willingness to pick up the poisoned chalice nobody else would. And so Pride happened, despite the biggest handicap of all – the inaccessibility and inflexibility of one of the organisers, Dominic Kessel who seemed incapable of making timely decisions or delegating when it was clear to everyone with eyes to see that he was not coping with the pressure of organising such a large event. He simply ignored e-mails and failed to answer his phone while all hell was breaking loose. Imagine the frustration of his coorganiser Luiz DeLaja who at least was available and pragmatic in the face of enormous difficulties.
So despite all odds Cape Town Pride went ahead and miraculously it appears to have made enough money to pay the creditors from last year and end up with a surplus with which to use as operating capital for next year. It appears that it will be in a position for the first time in many years to make a small donation to its official beneficiary, The Pride Shelter Trust. However this would not have been possible without the last minute involvement of some of the gay business owners who organised the very successful Pride Village Fair Day with no risk or cost to CT Pride who received all the substantial door takings. There was some resistance to the idea, but it ended up being a win-win situation for all the parties involved. The general consensus was that the community was happy to have Pride back in the Village, despite complaints from the usual suspects about elitism, exclusivity, nepotism, profiteering, blah, blah, blah ad nauseum as witnessed by social media uproar immediately following Pride. There are too many outrageous examples of the shambolic organisation of this year’s CT Pride to list. But it is clear that that the time has come for a major re-think about the way it is operated. It is clear that CT Pride cannot rely on volunteers. It needs to either employ a full-time person, at least for the few months leading to and after Pride, or it needs to enlist an events managing professional. The other most urgent need is for the Section 21 non –profit organisation known as Cape Town Pride Festival to regularise itself in terms of the Companies Act. It needs to become completely accountable and transparent and if it is to remain a community based organisation, it needs to listen to what the community is saying. While it is impossible to be all things to all people, it must keep communication channels open, something that did not happen this year. Apart from being extremely frustrating and bad business practice, it does not look good when emails go unanswered and calls are not returned. It makes one think that there is something to hide. It is time for a major shake-up. One of the more positive outcomes has been an unprecedented
co-operation between some of the gay businesses (some of the owners have spoken to each other for the first time in years). It can only be a good thing and already there have been some positive results. There is a new Gay Business Association in the pipeline, and there have already been meetings with the Green Point CID (City Improvement District) about improving amenities and security in the Pink Block. Some of these improvements include general beautification, pavement art, an organised taxi rank, benches and signage identifying gay businesses. There has already been a SAPS caravan stationed intermittently in different streets on various nights in the past few weeks at night, and hopefully this will deter muggers and decrease harassment of bar patrons by beggars, sex workers and drug dealers who have been getting more aggressive of late. There are also more large community events and festivals planned, some in conjunction with Cape Town Pride, and others such as the forthcoming Leather Pride in association with the Cape Town chapter of the South African Leathermen. But we are still waiting for from Cape Town Pride is the promised public report back meeting which still has not happened three months after the fact. There is an on-going need for Pride in the face of continuing homophobia and homo-prejudice. But CT Pride it will not survive if the organisational disaster of the last couple of years persists. What is required is less arrogance, less egotism, less political correctness. What is needed is a new outlook and attitude responsive to changing situations.
OTHER PRIDE DATES TO DIARISE
Ekurhuleni 4th Annual Pride March, Saturday 15 September Nelson Mandela Bay Pride Port Elizabeth, Saturday 23 September Bloemfontein Pride, Saturday 29 September Soweto Pride, Saturday 29 September Joburg Pride, Saturday 6 October Mag 17
ENDLESS SUMMER G By Evan Tsouroulis
rowing up I had two friends who were impossibly glamorous. The sister was a model and the brother made her clothes. They could dance and most impressively, they could do The Hustle, and even more excitingly, Disco! Meanwhile my own sister had two left feet and the dress sense of a Balkan goat, so naturally I was somewhat enamoured with them. So it was 1976, and they came back from a European holiday with a pile of the latest records that nobody at home had ever heard of, including a 12” single of Donna Summer’s Love to Love You Baby. My sister, forever a grump and a prude, couldn’t care less, but to a young gay boy like me this was a revelation and the start of an uneasy love affair with Disco! What we heard was 17 minutes of a woman groaning in a state of ecstasy. We had to make sure our parents were out of earshot whenever we wanted to listen to it.
The orgasmic song catapulted Donna Summer to the top of the charts and everlasting infamy. It was banned by radio stations in many countries, even though it had been edited down for radio play. “That was a song I wasn’t planning on singing myself,” Summer told Billboard in a 2008 interview about the breathy, sexualised track. “It was kind of a work in progress, and I thought that if I could get the right singer, it could be a hit. I had given Giorgio (Moroder the Italian pioneering disco producer) the idea of Love to Love You Baby, and he went into the studio and put a track to the idea and I went in and sang some words over it. I didn’t need a lot of words, so I oohed and aahed my way through it. I was imagining if Marilyn Monroe sang the song, that’s what she would do.” We could tell you that Summer had 32 hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100, with 14 of those reaching the top 10; that her biggest singles include her four Number Ones - MacArthur Park, Hot Stuff, Bad Girls and No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) with Barbra Streisand; and that while she notched up string of smashes in the 1970s, she continued to chart hits until this decade. We could tell you about the five Grammys and six American Music Awards. But that wouldn’t begin to tell the story of the influence she had on popular culture in the late 70s and early 80s, and what she meant to a generation of gay men. There was more to the Disco than platform shoes, polyester shirts and cocaine spoons. It was a dance music genre that came straight from the places of America’s biggest cultural anxieties - the feminist movement, race relations, and especially gay liberation, and it shattered gender, racial, and sexual rules and Mag 18
(December 31, 1948 – May 17, 2012)
Donna Summer, Queen of Disco and controversial gay icon, died on 17 May at the age of 63. We remember her fabulosity
conventions. Disco transformed the lives of gay men of the era, and Summer’s music epitomised the era. Donna Summer was one of the original, modern day gay icons. Her music made up part of the soundtrack for the era of gay abandon and hedonism before HIV/AIDS changed everything. Her soulful voice, over-the-top fashion sense and edgy music gave her an immediate following among gay men. In and interview with The Advocate in 2008 Summer said “I don’t know if I would have a career if it hadn’t been in some ways for the way Love to Love You Baby started off and everybody jumped on it. It was really in the gay clubs the song took off — they really embraced that new sound.” Unlike some artists of today who actively seek out a gay following, the gays came to Summer. But her relationship with the gay community was dogged by persistent rumours that she allegedly made homophobic comments related to AIDS in 1983, after becoming a born again Christian. The Village Voice lambasted her, her music was banned in some gay clubs and angry fans returned her records in droves. Donna continued to deny that she made the comments yet there was always a cloud of, “Did she say it?” that hovered over her career. Nonetheless, she performed at countless Gay Pride events and participated in several HIV/AIDS charities. But as the controversy raged, gay musicians Marc Almond and Bronski Beat paid her the ultimate compliment by covering her hits I Feel Love in 1985. Almond said that Donna Summer’s collaboration with producer Giorgio Moroder “changed the face of music”. Moroder himself told BBC Radio 5 Live in an interview that her song I Feel Love was “really the start of electronic dance music”. Hers was one of the defining voices of the era and influenced pop divas from Madonna to Beyoncé. Unlike some other stars of disco who faded as the music became less popular, Summer was able to grow beyond the genre. Summer’s music was re-mixed, covered and sampled endlessly and she remained a force on the Billboard Dance and Club Charts all through her career, fitting for the Queen of Disco. “I don’t know if I could say I’d foreseen how long this music would last,” she told Billboard. “I think all performers would love to see there’s no generation gap in music. People still listen to my songs on the radio. DJs still spin them in the club.” DJ Danny Tenaglia was a regular at the Paradise Garage during Disco’s peak said “It was amazing seeing the drag shows to Donna Summer. People would do incredible performances lip syncing. They were always doing MacArthur Park Suite. Somebody would come out with a cake in the rain and the umbrella, just like in the lyrics, and it would turn into a very messy stage.” One of the owners of Studio 54 in New York City, Ian Schrager remembered that “the drag queens would get up on stage and emulate her, but they were never as pretty.” Fashion designer and Studio 54 regular Diane Furstenberg said “Last Dance was the song of that era, and of course it actually was the last dance. It was a moment of freedom that was never to be repeated again because there was no AIDS, and that makes all the difference.” Donna Summer has had her Last Dance, but her music is timeless. Nothing will ever take away the sheer joy of her music. Mag 19
OUTING AGEISM THE PINK PREJUDICE By John French
Our gay population prides itself on being youthful, trendy and three minces ahead of mainstream humanity. Our closets tend to be packed with designer clothes that are one season ahead of the mainstream heterosexual masses and we tend to live in the spontaneous “Now” and focus on our personal presence and power. Although it’s great to be such a progressive community, we also tend to overlook our past and the gay heroes who came before us. “Young and new” is our MAN-tra. There is so much pervasive pink peer pressure to be a Peter Pan(sy) with looks and a lifestyle that are young and carefree. The archetypal “gay” ideal is young, stylish and socially acceptable in our Pink world.
A
geism, the quietly-accepted gay prejudice, is undoubtedly the greatest prejudice in our gay world. Actor Rupert Everett summed it up very nicely: “Being gay is a young man’s game. Gay men become invisible after the age of 42. Who wants a gay 50- year-old? Noone, let me tell you. I could set myself on fire in a gay bar, and people would just light their cigarettes from me…” True! There is more pressure to be and look young in the gay world than anything else. No one wants to be labelled an “old queen”. It is the worst pink insult. In light of this noxious Ageist prejudice it is no wonder that so many discarded and lonely homosexuals do indeed become “bitter old queens”. Worth in the gay world seems to be measured by youth and wealth. But more than money, looks and youth seem to be the passport to acceptance and the entrance in to the pink playground of privilege, acceptance and abundant pleasure. It is strangely ironic that the gay community which collectively has been so persecuted for centuries, is in turn so very prejudiced and unaccepting of itself. Ageing and the gradual loss of looks is the only thing that we are all guaranteed of if we are lucky enough to make it through the passing decades. We are really only young for a third of our lives. Why then is such an emphasis made on such a small portion of our lives -a period where we have the least amount of life experience, financial resources, and where we are only a small way into exploring our character and spiritual potential. I am the first to admit that I like to look good and hate to see any signs of ageing in my body. We all do. But what irks me is when I see the younger gay population showing a flagrant disrespect for and demonstrating a non-accepting attitude towards anyone 10 or more years older than them. The youth (and we were all there once) seem to believe that their Ageist dogma is perfectly acceptable, and that the older a person is, their social value and worth diminishes. Mag 20
Older queens are often treated as socially embarrassing, objects of ridicule, and non-deserving of acceptance and even possibly respect. What many young gays fail to realise, is that it is the older gay population who bravely paved the way for the democratic freedoms and privileges that so many of our gay youth take for granted today. Present gay political and social freedoms were not achieved without the great struggle, sacrifice and persecution of the gay generations we glibly take for granted. These unsung gay heroes often lived lives of silent and lonely secrecy, social and political persecution, and had to fight for the basic human rights we nonchalantly take for granted today. I decided to interview some members of our senior gay community to find out their stories, views and opinions on Ageism and their gay journey through the past decades. On gay life decades ago, Geoff (80) recalled: “Of necessity it was always a covert existence and being gay was never acknowledged
or spoken about in straight company or even with one’s parents. Homosexuality was a constant source of snide remarks and crude jokes. One had to learn to bite one’s lip in most mainstream conversations.” Even our anti-Apartheid heroes in South Africa were often known for their flagrant homophobia. Even the Liberation Struggle “Mother of Africa” Winnie Mandela once told the world that homosexual sex was not part of the African culture! Sadly, the real enemy of black gay people often came from their own communities and leaders. I asked some members of of our senior gay population their views: Do you think the youth of today realise and appreciate what gay life and challenges were like back then? Philip, in his 70’s, answered: “I don’t believe so. The youth of today have no ideas of the outside cruising or “cottaging” and other clandestine meetings we had to do. Modern technology has done away with all that. Today one can now be openly gay and even form a civil partnership if you wish.” David, in his 60’s added: “For most youngsters in this new century it is so much easier to be themselves in public. The public ridicule is gone. Self-acceptance is so much easier; the choice of boyfriends so much bigger (of course also easy come, easy go!) and yet, everything is still very complicated. Peer pressure in terms of the gay culture (drugs, dress code, social status) is much stronger now. The legal protection in terms of the new political dispensation has brought comfort and gay rights means more freedom. But with freedom comes responsibility. And then of course the whole HIV crisis made sex so much more complicated in the 21st century. God knows, the choices are now more difficult than ever before. I hate every minute of being on the wrong side of 60, but I don’t want to be 21 again either!”
DJ DAWID’S TEN WINTER DANCEFLOOR SCORCHERS
What is your message for the gay youth of today? Lewis, 50-something: “Be yourself, but remember life is SOOOOOO short. My twenties feel like yesterday. I was young, I thought we had plenty of time and I missed out on many things because I thought I will get to that later. In fact, the last 30 years passed so quickly and now most people look through me. The youngsters don’t even “see” us. Unless they think they can get something from us (money, favours, advancement). In rare “bitter and twisted” moments I look at a beautiful young man and think: “Just you wait, little vain bastard, your time will come. So soon that you won’t believe it…” George, 80: “My message for the gay youth of today is to draw inspiration from dedication of those fearless people who have come before you in ensuring that our human rights have been enshrined in our Constitution. Value and cherish those rights and carry on the battle to entrench and live up to those rights with a guarantee that a better life for all remains the battle cry for society as a whole. On a lighter note, I have had the privilege of being involved in a loving and fruitful relationship with my late partner for the past 40 odd years of my 80-year lifespan. Our deep love was formalised eventually by a Civil Union contract. I can only wish you all the same.” David, 60: “Be grateful for the freedom you enjoy within the society you live today. Respect your elders and thank them for the path they paved for you.” It is my fervent hope that this article on Ageism will raise awareness in all of us. Sadly, we all tend to carry prejudices and we judge ourselves and our own kind harder than any other group on the outside. So, the next time you meet or socialise with members of our gay community a few decades older than you, consider the brave road they may have travelled, and the lessons they may be able to teach you. Look past the wrinkles and grey hair at the eternal inner Pink child whose greatest desire is to be loved and accepted. It is my hope that gay learns to respect grey. Dawid Human’s eclectic blend of sexy progressive and funky house tunes has made him one of the most popular DJs in Cape Town’s gay club circuit. He says “Music is a spiritual thing. Each set I play is like telling a story, with a beginning and an end.” Catch DJ Dawid behind the decks every Friday and Saturday at Navigaytion @ Crew Bar with some of the hottest tracks to keep you dancing this winter. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Madonna - Girl Gone Wild (Offer Nissim Club Mix) The Shapeshifters - Only You (Original Mix) Criminal Vibes - Pump Up The Jam (Club Mix) Goldhand feat. Nita vs Steam Loco - Rain Down On Me (F.KILL 2012 Private Bootleg) Madonna Vs Abba - Hung Up Vs Gimme Gimme Gimme (Offer Nissim Promo Remix) My Digital Enemy, Jason Chance feat. Yasmeen - Whatever May Come (David Penn Remix) Audiowhores - Sometimes (Sean Finn Remix) Alex Gaudino Feat. Crystal Waters - Destination Calabria (Federico Scavo Remix) Francesco Gomez feat. Lety - Conga (Ruben Amaya Remix) Infinity DJs - You Got The Love (Original Mix
For more info: www.wix.com/djDawid/djD Mag 21
WINTER FOR WHAT? KEEPING IN SHAPE WITH JARRED PLU’G Being a Durban boy I’ve never had to have much of an opinion about winter except for holding the odd conversation on swell forecasts and how the surf conditions are looking for the next few months …..bru. Moving my successful life forward a few years, now living and working in Cape Town (yes please!) I now have a very strong opinion about winter. Although I appreciate a good leather jacket or trench coat, I and everyone else who loves outdoor activity as well as those who try to hold a bit of skin colour (naturally), the next few months could be better lived back in Durbs……bru.
S
o what do we do now? Do we cradle ourselves with all them “comfort” foods only to become better preserved than Cher and then spend our evenings watching all the series ever recommended to us? Not quite. Going into winter it is a good idea to do some mental preparation, get our heads into this thing so that we don’t come out of it ready to try every fat burner pill out there, whether it be FDA approved or not. We need information, goals and discipline to improve our decision making.
Here are some helpful tips to get you going: * Sit down and write the heading – “Goals”. * Write down a challenging list of nutritional and exercise goals. * Make sure you find and join a gym/ studio to make sure you carry out your exercise goals –believe it or not the weather and lighting inside these places are pretty consistent through out the year and helps reduce WDE’s (weather dependant excuses) * Find a training partner more committed than yourself, decide on the days and times that you are going to train beforehand. Mag 22
Nutritional advice - Where all is won or lost. Winter’s biggest battle is the choice of food we are inclined to eat. At this time of year the consumption of warm drinks and confectionary increases rapidly, so here is something you should be aware of. Let’s take coffee as an example. I enjoy a cup of coffee, most people do, but I also know coffee dehydrates your body and reduces the amount of blood flow to your brain so drink it in moderation .On top of that, regardless of whether you use sugar or sweetener, you spike your blood sugar. This creates the “need” for one cup after the next every time your sugar levels drop, and this will make you more likely to choose highly refined, sugar laced food products...Sort of…. These cycles of consistent “sugar spiking” over-produce insulin, which is then stored. Energy that is not quickly used becomes fat. Why do people get fat? Sugar and highly refined carbohydrates. Do you want to get fat? No? Then live responsibly for the sake of your health and longevity! Have the odd cup of coffee, but then have a glass of water after that. Know that you’ve just spiked your blood sugar and that when it drops and you will begin to “crave” something. This is when you need to make the smart choice (not the easy choice, but hey you started this war) and make the effort to go find some wholesome food – fruit, veg, nuts etc. Not cookies, muffins, cakes etc. You need to normalize your body’s blood sugar levels. Again I’m not taking a dig at coffee, just creating an awareness of how your body reacts to addictive, highly refined and sugary products. From this base of knowledge you are able to make your own smart or not so smart decisions for when the forces of double thick hot chocolate and two-storey high Bar One cake corner you during your cold and raining lunch break.
Just R2/day Subscription Service Requires WAP Over 18’s only Men only
Check out hot guys! Show off your profile! Swap photos and videos! Chat, message, free downloads & lots more!
Best of Luck
To join in, sms the word HOOKUPS6 to 31025 now!
Jarred is a Personal Trainer & Lifestyle Consultant as well as the owner of Body Corporate Health at the Cape Quarter. He can be contacted at on 083 541 0358, at jarredplug@gmail.com, @jarred_plug on Twitter or jarred plug – personal trainer on Facebook.
R2/day subscription. Over 18’s only. Requires wap. Regular wap charges apply. To unsubscribe send STOP HOOKUPS to 31025. Errors billed. For support call 072 4554 123 or e-mail help@hookups.co.za. T&C hookups.co.za. © 2012 hookups.
Mag 23
KAMIKAZE PASSION Daniel Dercksen shares a few thoughts with Neil Coppen.
It’s easy to fall in love with writer-director Neil Coppen. His friendly and charming persona and his copious creative energy are reflected in his stage work. Winner of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Theatre 2011, he is the creator of Tin Bucket Drum, Tree Boy, and Abnormal Loads. His latest play Little Foot has been commissioned by The Market Theatre and is opening at the Grahamstown Festival before running in Johannesburg. He then heads for New York with a tour of Tin Bucket Drum. Tell me about Little Foot. It’s a challenging brief set in the Sterkfontein Caves and involving several ambitious visual sequences. I’m taking my cue from Del Torro’s Pan’s Labyrinth and hope for it to be a surreal somewhat disturbing journey to the origins of mankind.
Tell me about the man behind his craft? Who is the real Neil? I’m thirty years old, living and working between Johannesburg and Durban. Ex actor, writer, designer, director, film junkie, compulsive dabbler. It’s a little bit of a cliché, but I really can’t remember wanting to do anything else with my life. I suppose the earliest memory I have is when my mother took me to see Singing in the Rain at the Natal Playhouse when I was six years old. This was the beginning of a very long and involved love affair, with my mother taking me to the theatre regularly. Out of watching theatre came the need to create and tell my own stories. By the time I matriculated there was no question of which direction I wanted my life to take. I worked as an actor for several years after leaving school, and decided to hone my interest in storytelling by obtaining a Degree in creative writing through UNISA. I threw myself into many strange and varied experiences during this time: teaching at a theatre summer camp in New York, as a dialect coach and stand- in on film sets, a producer of a large scale musical project, a researcher on a documentary film, free-lance journalist and travel writer. All these experiences have, in rather unconventional ways, shaped and inspired the work I do as a playwright and theatre-maker.
You seem to be married to theatre .Is there any time for personal relationships? I’ve been in a relationship for the past eight years with visualartist Vaughn Sadie. We share a very compatible (and often warped) view of the world and Vaughn is pretty much my closest friend, confidant, co-collaborator, advisor, critic and sounding board. Other than Vaughn I have an extraordinary bunch of friends and am mad about my two dogs.
You have many admirers but seem to shy away from attention? I’d far prefer it that my work gets the attention. I think my plays are a pretty accurate summation of who I am and a glimpse at how I conceive and interpret the world around me and like to think that they have the ability to speak for themselves. I guess my work is far more interesting than I am in person. Mag 24
Do you think you are an introvert or extrovert? A healthy amalgamation of both. The extrovert in me is a social, curious creature, who gathers material out in the world over an extended period of time before the introvert takes over. I suppose you have to be somewhat introverted to write, it’s a lonely and long process and one has to quite enjoy one’s own imagination and company in order to survive it.
What inspires and motivates you in your work and in life? I’m very lucky to be surrounded by many inspiring friends who work is various creative fields. They set the bar pretty high which helps when you constantly want to better and excel at your own craft. I look up to so many creative folks from this country and abroad that it would be impossible to list them all. Growing up I have been constantly challenged by work from the likes of Lara Foot, Pieter Dirk-Uys, Yael Farber, Brett Bailey, Andrew Buckland, The Handspring Theatre Company, William Kentridge, The Magnet Theatre Company, Robert Le Page and Simon McBurney.
Your views on the freedom of sexuality in South Africa, where we no longer have to hide in the closet. I consider myself blessed to have grown up amongst people who consider my sexuality about as significant as my eating preference or say the colour of my eyes. I never felt the need to come out and make a bold public declaration, why should I? My brother and sister never had to consciously sit my parents down and tell them they were straight and bringing home a person they had fallen in love with to the dinner table. So I just got on with it, being true to myself and from there everything fell into place. I researched my last play in the small battlefield town of Dundee in Northern KZN and was surprised to discover that the town seemed to have a bigger and more vibrant gay population then Durban. Coming into what I thought was going to be a quaint conservative farming community (in many ways it is) I was relieved to see that acceptance was being forged in the unlikeliest corners of this country. Of course we have a long way to go but it’s a start. Forty even twenty years ago things would have been very different.
You make your own theatre happen. I’ve always wanted to tell my own stories so you have to have a lot of drive and ambition to get things done. Of course there’s very little money in this industry. So why do it at all you might ask? Well my answer would be its pure unadulterated lunacy and one enters into it fully aware with the knowledge that you can only succeed if fuelled by a blind sort of Kamikaze passion.
How do you see the future of theatre makers in South Africa? I think there are really exciting young playwrights emerging and perhaps it signals the urgency with which young South Africans wish to have their stories heard. We are all born with and shaped by stories, so I suppose until the world ends the impulse to retell, rediscover, or invent them will always be there. This country is bristling with stories and I think the one thing my generation of theatre makers often fail to do is grapple with the here and now (I say this because I too am often guilty). We are in desperate need for critical yet imaginative new voices to help us make sense of the present. As writers it often seems we feel safest dwelling in the past – perhaps things tend to seem clearer in retrospect. We have to embrace the ironies, contradictions and complexities of the now and create stories which resonate with new audiences. Of course on saying this we don’t have to omit humour, imagination or originality in the process. The simple fact is there are as many storytellers out there as there are stories, the way in which the story is told, of course, is what makes all the difference.
If there is one thing you could change about the theatre scene what would it be? Audience apathy. Audiences are increasingly complacent, and we have to work very hard as storytellers to wrench them away from reality television and into the theatres. There is also a tendency for folks to treat theatre like a hobby. I’m amazed and often a little irked at how many people ask for (and accept) complimentary tickets to shows. Audiences tend to forget that very few of us theatre practitioners are funded and that this is honestly, as outrageous as it might seem, how many of us make a living. I don’t ever ask for a complimentary haircut each month why should a trip to the theatre be any different?
Where can your fans contact you? They can visit my blog…… http://neil.iaminawe.com/
Join Cape Town’s exClusive Club DuveT slip inTo our Comfy beDs SNUGGLE UP WITH OUR WINTER SPECIAL FROM
R899 per room, per night To book visit proteahotels.com/victoriajunction Terms & Conditions Apply. PHDS 24337/12
Mag 25
HOT STUFF Sizzling hot gear to keep the cold out
Clothes: M4S designed by Luiz DeLaja. Models: Brandley Gallant and Neil Viljoen Photography: Thomas Holder Make-up: Yulia Dzherikhova at Shimmer Location: Madame’s on Napier Clothes available at Kitsch & Camp, Jarvis St, de Waterkant; G’s Men’s Wear, Dixon St, de Waterkant. Ministry 4 Style Studio, Unit 3 Brickfield Park, Salt River (by appointment only). Tel: 072 950 7454, info@ministry4style.com, www.ministry4style.com Mag 26
Mag 27
SCENE OUT
MR SPEEDOMAN PRIDE POOL PARTY 1st Runner-up, Roland (Crew Bar), Mr Speedoman 2012 Erik (Crew Bar) & 2nd Runner-up Tristan (Beefcakes)
rais
and Ma Judges: Mary, Lola
l
Grant, Chris & Danie
The KISS boys
Backstage with all the contestants of the 2012 Mr Speedoman sponsored by OUT Africa Magazine
Ian & Mariel
CAPE TOWN PRIDE
KISS Boy
s on the O
ll & Mary
Blanche Barde
The inevitable Lola
UT bus
Fine
Lance Weyer - Mr GSA
s Dr ul’do s Race neag Ru&Pa m te Ma froles jub2ee - Ce MC Ju MC
Celebrating Pride at the Village Street Fair
Girls just
wanna ha
ve fun!
MADAME’S LAUNCH e
Marais & Kyl
Dainti De
lischia &
her bevy
i
Matt & Daint
OIA CROSS DRESSING PARTY
Out In Afric
a’s Nodi M
urphy
Arthur
Drag kings
LION CORNER TAVERN LAUNCH
om behind Ruach & T
the bar
Casper & Hardus the hosts Mag 29
BEAUTIES & BEASTS
de 2012 Town Pri k e p a C s ce is Khan, M ess Laylah Nova nastacia nc A ri s P s e d c n n 2 d 1st Pri Lima, an Dayana
Cape Town Pride Miss Personality Manilla von Teez
an, Miss Gay Miss Gay Am ss Anastacia Kh bassador L-R: ss Alica Amy L - R: 1st Prince ce in Pr d Justine Croft, 2n Zh , ia ang and Alic ngor Zilin ia Amy Conno World Logan Lo isseur r ue iss no Con Winners at Mr Gay World 2012,
First Mr Cape Prince Marvin Ro s Town Pri de Brand s, ley Galla An2onthdePri nt, r BneceefcIvo L ake eo
yde Johnson ardi Gras, Ja ie Miss & Mr M Loer iams at Pink & Steve Will
,
012 World 2 Mr Gay th e rl e D Andreas
Therapy (Jnb) Hot X Buns Party Mag 30
Cathy Speci fic hosts Mr Gay Wo rld
P.I.S.C.O Bar at Ke enwa opening night with host German de la Melena
Beaulah
bunny
MANHUNT HITS SOUTH AFRICA Craig, th
e Manhu nt hunk a nd some admirers
Gareth -
Our Mr
t
Manhun
Pieter & Riaan
g fun
rrie havin
e Lola & G
Another M
anhunt hu
nk!
Have a KISS on us COMPETITION To WIN a BOTTLE of KISS - The Party Shooter all you have to do is send us a picture of yourself enjoying a shot of KISS at any party or venue and 2 lucky readers will appear in the next issue and have a bottle of KISS sent to them compliments of OUT Africa Magazine and KISS Mag 31
CREW BAR, CT
Annalie, Jayson, Jonathan, Luana & Hafni
Jake
AMSTERDAM BAR ner Tavern iz with Lion Cor
Lu
r & Hardus
owners Caspe
Nelio, Yann
& Gary
Craig, Adrian & Alex
BUBBLES BAR a Skye & Kat
ez, Tiar Manila von Te
Gilardi
ight
a Kn amanth
S
Moses and friends
BACKROOM BAR Ri-han with some Mr Gay World finalists
Mag 32
Roland
Barman Byr
on
BEEFCAKES
Trendy and Fabulous!
Cocktail Bar
Mr Gay World contingent with some local beefcake
Princess Pop & Mary Scary
Live Entertainment
Sexy Staff!
didiva Ruby Wax & O
Fabulous Food!
“The Best B urgers in SA”
Eat Out Magazine
Baby M & Odidiva
CAPE TOWN CARNIVAL
“Beefcakes is a fr iendl y, fuapn peplalac””e with a wide
MAIL & GUARDIAN
olity in “The vibe is madness, camp asansed sfreviv er yone” a venue that encomp
zine.Com
Cape Town Maga
Sovereign Quay, 40 Somerset Road, Greenpoint Voted Best Gay Restaurant - Queerlife Best of 9019 the Best 2011 www.beefcakes.co.za | Tel: 021 425 info@beefcakes.co.za | Bookings Encouraged Voted Best Pink Restaurant 2011 - Pride Awards
Dayana Lima
City of Cape Town Fireme
n
Mag 33
ALL LUBED UP Focusing on lube
S
ince the 1980’s we’ve all been repeatedly exposed to the life-saving slogan, “Always use a condom with waterbased lube for anal sex…”. For many guys this message has become banal (excuse the irresistible pun) due to factors such as condom fatigue and some guys opting to go the bareback route. Indeed, the primary focus of the message has been to get men to use condoms in order to prevent rectal exposure to HIV-carrying semen. The chorus-like addition of water-based lube in the message was to stop men using oil-based lubricants which damage latex condoms. Time to sit up and take note guys, because the responsible sex message has been revised.
shrivel up somewhat. On the other hand, if you use a lubricant that contains too few dissolved substances, water from the lubricant will be absorbed into the cells lining your rectum. If these cells lose too much water they collapse and gaps may open up between them, and if they absorb too much water they burst. Either way, lubricants can cause short-term damage to the lining of your rectum, with significant implications for HIV transmission; any weakening of this lining provides a very easy entry point for the HI virus and increases your risk of infection.
Most importantly, consistent use of condoms and water-based lubricant remain your best defence against HIV
While consistent use of condoms remains your best defence against HIV and other sexually transmitted infection (STIs), evidence has emerged that some water-based lubricants may be harmful to your rectum. This applies equally to top-of-the-range, expensive imported brands and locally manufactured lubricants. These findings emerged when researchers trying to develop rectal microbicides started poking around and asking questions about the effects of sexual lubricants on the mucosal lining of the rectum. Mircobicides are products that will hopefully reduce the transmission of HIV when used during anal intercourse, offering protection in the absence of condoms as well as additional protection when condoms are being used. In essence, the easiest way to get guys to use an effective anal microbicide would be to produce a lubricant that prevents HIV transmission (for more info on microbicides visit http://www.globalcampaign.org/rectal.htm). The new buzz word when discussing the relative safety of water-based lubricants is osmolality.
Those of us who did biology at school will recall the word osmosis: “the natural tendency for water to pass through a membrane separating two solutions of different concentrations… water will pass from the weaker (less concentrated) solution containing fewer particles of dissolved substance to the stronger (more concentrated) solution containing more particles of a dissolved substance…”.In the case of lubricants, the two solutions referred to would be the sexual lubricant in your rectum and the fluid inside the cells that line your rectum, respectively. The membrane referred to is the wall of each cell in the very delicate lining of your rectum. In essence this is how it works: if you use a lubricant that contains a high concentration of dissolved substances (such as sugars or salts) it will naturally absorb water from the cells that line your rectum. These cells will lose water and literally Mag 34
by Glenn de Swardt
This certainly isn’t merely a storm in a teacup. Many well-known brands have been scientifically tested and been found to be unacceptable. One report states that “…ID Glid, Elbow Grease, and Astroglide are similarly toxic for cells, cell lines, and tissues, with Astroglide being the most toxic”. Astroglide is a very expensive American water-based lubricant that has been available in South Africa. Silicon-based lubricants currently appear safe but are expensive and not accessible for many men.
So where does this leave us? First off, this is an issue that everyone who engages in anal sex must be aware of. Labels on lubricants do not indicate whether they have been tested for osmolality, probably because the manufacturers haven’t had their products tested or because they may not want us to know the results. Health4Men is currently conducting tests on many commonly used waterbased lubricants available in South Africa and will publish these findings imminently. The organisation is also working with local lubricant manufacturers to ensure that their products are safer for anal sex. Most importantly, consistent use of condoms and waterbased lubricant remain your best defence against HIV transmission! Although some water-based lubes will harm the cells in your rectum, using condoms will ensure that HIVcontaining semen will not enter your ass. Guys who bareback, especially if they bottom for bareback anal sex, must take note that using water-based lubricant without using condoms could increase their risk of transmission. Any lubricant that contains oils should not be used with latex condoms or gloves. Glenn is the programme manager of Health4Men, a project of the Anova Health Institute funded by PEPFAR/USAID. Health4Men provides free sexual healthcare to men who have sex with men (MSM) through their seven clinics located in Soweto, central Johannesburg, Khayelitsha, Bellville and Cape Town with an additional site being planned in Mopani District in Limpopo Province. Health4Men also undertakes prevention, outreach, training and research. The project is finalising an online survey of South African gay men’s sexual practices which will include questions on lubricant use. For info visit www.health4men.co.za
It’s HOT, HOT, HOT inside
JUNE diary Friday 1st Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Monday 4th Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 8th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm + · Friday 15th Youth Day – Free entrance for teenagers · Friday 22nd Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Friday 29th Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund JULY diary Tuesday 3rd Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 6th Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Friday 13th Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Friday 20th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm + · Friday 27th Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund AUGUST diary Thursday 2nd Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 3rd Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Wednesday 8th Women’s Day Party - Take it like a woman · Friday 10th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm + · Friday 17th Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Friday 24th Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund · Friday 31st Spring returns – Flowers earn you a free shooter We have enough heaters to make you sweat
MORE ACTION AT AMSTERDAM
C
ape Town’s most popular men only gay bar has expanded. Since opening in October 2008, Amsterdam Action Bar has established itself as a sociable, no frills and no rules bar, popular with locals and visitors alike. Having the only pool table in the Village does help! Now this friendly neighbourhood bar on the Pink Block has a lot more to offer. There’s now double the trouble as Amsterdam has taken over the recently vacated premises next door, banged a hole in the wall, doubling the space and doubling the fun. So apart from the pool lounge, 5-Star X-rated Video Lounge and Cruising area, Amsterdam Action Bar now boasts a Coffee Bar serving light meals, an Internet Café, and intimate Cocktail Lounge, and an Adult and Lifestyle Shop upstairs. The Lifestyle Shop offers a selection of branded underwear, Homoerotic pottery, clothing and Neoprene vests and shorts while the upstairs private Adult Shop stocks a variety of toys, condoms, lube etc. and includes a Fetish and Leather section. All products can also be purchased online at www.amsterdam.co.za. Amsterdam Action Bar is the only bar on the Pink Block that has formalised the new Smoking Policy rules and regulations by dividing the ground floor into 2 sections and providing a non smoking bar to cater for the diverse needs of their regular clientele. There is another non smoking section upstairs leading on to a small wooden deck. Part of the first floor, with its own private bar, can be reserved for private functions. 12 -14 Coburn St, Green Point
Mag 36
HOTTEST GAY STORE
A
fter a career spent practicing Law, Charl Benade took early retirement from the bench to pursue a long held ambition of opening the best stocked gay boutique in South Africa.
PIPELINE, his new store, has opened in Northcliff Johannesburg and is much more than a DVD store that sells a few toys as a side distraction. He has in fact turned the concept around, there are more toys than there are discs. The store has imported the most impressive range of product ever seen in the country. Colt and Titanmen Tools set a very high standard for the adult equipment on display and are joined by a variety of Fleshjacks, Bathmates as well as the Nexus Revo stimulators. These are complimented by an unusually wide range of Lubes not frequently seen in SA such as Swiss Navy, Boy Butter and Crisco. A limited range of clothing in the form of US army fatigues and Bike jockstraps is also available. A numbered edition of Tom of Finland dolls steals the show in the sales area.
What also sets PIPELINE several leagues ahead of anyone else is the dĂŠcor. It has been designed and fitted in a style that outclasses any European rival. For those with experience of gay stores in London, Barcelona and Berlin expect to be surprised. PIPELINE is on the corner of Beyers Naude and Frederick Drives in the Northcliff Atrium centre. Telephone: 011-782-3663.
Mag 37
HANKY PANKY
W
hen cruising for guys online, one can check out a potential a hook-up’s likes and preferences on his profile and take it from there. It supposedly uncomplicates life and saves time. But what was to be done before the internet? Well, there was Flagging or the Hanky Code which is a traditional form of signalling what your sexual preferences and interests are. Gay men used this code to communicate what they were into in the noisy and distracting environment of gay bars. Although not as widely used these days, it is still a worthwhile resource and is, among those who know, a great conversation starter. Essentially, the Hanky Code is a colour coded system, mostly popular in the Leather and BDSM sub-culture, to indicate preferred sexual fetishes and whether you are a top or bottom. A particular coloured bandana is usually worn in the back pocket or around the belt loop. Wearing a handkerchief on the left side of the body typically indicates one is active in the practice of the fetish indicated by the colour of the handkerchief, while wearing it on the right side of the body would mean you are passive. This left-right duality comes from an earlier time where tops would clip their keys on the left belt loop while bottoms would do it on the right. Sometimes the bandana is worn around the arm or ankle. A hanky worn in the back centre loop means you are versatile. There is no universally understood colour code, but the colours for more common practices, particularly those with an intuitive relation between the colour and the practice, such as yellow for watersports, for scat and black for SM are implicit. The origin of the Hanky Code seems to be rooted in the mid and late-nineteenth century among cowboys, railroad engineers and miners in the Wild West of the United States. It seemed to be popular in San Francisco, which was a gay Mecca even then, after the Gold Rush. Because of a shortage of
LEATHER PRIDE COMES TO SOUTH AFRICA
T
he Cape Town chapter of the South Africa Leathermen has come out of hibernation now that Mr SALM 2010 Jaco Lourens is back in the hot seat as Chairman. Number of successful events were recently held in quick succession including: a Flag Party, with hankies hanging out all over the place; a screening of the controversial cult classic Cruising and Flawless at the Backroom Bar; and a Soup Challenge, where seven leather men competed to see who made the best soup. On 28 July 2012, the first ever Leather PRIDE event ever held on the African continent will be held in the heart of Cape Town’s Pink Block. Organised in association with Amsterdam Action Bar, the Backroom Bar and Barcode, the Coburn St Fair will be catering for the growing Leather and Fetish community. The Fair is based on the same concept as the Mag 38
women, men would dance with each other at square dances. The man wearing the blue bandana in his belt loop or the back pocket of his jeans would lead and the man wearing the red bandana would follow. The modern day use of the Hanky Code as we now know it became popular in New York City in late 1970 or early 1971 when a journalist for the Village Voice joked that instead of simply wearing keys to indicate whether someone was a “top” or a “bottom”, it would be more efficient to subtly announce their particular sexual focus by wearing different coloured hankies. While you would very rarely see guys sporting bandanas in your average vanilla gay bar these days, there does appear to be quite an active sub-culture where the Hanky Code is still very popular, and it has also spilled over to lesbian and hetero SM communities. There has been such a proliferation of variations of the code that one now needs a manual to decipher what colour pertains to what fetish. In fact, you can even download a Hanky Code app to your smart phone! Instead of simplifying cruising, it can now cause confusion if you cannot remember what colour means what! Who knew that there was a colour for sugar daddies, toe-suckers and geeks! And did you know that a gold lame was for muscle lovers and tie-dye for hippies? It seems that a code that was quite strictly regimented has expanded to accommodate the endless variations in sexual proclivity. For more specific enlightenment of the Hanky Code, these two sites are the most useful: www.sacbolt.com.hankycode & www. bootdog.com.hankies famous San Francisco Folsom Street Fair, an annual leather street fair held at the end of that city’s Leather Pride Week. Since starting in 1984, Folsom is the world’s largest leather event and showcase for BDSM products and culture. There are incarnations of Folsom St Fair in Toronto, New York and London. Now Cape Town will bring its own unique take on this infamous leather event. Coburn Street will be closed to traffic to allow for a day of fetish fun in the sun. And if it rains, there will be plenty of dark covered spaces to play in. There will be several fabulous food and leather ware stalls as well as a whole day of entertainment lined up,
FETISH WEAR FOR THE
UNINHIBITED Kinx is an original and custom manufacturer of leather clothing and accessories made with ‘you’ in mind.
W
e offer a great range of products enough to satisfy any desire, and moreover if you are all about personalisation, we can accommodate. If you can envision it, we can design and tailor it to your specifications. Kinx also provides you the opportunity to modify our current pronounced products on offer and have it customised to the way you want it. All that you need to do is to let us know exactly what your preferences are and we will gladly assist you. We have our store in Melville, Johannesburg, for your convenience, and if it’s out of your way, we don’t want you to bend over backwards, we correspondingly have an online shop that you can purchase from anywhere in the world, and you don’t have to make an appointment. It all depends on you, the nature of your design and options discussed as to how long your order takes before you receive it. At Kinx we believe that customer is king and we will treat you like one. This is the reason why we give you the opportunity to customise and ensure your apparel gets delivered to you. For more information visit our online store at www.kinx.co.za
including top DJs and a dog (yes, dog not drag) show. There are rumours of an Up Your Alley and Bay of Pigs area. The contest to chose the next Mr SA Leatherman who will represent South Africa at next years IML will be launched at the Fair. Doors open at noon and entry is R30. SALeathermen Cape Town is a community-based organization dedicated to promoting the image of the South African leather community through visibility, advocacy, community outreach, and social and educational events. For more information on upcoming SALM events, including the next Mr SA Leather Man Competition, join the SALM Cape Town Facebook page, follow @SA_Leathermen on Twitter or visit the new website: www.saleathermen.qw.co.za Mag 39
THE VERI SWEET LETTERS...
May June be Jolly Proud, KZN #4 Signed: Veri Dre Sweet eyes and ears baby! Hello Out There! I need to recap - bring some events Out the P-Book: once again at the Stadium. One venue, two looks.
Of course, Rewind boasted The Village People - I absolutely confess it, we were doing the YMCA! You couldn’t not “want to be a Macho Man” just for the lyrics’ sake. The entire day had revived the experience of the 80’s in a fantastical sort of way. Sometimes it is good to remember, before you head off from Today…
Let’s Rewind. 80’s Rewind Festival - 25th February 2012 - Mr. Price Kings Park Stadium, Umgeni Road, Durban The Shark’s legendary rugby stadium, its concrete walls seemed grim; on a day celebrating the age of Pop in the days of the King (RIP Michael Jackson). The 80’s were characterized by loud exuberance. Acts like the remnants of Freddie Mercury’s Queen and Marc Almond - Live - TO BE SEEN! … “Chama-Chameleon”… I had walked into a giant karaoke bar (and somewhat in a good way): nine blocks across three levels up, two large screens compelling me to sing, as a-bits-ofeverything-crowd-of-all-ages-rolled-in. It was a warm welcome of rainbow and tinsel wigs, bellbottom jeans and long stockings: no one was sparing the pinks or greens, a fair occasion for orange even, it seemed. ECR’s Damon was announcing Howard Jones, as my platforms skidded miles from bars to restaurantfloors. The lower levels flashed club-disco-lighting, glittered through the sundown, meeting glowsticks and stage lighting. I got to my seat - there were familiar faces nearby - people I knew, what a delight at their sight; the evening had transformed into a concert night alright! Marc Almond suited the occasion. He’s a music legend in his own right - a sensation! According to online interviews, his homepage and blog stuff (jacked from google.com); Marc doesn’t market himself as a gay icon. He does speak tolerance, talking honestly to crowds; so he’s not as explicit as RuPaul I surmise. He performs most excellently, captured the audience in the stands - seeing him live, hearing his voice, kindled memories deep inside. A song, some lyrics, and a catchy melody - even a dance routine maybe…
So Let’s Move Forward. Bent Nights - 27th April 2012 - Sky Bar, Stamford Hill Road, Durban Organizers have - what I’m calling - a Fast Forward to the new millennium. We are more aware of the Community - our diverse queerness, our oddity of being; BENT NIGHTS in Durban are now open to gay guys and girls, and presumably those inbetween. I remember the days when I longed to see what was hidden from me; when a staircase or door separated “them” from “me”. There are still some designated parties if you feel for a category; browse their group on facebook to find your specific fancy. Let’s Get Progressive! Durban Gay Pride - June 25th to 1st July 2012 And gender is the subject of the Time, I’m greedily reading Kate Bornstein; in our African context, I realize queer equality is a one country-at-a-time kinda thing. Even then, it has no surety. So here’s what I wrung Out my brain as to why we Parade so proudly in Rain… Gay Pride is about the inspiration we strut in the street. More than colour whimsy gay people have come to represent a resilience to remold the ass--umption of what it means to be a man, woman, someone in between, and someone unexpected. This essence resides in all of us: gay, straight, bi or mixed, inter and trans, gender not fixed... Gay Pride can be something that brings together all people. A community declaring our individual rights to govern our flesh, and the confidence of a parade is a show of strength. It is that strength that should draw to it, the ones who are silent and
Mag 40
silenced. Gay Pride is the anti-history to the decades where queer forms of love, pleasure and expression were cast into the gutter -- orphaned by living parents -- policed by heterosexist governments. Gay Pride is about all of us, all humans free in love, but when those flags go up it is visible for those who are not. And I pray we think of them through the day, as we celebrate through the night - dances of exuberance, jubilation in gender forms; drink flavoursome shooters till the witches’ hour dawns.
A GYPSY DISCOVERS GAYPIER By Genevieve Le Coq
We must celebrate Life, or we would have little need to grieve for it - or honour the ones who have lost it, so we could enjoy the right to have it for Eudy Simelane and the growing number of others, I salute you Durban Gay Pride - June 25th to 1st July 2012, Venue: Mr. Price Sharks Stadium, Mr. & Miss Gay Pride Pageant - Friday 29th June Pride March: Saturday 30th June LGBT Fashion Show: Saturday 4th August Linkage from postage: * Durban Lesbian & Gay Community & Health Centre - www.gaycentre.org.za * Durban Gay Pride 2012 - www. durbanpride.org
T
he wide open road is always a delight for an eternal gypsy but none so much as discovering the beautiful little town of Napier in the Overberg. Also known as Gaypier, this well preserved secret is nestled away in hills close to Bredasdorp, a little more than two hours from Cape Town.
As I scanned the town for a lunch spot, I discovered Napier Farm Stall on the main road. This pink owned and managed farm stall has more charm than a blue eyed sailor and the food is sure to whimsically take your taste buds on a trip. Owner Ilze Vos prepares traditional meals personally and every dish exhibits attention to detail in presentation and gastronomic pleasure. Lunch was amazing and leaving there was a semi-nostalgic experience. So I did what a gypsy does best - I hit the road to see the rest of the beautiful surrounds! Not very far out of Napier I checked in at Taim-Go-Loer Guest Cottage. I broke into peals of queer laughter as I saw I familiar face welcoming me to the farm. Ilze also owns the farm!
After a very successful event in 2011, Durban is once again gearing up to celebrate Pride from Monday 25th June till Sunday 1st July 2012. Activities include film shows, a Book Fair, debates and workshops. The always glamorous Mr and Miss Durban Pride 2012 Pageant takes place on Friday 29 June. The much anticipated Parade, Festival and After Parties take place on Saturday 30 June. The Festival winds down on Sunday 1 July with a morning Picnic and Afternoon Service. And naturally, when not at a Pride event, Durban holds many other attractions: stunning beaches and warm weather while the rest of the country freezes.
I might as well have been in heaven when Ilze told me that we could expect to find a freshly baked chicken pie in the oven with a crisp organic rocket salad from the garden for dinner ... Just add wine. The cottage is well equipped, private, sleeps four, and is well furnished. It is the secret getaway any urbanite needs to revive a weary soul. The most peaceful sleep ensued as the fireplace crackled in the background. Sunrise! This early bird was ready to catch the perm! A day of many possibilities was waving its bright boa at me; countryside mornings are just so fresh! A kind breakfast tip-off from the locals led me straight back to the Napier Farm Stall for the infamous Black Pan Breakfast that would rival any hangover cure known to (wo)man! It is wonderful to know that there are still a few authentic spots like this one waiting to be found: pink, unpretentious and a pleasure to return to every time! Driving away I felt my work was done and that I could touch up my last layer of nail top-coat. The beautiful colours of the rainbow flag are proudly welcoming guests at these two great spots in the Overburg that are well worth the short detour off the N2 from Caledon. For visits to Napier Farm Stall and reservations for Taim-Go-Loer Guest Cottage please contact Ilze Vos on 028 423 3440, napierfarmstall@telkomsa.net or please visit www. napierfarm.co.za Mag 41
SOME LIKE IT HOT Other than Hot House, how do you spice up your life this winter? OUT went out in Cape Town in search of eateries to fire you up... CAMPIEST CURRY
with Gary Hopkins
OUT TO LUNCH
CHILLI ON THE RUN Tucked away just inside entrance 2 to the Kenilworth Centre is the non assuming take-away Cabana Cabin that happens to be the best little samoosa house in town. Because they are so busy you can guarantee their Chicken or Mince samoosas are always fresh from the pan, and utterly crispy and delicious. BEST CURRIED STARTER Just a stone’s throw away on the corner of Belvedere and Lansdowne Roads, Claremont, you’ll find Perima’s Finest Indian Cuisine. They won’t win any decor awards but those in the know will confirm it is Cape Town’s best kept secret. The staff are super friendly and the prices are from a bygone decade. What will have you coming back time and again is their chicken liver starter which delivers a heavenly explosion of flavour in your mouth. MOST MASALA FOR YOUR MOOLA Got an out of town visitor and you want to show them a real slice of Cape Town? Head to the Eastern Food Bazaar in the Old Wellington Fruit Growers Building on Longmarket Street where you’ll find the Mother City at her cosmopolitan best. There is a massive range to choose from but try the Chicken Masala Dosa for a laughable R30!
FINEST ALL ROUND CURRY EXPERIENCE Ever since Bukhara became the restaurant equivalent of a sweat factory and horribly over priced, Chandai Restaurant in Roodebloem Road stepped up to the plate. The menu is a veritable treasure trove of familiar dishes and undiscovered treats. My personal favourite is the Murg Palak, a boneless chicken cooked in rich spinach gravy. George Michael ate here twice when he visited a few years back Mag 42
Glowing Papier Mache cows, fairy lights and mock Bollywood posters prove there is nowhere quite as stylish or as pink friendly as Masala Dosa on Long Street. Along with the variety of Dosas, the attention to detail is what sets this fine eatery apart. Awesome place for lunch.
THE SATURDAY MORNING CURRY At the Biscuit Mill Market and can’t decide what to nosh? Worry no more. Head to the second hall, turn right and the most heavenly Butter Chicken curry awaits. Early birds get to enjoy the full selection from Thai to Indian Vegetarian curries, but never fear, none disappoint. They also cater for home dinners by arrangement.
DIY CURRIES If the curry bug has well and truly bitten and you want to try this at home folks, here are 3 key places to visit: Atlas Spices – 94 Wale Street, Bo-Kaap, for the best selection of Indian spices in town Learn to make traditional Malay food in the BoKaap from Zaine Misbach who is famous for starting the Noon Gun Restaurant. www.bokaapcookingtour.co.za Master genuine Indian starters and mains or breads and desserts from a Mumbai native at Gautami’s Indian Cooking School in Green Point. www.gautamiscooking.weebly.com
OLD FRIENDS GET A MAKEOVER...
A
n astute observer might have noticed that there have been some changes on the corner of Main and Kloof Roads in Cape Town’s suburb of Sea Point. The livery and the name might have changed, but the personalities, expertise, professionalism and friendliness from the agents within remain the same. Dogon Group Properties offer a selection of the finest and most sought-after homes in the City, focussing on the Atlantic Seaboard, including the suburbs of Camps Bay, Clifton, Bantry Bay and Sea Point, all of which happen to be home to many gay and lesbian residents. While there has been a general slump, the property market in these neighbourhoods remains buoyant, partly due to the desirability of living on one of the most stunning coastlines in the world, and in some part due to a high number of DINKS (dual income no kids, quite often same-sex households) with high disposable income who choose to live here. The team has always been gay-friendly and understands any special needs and requirements gay clients might have. So whether it is a glamorous multi-million rand mansion or a stylish bachelor pad, whether it is for rental or purchase, the gay-friendly staff at Dogon Group Properties now partnered with our old friends will find something to suit the tastes, needs and pocket of the community.
Rob Stefanutto
David Ward
Jane Jones
Graham Cowburn
It’s a lifestyle in De Waterkant 1, 2 & 3 BEDROOMS AVAIL ABLE FROM R1.8 TO R8.9 MILLION ALL RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS START ON THE 8TH FLOOR OFFERING PANORAMIC VIEWS
68% SOLD BUYERS ARE OFFERED THE OPPORTUNIT Y TO INVEST IN ONE OF CAPE TOWN’S LEADING DEVELOPMENTS. PRESENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION
V I EW TH E M ODEL AT OU R OFFICE AT 9 JARVIS S TREET, DE WATERK ANT www. m irag e-cape t own. co . za ROB STEFANUTTO 083 556 6861
SEA POINT 021 43 4 1223
Mag 43
MOFFIE Moffie: noun (plural moffies) a derogatory Afrikaans word for a gay man Whilst conscripted into the army in the 80s, Andre Carl van der Merwe wrote down his experiences as a means of coping. Years later he found his forgotten scribblings in an old suitcase and realised that he had a story that needed telling. These journals became the core of his novel Moffie, published in 2006, about a young gay man’s tale of survival in a brutal military machine.
A
lthough the novel was based on these journals, it is a work of fiction. The protagonist is Nicholas, who from a young age realises he is different. When he failed to meet his father’s expectations he was called a moffie, a sissy and was told to butch up. Called up for compulsory military service, he soon discovers that the SADF is not a good place for homosexuals. But despite the awful things that happen in training and during the border war, there were some positive aspects and ultimately Moffie is about the survival of the spirit. The book is the result of van der Merwe’s need to make sense of the madness around him. Now this acclaimed novel about love, sexuality and violence, has been interpreted to dance by Standard Bank young artist Bailey Snyman. Inspired by van der Merwe’s novel, the dance piece also called Moffie, explores and exposes the fears, anxieties, and overwhelming sense of denial of gay people in the military. It delves into both historical and contemporary understanding of gays & the military, and considers the universal struggle of being gay in the military. While the Truth & Reconciliation Commission did go some way to expose & exorcise some of the atrocities committed in the name of Apartheid, very little was revealed about the adversities faced by gay people under the old regime. Bailey says that translating a novel into dance is always a massive undertaking. It is near impossible to cover all the plot elements of the novel in a one hour dance production. Mag 44
The dance work centres on Nicholas’ time in the army but more specifically on his relationship with his father and his friend Dylan. It focuses more on the themes and issues of the novel as opposed to retelling the entire story. With Moffie, which will be debuting at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, Bailey Snyman has once again firmly entrenched his reputation for creative work that is poetic, challenging and visually provocative. The Matchbox Theatre Collective’s production of Moffie can be seen at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown on 2, 3 & 4 July. It will also be performed in Johannesburg at the beginning of September.
MUSIC MOVES by Gary Hopkins
Mi Casa – Mi Casa Who are they? Multi SAMA award winning trio from Cape Town, who unless you have been living under a rock, should be on a radio near you. What’s their bag? Elegant, sexy house music with a soulful thrown in. Sounds like? They are signed to Soul
Jack White - Blunderbuss Who is he? One half of the White Stripes, producer in demand, and part time actor. What’s his bag? Bluesy, dirty rock. Sounds like? Mozart, if he smoked 40 Marlboros a day and drank Jack Daniels. He really is a modern day
Candi records and the name says it all: sweet and delicious. The CD: For once the music lives up to the hype. Designed to move both your feet and your heart you can’t help but fall under their spell. Their version of Sade’s Smooth Operator is sublime and All the Glory will have even the most ardent atheist requestioning their stance on faith. The track to download: All the Glory
musical genius. The CD: Jack White isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but fans of the White Stripes (or any of his other bands) will be happy to know his debut solo CD is as gritty and hook laden as any of his other work. Dark, raw and made for people who like music with hair on its chest. The track to download: Sixteen Saltines
Flourish – Moving Up Who are they? Cape Town based electronic dance-pop duo What’s their bag? 80’s pop infused with disco and cheesy lyrics Sounds like? A tot of the Pet Shop Boys and 2 liters of water Their CD: If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then the Pet Shop Boys should feel huge honored. Sadly until they shrug off their biggest influence (oddly the PSB are not listed on Facebook under the artists that inspired them) and ditch the lame lyrics, they’ll never learn to stand on their own four feet. File under so bad it’s actually quite good. The track to download: Friends (just for a laugh) Crazy White Boy – Zoma Who are they? Two producers/DJs from Cape Town and also signed to Soul Candi and huge in a club near you. What’s their bag? A mix of House and Kwaito – they call it Ghetto Tech apparently. Sounds like? The best thing since sliced white bread. Their CD: Imagine Moby came to South Africa and made a CD (yes it’s that good). An unbelievable mix of English and vernacular tracks boosted by flawless production. The cross over album we can truly be proud of. The track to download: You’re the Reason (ft Jude)
Keane – Strangeland Who are they? Pop ‘rock’ band from the UK known for using keyboards instead of guitars as their lead instrument What’s their bag? Gentle, catchy pop. They have the ability to find melody in places other bands don’t even have places Sounds like? If Heaven had a resident band it would be Keane. Clever, catch pop without being cheesy. Their CD: Four albums in they’re still at the top of their game. They may never be as popular as they were when they released their first CD but this is guaranteed to be on plenty of Top 10 lists come December. You’ll be smitten from the very first listen. The track to download: Watch How You Go RIP Robin Gibb (22-12-1949 – 20-5-2012) One-third of the Bee Gees, singer-songwriter Robin Gibb, with his brothers Maurice and Barry, helped turn Disco into a global phenomenon. Robin’s quivering, vulnerable voice was featured prominently on several of the group’s earliest and most Beatles-eque hits. It was the brothers contribution to Saturday Night Fever that catapulted them to superstardom. Thanks you for the music, Robin.
Madonna – MDNA Who is she? Part Diva part Transformer (you really need to ask?) What’s her bag? She lives to be the most inspirational artist after Michael Jackson (ask Lady Gaga and Kylie) Sounds like? You really think Madonna can be summed up in one sentence? The CD: This is her break up album so she is seriously pissed off at Guy Ritchie. Generally received the world over with a universal thumbs but she isn’t a Goddess for nothing. A couple of spins and you soon be on the same hymn sheet as our Madge The track to download: Gang Bang Mag 45
OUT ON FILM Madonna’s W.E. (June 1) is a beautifully crafted, passionate tale viewed through the prism of one of history’s most fabled romances. Set in 1998, the film focuses on Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish), a transplanted Southerner trapped in an unhappy and abusive marriage who becomes obsessed with the love story of Wallis Simspon (Andrea Riseborough), the chic, charismatic American who captured the heart of King Edward VIII (James D’Arcy). As she learns more about the sacrifices Wallis made in choosing to be with Edward, Wally finds the courage to follow her own heart and create her own happiness.
W.E.
Goethe is Germany’s most famous and important poet and philosopher, yet there has never been a relevant feature film about this extraordinary personality. This all changes with the release of the superb German periodromance Goethe (June 22). Alexander Fehling delivering a brilliant performance as the 23-year-old Goethe, a hopeless romantic who aspires to be a poet, and who achieved his greatest artistic success as a result of his greatest love pangs: The Sorrows of Young Werther. The film shows Goethe not as the all-round genius as portrayed in thousands of books and interpretations, but rather a young man who loved and suffered. Mag 46
From Susan Hill bestseller comes The Woman in Black (July 27), a dark tale of loss, vengeance and mourning. Daniel Radcliffe discards his magic wand to play a young London solicitor who is forced to leave his three-year-old son and travel to a remote village to attend to the affairs of the recently deceased owner of Eel Marsh House. But when he arrives at the creepy old mansion, he discovers some dark secrets, and his sense of unease deepens when he glimpses a mysterious woman dressed in black. Two comic-book heroes explode on the big screen in July: The Amazing SpiderMan (July 13) is a reboot of the popular series with Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker and his alter ego. Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises (27 July) is the final segment of his Batman trilogy with Batman (Christian Bale) dealing with two villains, the menacing Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) and Bane (Tom Hardy)
Charlize Theron turns nasty as the vain and selfish Queen Ravenna in the fantasy-thriller Snow White and the Huntsman (June 1). When her stepdaughter, Snow White (Kristen Stewart), is destined to surpass her as the “Fairest One of All” , the Queen learns from her Magic Mirror that the only way to remain in power is to consume Snow White’s heart and achieve immortality. So she does what every evil stepmother would do: when Snow White escapes into the Dark Forest, Ravenna recruits the Huntsman Eric (Chris Hemsworth from Thor and The Avengers) to kill Snow White. But this is a fairy tale, and he takes pity on the young princess and teaches her the art of war. Ridley Scott changed the world of science fiction films with Alien and Blade Runner. , He now offers his signature brand of action, thrills, scares, and much, much more, when Prometheus is unleashed on June 8. Scott has created a new mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey, aboard the spaceship Prometheus to the darkest corners of the universe. There they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
By Daniel Dercksen
Charlise Theron Anjelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie makes her writing and directorial debut with In the Land of Blood and Honey. (July 20). “I wanted to make a film that would express, in an artistic way, my frustrations with the international community’s failure to intervene in conflicts in a timely and effective manner. I also wanted to explore and understand the Bosnian War, as well as broader issues such as women in conflict, sexual violence, accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity, and the challenge of reconciliation.” Safe (August 3) is a well crafted and intricate story with Jason Statham in top form as a man who has nothing to lose. His life is catapulted into action by a Chinese girl who is lost in a world of crime, corruption and deceit. Relentless and riveting, nothing and no-one is safe in a world the two are trapped in a warzone where guns blaze and bodies pile up. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (August 10) is a fictional rendition telling of the 16th President of the United States (played by Benjamin Walker), whose mother was killed by a supernatural creature. This fuels his passion to crush vampires and their slave-owning helpers and confront the villainous lead vampire (Rufus Sewell)
The Dark Night Rises
For more information on these releases and other films now showing, visit www.writingstudio.co.za
WORD PERFECT Oktober Réney Warrington, 224 pp. Protea Boekhuis - R160.00 This debut novel by Réney Warrington tells the story of the delicate relationship between Jo, a photographer from Johannesburg and Leigh, an American pop star, as it progresses from acquaintance to friendship to tentative romantic courtship. Confronted by the hardships of severed relationships, dreaded disease and excommunication from the people they love most, the women embark on an agreed-upon three month long love affair as they explore life in unfamiliar London. The situation is not without its share of emotional turmoil. The pain of being denied having part of her niece and nephew’s upbringing leaves Jo unable to experience any emotions other than emptiness and loneliness, whereas Leigh’s hiatus from life in the limelight confronts her with many unknown feelings. We are given a privileged point of view through Jo’s deeply personal narration, as well as twenty-one colour photographs. This is perhaps one aspect of the book that disappoints, in that Jo’s own impressions of events begrudge the reader the opportunity to form an own opinion. And whereas certain accounts are filled to the brim with detailed observation, large portions of the book read like an abridged version of an infinitely more intricate affair. Although there is a fair dose of armchair psychology and maybe even a tad of self pity, Warrington succeeds in laying bare the emotional core of two people in need of love and acceptance. Perhaps it is the second October, the one beyond the expiry date of their love affair that offers the reader more than the one during which Jo’s life was forced into a new direction. Warrington moves effortlessly from Afrikaans narration to mostly English dialogue throughout, making Oktober an accessible book about love in its many guises. - Ian van Zyl The Killing Cycle Timothy Owen There are lots of unexpected twists and turns and series of improbable coincidences that make Tim Owen’s second novel very difficult to put down. That and the fact that the protagonists, both the good guys and the villains, are impossibly gorgeous. And oh yes…they are mostly gay, including the unnamed psychopathic anti-hero and Darla, the lipstick- lesbian police detective in charge of solving a string of grisly murders. Imagine CSI set in South Africa run by moffies. The villain of the piece commits a series of murders in Jo’burg, but after nearly getting caught he decides that a change of scene is in order. He ends up in Alaska where he is unable to resist killing again. But what he does not know is that he himself is being stalked by someone close to one of his victims….This fast-paced thriller is partly written in the voice of the serial killer. In his mind he is the sexiest man on earth, irresistible to man or woman. It is only towards the end of the novel that we realise just how deluded and just how nasty he is. He is a prime example of an “unreliable narrator” because his view of himself and the world around him is a long way from reality. Yet it is all very fascinating. Some parts of this well-written novel made me laugh out loud, and the sex scenes are actually sexy. Some of the descriptions of the violence are gruesomely graphic but no more so than what we watch nightly on TV. I enjoyed reading this and can highly recommend it. -ET The Killing Cycle can be ordered online in either eBook or paperback on amazon.com ($5.50 and $14.99 respectively) and amazon.co.uk (£2.28 and £10.99 respectively) It can also be ordered from eStore: https://www.createspace.com/3586715 ADAM & LUKE Peter Krummeck Junkets Publisher, R140.00 This volume contains two novellas which are the first published prose fiction written by Peter Krummeck, who is better known as an actor and playwright. Each story deals with an older married man’s attraction to a younger man, and the conflicted state in which that attraction leaves him, as well as the consequences it has on the families. Krummeck’s conviction that sexual orientation is not black or white but every shade of grey has found expression in these novellas. In Adam van Eden Krummeck draws on his personal experience of sexual discrimination within the church to highlight the damage inherent in fundamentalist condemnation. In this oedipal tale, Pastor Paul falls for the beautiful gardener Adam, with tragic and unexpected consequences. The second story, According to Luke explores the anguished disruption of a heterosexual marriage when Luke finds himself attracted to his co-worker Clinton. While the story is quite heart-wrenching, the protagonists find a modern, pragmatic and happy solution to their predicament. Apart from the issues of sexual desire and identity, the author manages to weave in other themes such as racial stereotypes (They are South African stories, after all). The stories are beautifully written and are another valuable addition to the growing genre of South African gay literature. - ET Mag 47
ON STAGE At the theatre with Daniel Dercksen LET’S DANCE The breathtaking and sizzling Burn the Floor! is not to be missed. Filled from start to finish with spellbinding numbers in ballroom dance styles it is “like ballroom dancing super charged. It’s the incredible art form of ballroom dance combined with rock and roll,” says producer Harley Medcalf. The Opera House at Artscape, Cape Town, July 10 to 29; The Mandela at Joburg Theatre, July 31 to August 19; The Opera House at The Playhouse in Durban, August 21 to September 2. Visit the website: www. burnthefloor.com 2 lucky couples in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban can win seats to the opening night performance. Tell us who the choreographer is and send your answer and contact details with Burn the Floor in the subject line to daniel@writingstudio. co.za. Closing date is a week before each opening night.
Byron. The Mandela at Joburg Theatre from July 19 to 29. Bovim Ballet is performing Sean Bovim’s Queen At The Ballet. Using the athleticism of rock ballet en-pointe in a high impact production, this sensational and sexy production features the live gymnastic vocals of Cito, Daniel Fisher and Goitsemang Lehobye. Henk Opperman dances the role of Freddie Mercury. Baxter Theatre from August 8 – 18. The Imperial Russian Ballet Company returns with a stunning line-up that includes Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana; Walpurgis Night, the oneact ballet from Gounod’s opera Faust; Adagio from Rimsky-Korsakov’s ballet Scheherezad; the grand pas de deux from Minkus’ Don Quixote and the CanCan Surprise by Jacques Offenbach. Sand Du Plessis Theatre, Bloemfontein on June 23; Durban Playhouse Opera on June 26 and 2; Guild Theatre in East London on June 29; Port Elizabeth Opera House on June 30 and July 1; Baxter Theatre on July 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8; Joburg Theatre from July 11 to 15.
MUSIC
The young, vibrant and proudly South African contemporary dance company iKapa Dance Theatre will present their exciting and emotionally engaging Inhale/Exhale at The Playhouse Theatre, Durban, July 5 to7; the Guild Theatre in East London, July 12 to 14; Artscape Arena Theatre in Cape Town, August 1 to 4. The South African Ballet Theatre featuring dancers from Mzansi Productions plus guest artists, presents the classic ballet Le Corsaire, an exotic tale of love and adventure based on a poem by Lord Mag 48
The sensational Cabaret is set in Berlin’s seedy Kit Kat Klub in1931 and revolves around cabaret performer Sally Bowles, a faded, jaded, good-time girl, and her relationship with young American writer Cliff Bradshaw. German musical theatre star Sascha Halbhuber delivers a tour de force as the sinister, sexy Master of Ceremonies Emcee, and Samantha Peo plays Sally Bowles. Montecasino Theatre, June 7 to August 5; Theatre on The Bay, Cape Town, August 13 to September 8 In honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, the Cape Town Gilbert and Sullivan Society will staging The Yeomen of the Guard, the grandest of the Savoy Operas,
at the Artscape Theatre from June 16 to July 1 before playing at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Buxton, UK during August 2012. Awardwinning director Teddy Davies and musical director Alastair Cockburn who have been responsible in bringing so many wonderfully successful Savoy Operas to Cape Town audiences will once again collaborate in this Jubilee production.
explores the creative process and the inner conflict of one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, Mark Rothko. Starring Michael Richard and Jeremy Richard, Old Mutual Theatre on the Square in Sandton from July 17 to August 11. James Cunningham stars in Sunday Morning, a fastpaced story infused with the kind of aggressive wit, acute observation, real suspense, imminent danger, selfish need and poignant humanity that are the basic elements of urban life in contemporary South Africa. Kalk Bay Theatre from July 12 to August 11.
COMEDY
Cape Town Opera will be presenting Leonard Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti - The Musical Marriages, inspired by the music of 1950s advertisements. Businessman Sam and frustrated housewife Dinah start to loose their faith in the American Dream. Starring Violina Anguelov and singers from the CTO Voice of the Nation Studio, directed by Matthew Wild, the evening begins with a musical introduction to the life of Bernstein, exploring the themes of love and marriage in his life and his work. The opera opens at the Fugard Theatre on August 15 before touring to De Aar, Rustenburg, Polokwane, Kimberley and Bloemfontein. Wild also directs a new staging of Mozart’s delightful comic opera Cosi Fan Tutte for Cape Town Opera at the Baxter Theatre from August 28 Pop and opera return to South Africa, with an entertaining feast of Classical Cross Over music featuring Thailand’s sensational super voice band VIVA! The Fringe at Joburg Theatre, until June 16.
DRAMA John Logan’s 2010 Tony Award winning play Red
Mafeking Road, adapted from Herman Charles Bosman’s stories, features the outrageously talented duo of Andrew Laubscher and Matthew Lewis. Kalk Bay Theatre from August 15 to September 8. 30 years after Adapt or Dye, Pieter-Dirk Uys proves that when history repeats itself it takes tragedy and turns it into farce. Adapt or Fly is Uys’ newest personal political comedy-trek with appearances by Mrs. Evita Bezuidenhout and a motley medley of characters that includes Malema as ‘Kidi Amin’. The show runs at the Baxter from 11 to 30 June.
PHYSICAL THEATRE Award-winning visual theatre company FTH:K presents its latest production, OfficeBLOCK, which looks at life around the office water cooler, through a series of captivating vignettes that lift the lid on the tyranny of conformity and the culture of corporate greed. Baxter Theatre Centre, Cape Town from July 10 to 21 For more information on live shows visit www.writingstudio.co.za
never
judge a
cock
by its feathers you can’t tell if that strutting rooster has a sexually transmitted infection or HIV reducing your number of sexual partners and consistent use of condoms with water-based lube remain your best defence against HIV and STIs
HEALTH4MEN provides free confidential HIV and STI screenings plus free treatment
www.health4men.co.za www.h4m.mobi Simon Nkoli Centre for Men’s Health 1st Floor, New Nurses Home, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (Soweto) Tel: 011 989 9756 / 9865
Ivan Toms Centre for Men’s Health Woodstock Tel: 021 447 2844
Siseko Men’s Clinic Site C, Taxi Rank Khayelitsha Tel: 021 3870309
Health4Men at Zola Clinic Zola Community Health Centre Bendile Road (Soweto) Tel: 011 931 2364
Health4Men at Chiawelo Clinic 1743 Rihlamphu Street (Soweto)
Health4Men at Yeoville Clinic Corner of Kenmere and Hopkins (Johannesburg) Tel: 072 654 0816