Topping with Ten
Gay culture is vast, rich and endlessly fascinating. While any part of it is worth exploring fab asked 10 experts for their 10 (and highly subjective) suggestions for the things every gay man should at least appear knowledgeable about.

Top 10 books every gay man should read
by Sholem Krishtalka, artist, writer and queer fanatic

1. Pilcrow by Adam Mars Jones: This queer coming of age tale tackles growing up disabled and gay in the 1950s and proves nobody writes prose like Jones anymore, he’s Proust for the new century.

2 & 3. Palimpsest and Point to Point Navigation by Gore Vidal: These two autobiographical volumes by one of the most interesting queers of the 20th century are essential plus they feature top-drawer gossip.

4. Faggots by Larry Kramer: A biting, prescient satire of the mindless consumerism and vacuous excesses of post-Stonewall gay culture.

5. Naked by David Sedaris: It’s the only book I’ve read that I’ve had to put down and finish laughing before I could continue reading.

6. Angels in America by Tony Kushner: This play is a profoundly beautiful, magical and realistic examination of love, loss, life, politics and faith in the midst of the AIDS crisis.

7. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams: It’s the play that single-handedly (well, with the help of Marlon Brando) turned men into sexual objects.

8. Straight To Hell edited by Boyd MacDonald: It’s the longest running sex ’zine, now collected into books with titles like Meat, Wads and Cum. Legend has it that all the literary greats wrote one-handed reading for STH. The wildest shit you’ll ever read and the most radical document of queer sexuality ever produced.

9. The Symposium by Plato: It’s one long ode to gay love by the Greeks who practically invented it.

10. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: This classic is full of aesthetic philosophy, high wit and one hot, hot guy.

Sholem Krishtalka’s drawings will be featured alongside pieces by Will Munro and Stephen Andrews from Wed June 17 to Sat June 27 at Paul Petro Special Projects Space, 962 Queen St W. Info: paulpetro.com


Top 10 travel destinations every gay man should visit
by Greg Kozdrowski, Managing Director of Jeeves Travel

1. Barcelona, Spain: Cool sites and hot nightlife – and the hopping beaches of Sitges and Ibiza are close by.

2. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Affordable and friendly with Latin flare and unpretentiously hunky boys.

3. Sydney, Australia: Mardi Gras’ new extended format will make you want to stay Down Under longer.

4. Shanghai, China: The throbbing gay scene is edgy with lingering hints of the forbidden.

5. Ft Lauderdale, United States: The best all around beach destination south of the border.

6. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Still the closest thing to Church St on a beach.

7. Cape Town, South Africa: Beautiful, open and the gateway to exploring southern Africa.

8. Berlin, Germany: Fascinating history by day yet fun and sexy by night with just the right amount of sleaze.

9. Gran Canaria, Spain: The best alternative winter beach option with round the clock gay fun.

10. Mykonos, Greece: Overshadowed these days by Barcelona but still a great gay destination, especially in September.

Greg Kozdrowski can help you get to these or any other destination cheaply and quickly. Info: conxity.com or rainbowhighvacations.com


Top 10 TV divas every gay man should know
by Heroine Marks, Drag Idol 2009 winner and total cunt

1. Ellen Degeneres: Before the dancing and the talk show, Ellen was a pioneer for gay rights. She publicly came out on her sitcom and helped pave the way for future LGBTQ actors and actresses to be free of the closet.

2. Oprah: May seem like an odd choice, but money talks. You’re welcome Miss Winfrey. Thanks for the post-dated cheque.

3. Wonder Woman: With an invisible plane and the ability to force truth with a piece of gold rope (*cough* bondage queen), Wonder Woman cannot be overlooked. What lil’ gay boy didn’t want to own a pair of satin tights after watching this Amazon in action?

4. Lucille Ball: I Love Lucy and its title character captured a gay following early on during its reign because Lucy, like many gay men at the time, was searching for acceptance and inclusion, something that the gay community could identify with. Plus she was funny as fuck.

5. Karen Walker: The ultimate fag hag from Will and Grace is drunk, rich and draws so many gay men to her character thanks to her complete lack of verbal filter. And she’ll also let you play with her melons.

6. Alexis and Krystle: Who doesn’t love a good cat fight? Gay men ate up the fantasy world that was Dynasty, and lived for the cattiness between Alexis and Krystle, which culminated into one of television’s most famous bitch slap fests.

7. The Golden Girls: If The Golden Girls taught us anything it’s that old ladies like to get boned too. Just the thought of Bea Arthur getting spit roasted is enough to turn a fat guy bulimic without using any fingers. The show at its time was risqué for including such topics as the rising AIDS epidemic.

8. The Sex in the City gals: They’re like the Golden Girls, but with martinis instead of cheesecake. The women of SATC revolutionized television by bringing the subject of sex into primetime television. My grandmother did a spit take when she heard Kim Catrall say “blowjob.” The show’s inclusion of gay culture and fashion also makes it a favourite among homos.

9. Janice Dickson: She’s had more work done to her then the Sistine Chapel but gay men cannot get enough of this train wreck in stilettos. Her wardrobe, outrageous mouth and entourage of hot male models makes Janice Dickson a television diva, whether it’s on Janice Dickenson Modelling Agency, The Surreal Life or I’m a Celebrity Get Me Outta Here.

10. Tyra Banks: She will CUT you! Don’t piss her off unless you’re ready for the consequences. Her television tantrums are audio gold for any drag number. I personally can’t stand this bitch, but I knew if I didn’t include her I’d get letters from whiny twinks everywhere.

Heroine Marks performs with Miss Conception for their weekly Fierce Fridays show on Fri July 3 at Zelda’s, 542 Church St. Info: zeldas.ca


Top 10 albums every gay man should listen to
by Shane Percy, DJ and promoter of Grapefruit

1. Boys For Pele by Tori Amos: Tie for best lyric: “When he sucks you deep, sometimes you’re nothing but meat” vs “Starfucker, just like my daddy/ Gimme peace…love… and a hard cock.”

2. Kimono My House by Sparks: Operatic glam-rock/pop band from Los Angeles that influenced everybody from Queen to Depeche Mode to Scissor Sisters. Hard to believe they’re not gay. But still, there’s something queer going on here.

3. Hands by Little Boots: Little Boots is Victoria Hesketh, electro-popstar extraordinaire with incredible tunes like “Remedy” and “New In Town.” Plus she’s from my mom’s home county in England, so you know, go team!

4. Behaviour by the Pet Shop Boys: Most people say Very (1993) is their favourite PSB album, but Behaviour is one of the most sophisticated, gorgeous pop records ever made. From the pulsing disco of “So Hard” to “Nervously” which recounts the discovery of gay love, this album is perfect in every way.

5. Music For The Masses by Depeche Mode: Five words: “Never Let Me Down Again.” The Led Zeppelin drum sample beneath overtly homoerotic lyrics make this still as cool as fuck even 20 years later.

6. Dreamland by Black Box: Black Box were an Italian disco group whose incredible debut is now (incredibly) out of print. This album represents the best of house as it worked its way into mainstream radio.

7. Blue Lines by Massive Attack: Blue Lines defined the sound of a decade perfectly. “Safe From Harm” and “Unfinished Sympathy” are forever classics.

8. The Garden by Zero 7: Great album from a great band who masterfully blend folk, pop, electronica and, best of all, vocals by Sia.

9. Here Come The Warm Jets by Brian Eno: Sexy, glam-pop-rock weirdness from the founder of Roxy Music. Adam Lambert has to love this.

10. Upstairs At Eric’s by Yaz: The perfect combination of soul music and synthesizers that influenced dance music everywhere on the planet.

11. Savage by the Eurythmics: I just couldn’t leave this out because, from the experimental “Beethoven” to the heart wrenching soul of “I Need You,” this was the apex of Annie Lennox’s cool factor.

Shane Percy is a music fanatic and some of these tunes will show up on the playlist at Grapefruit: Pride Edition on Fri June 26 at fly, 8 Gloucester St. Info: grapefruit4u.com


Top 10 plays every gay person should know
by Brad Fraser, playwright, writer

1. Cat On A Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams: Williams’ southern steamer combines an angry female sexuality with repressed gay conflict into a drama that looks at marriage, life, death and sexuality from a number of different angles.

2. Boys in the Band by Matt Crowley: Once a great hit, now much maligned, Crowley’s late ’60s look at a group of gay friends still tells a number of truths that denial queens keep trying to repudiate. Much funnier and smarter than many remember, this was the first gay themed, gay written play to achieve worldwide acceptance.

3. Take Me Out by Richard Greenberg: Greenberg’s baseball drama looks at issues of race, friendship, betrayal and masculinity through the prism of a conceited, beautiful player who tests everyone’s idea of tolerance. Any show that brings full frontal group male nudity to Broadway deserves mention.

4. Poor Super Man by Brad Fraser: My own mid-’90s meditation on gender roles, elastic sexuality and friendship set amidst the worst days of the AIDS crisis also reverberates with the hidden meanings of pop culture icons and comic books.

5. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe? by Edward Albee: Those familiar with the mid-’60s film are always surprised at how savagely funny Albee’s illustration of a negative, co-dependent marriage actually is. The dialogue can still blister paint and the rhythms of the language are Albee’s alone.

6. Bent by Martin Sherman: This surprisingly hopeful and heartbreaking tale of gay prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp during the Second World War is a beautifully written script about the power of love to overcome all evil.

7. The Shooting Stage by Michael Lewis McLennan: The best under-produced queer themed play this country has seen. McLennan’s musings on the dynamics of the straight father/gay son dynamic is one of the best ever. It’s funny, theatrical and breathtakingly emotional.

8. A Beautiful View by Daniel MacIvor: True love knows no borders in MacIvor’s ticklish tragicomedy about two non-lesbian women who fall for each other. As much a love letter to Toronto’s alternative scene as it is to the profound idea of love beyond our control this show manages to expose a universal desire that speaks to everyone and anyone.

9. Equus by Peter Schaffer: Recently revived on Broadway with Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe as the crazy nude kid who stabs out the eyes of six horses with a spike, this script is often sneered at by the snobbish side of the theatre establishment. Those same critics fail to account for the theatrical power of the horse metaphor and the anguished sexuality of the young leads. Much gayer in form than in content.

10. Fortune and Men’s Eyes by John Herbert: Nearly forgotten today this play is still one of the most successful Canadian plays of all time. Fortune and Men’s Eyes was Showtime’s Oz three decades before the prison drama hit TV. This show is long overdue for a revival.

Brad Fraser is a writer, playwright and provocateur. The North American premiere of his newest play True Love Lies is at Factory Theatre in September. Info: bradfraser.net


Top 10 queer Toronto artists every gay man should know
by Andrew Harwood, artist, curator, writer and drag queen

1. Stephen Andrews: All of his sexy paintings and drawings are gorgeous and worth the sticker price. The work often plays on old-school portraiture conventions with a gay twist.

2. Kent Monkman (AKA Miss Chief Eagle Testicle): Monkman paints in drag on TVO, makes wry films and paints cowboys getting fucked by native warriors. His work is always political, funny, sexy and irreverent.

3. Michael Chambers: This local photographer knows how to shoot beautiful and hot nudes, plus he’s an amazing fashion photographer.

4. Allyson Mitchell: Adorable dyke art queen who always cheers me up with her charming feminist textile pieces, her fun fur installations and her giant Lady Sasquatches.

5. Ed Pien: I love his intricate cut-outs and his insanely haunting drawings which are delicate, quirky and well crafted.

6. Andy Fabo: This powerhouse artist reinvented representational art for fags in the ’80s. No one’s brush stroke is like his whether he’s painting a daddy’s moustache or a hot cock.

7. GB Jones: Her youthful punk rock drawings remind me of the smart, cool and hot DIY dyke you knew in college who went on to become an art star.

8. Jean Paul Kelly: His drawings of cats with upholstery tufts portray gentle, surreal comfort and his line drawings are always playful and smart.

9. Daryl Vocat: This “Prints Charming” with his silkscreen work featuring everyday life observations, bent boy scouts and bears, rocks my world.

10. Keith Cole: If I could somehow own just one of his scandalous performances as “Pepper Highway” I would die happy.

Andrew Harwood presents Depression Era Hypnosis for Cheap Queers on Wed June 24 at Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St. Info: www.artsexy.ca. He’ll also host Clam Slam, a dyke roller derby, on Fri June 26 at George Bell Arena, 215 Ryding Ave. Info: torontorollerderby.com.


Top 10 films every gay man should see
by Malcolm Ingram, filmmaker and film buff

1. The Rocky Horror Picture Show: An ode to free sex, camp, transvestitism and the pursuit of the ultimate man. Rocky Horror has been co-opted by gawky misfits of all genders, shapes and sizes, but it ultimately belongs to us.

2. The Times of Harvey Milk: With this brilliant Oscar winning documentary as a blueprint for Milk, any one of Gus Van Sant’s stable of beautiful youthful butt boys could have written it and won the Oscar for screenplay.

3. Tarnation: Jonathan Caouette’s harrowing video diary of a boy born into madness who ultimately finds salvation in other boys and a camera. Tragic, beautiful and unforgettable.

4. Cruising: “Hips or lips?” With that question Al Pacino entered the zeitgeist as the least convincing on screen fag ever. The guiltiest of guilty pleasures.

5. Querelle: Fassbinder, Genet, Brad Davis, sailors and sodomy. ‘Nuff said.

6. Hustler White: Hometown homo auteur Bruce LaBruce heads to LA to give us his take on WeHo hustling culture and stumping.

7. Desert Hearts: See how the other half live in this surprisingly arousing tale of sexual awakening and dyke lust.

8. Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis: Tragic pioneer queer artist Jack Smith gets put under the microscope in this fascinating documentary portrait.

9. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Redford and Newman run from the law and bicker like an old married couple. All the while managing to keep it masculine. What the fellahs at the Eagle think they are pulling off.

10. Scorpio Rising: Kenneth Anger proves that pop culture was the creation of us fags. Plus the coolest soundtrack ever.

Malcolm Ingram is the director of Small Town Gay Bar and the curator of Queerview: a series of seminal queer films presented by queer artists (all of which he also insists are also top 10 material) running ’til Thurs June 25 at the Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor St W. Info: bloorcinema.com


Top 10 dance moves every gay man should know
by Scott Fordham, dancer and choreographer

1. The Pump: Get on those toes boys and work the room like you’re in pumps and you’re owning them. Don’t forget your levels.

2. The Ballet Pose: Never fails to get attention when you stretch out and think androgynous. Remember to hold it for the cameras.

3. The Foolproof Booty: Pop it, shake it, dip it just do whatever you can with it as the booty can always save you on the dance floor. Just beware of those wandering hands.

4. The Metronome: There’s nothing sexier than a man’s waistline moving fast or slow to the beat, simple but refined.

5. Vogue: New or old school, either way, voguing is a sure way to get a circle of gays around you, cheering your moves.

6. Party Tricks: There’s always the opportunity for our advanced (or drunk) dancers to give the splits, a spin or a handspring a try.

7. Face: Sometimes it is enough just to serve face, the right look flashed to the beat can stop a bullet.

8. The Bump n’ Grind: You’ll need the right song, the right person and remember to dance like no one’s watching. You’ll be so close no one will judge your choreography just your sexual chemistry.

9. The Jackson: When in doubt, reference any Jackson family move. However, try to avoid Michael’s “Thriller” and Janet’s “If” breakdown, they’ve been done already.

10. Anything but: Any movement that’s got style except finger points, running on the spot, claps and the two-step, c’mon now!

You can catch Scott Fordham on Sat June 27th at the Wellesley Pride Stage with his dance production Project Dance then at 10pm on the same stage catch Fordham with his posse dancing to his choreography for Deborah Cox.


Top 10 sexual experiences every gay man should have
by Todd Klinck, writer, co-owner of Goodhandy’s and radical sex activist

1. Safer sex: Even though it’s impossible to go online without being bombarded with bareback porn videos, it’s really cool to put on a condom before you fuck. Don’t succumb to peer pressure, play safe and live a life without having to give your body over to pharmaceutical companies.

2. Whore your ass: Don’t hit 40 and have regrets (“I wish I had sold it when I was hot....”). When I was in university residence, we had an expression: “One can always whore.” It was tongue in cheek, but it was also utterly honest. There is a market for almost every type.

3. Eat a pussy: You love eating ass, right? Pussy is similar to ass, just a bit more moist, a bit more open and attached to a woman’s body. Just because you came out, don’t be close-minded. I ate a pussy once — it was a late-night event, involving Special K and Ecstasy, but it was genuine and real. It was a spiritual experience, it lasted an hour and a half and I loved every minute.

4. Fuck a transguy: If you are gay that means you like guys. Even though their genitalia does not match your own, they are still guys. A lot of them are into dudes. Go with the flow and enjoy it. In the end, it’s not about what’s between the legs, it’s about the love between people.

5. Get fucked up the ass: Even if you consider yourself a top everyone should experience being buttfucked at least once. It’s part of being a gay man — we have asses, they might be messy and scary but sodomy is a worthy way of exploring true sexual liberation.

6. Pose for naked photos or video: Fuck any concerns about it coming back to haunt you. If everyone did it we would not be faced with silliness like politicians dropping out because sexy photos surfaced. Get a friend to do a photo shoot on your behalf. Post the pix on squirt.org, manhunt.net or other cruising sites. Document your beauty before it fades.

7. Do an actual porn scene: There are a handful of Toronto amateur companies so why not make some money for doing what you are doing anyway? Come to Goodhandy’s and do it on stage in front of a loving audience, I’ll be happy to be your producer.

8. Cruise Queen’s Park or any other outdoor cruising parks: Don’t risk getting arrested but explore the vibe — outdoor sex is part of gay history after all. See squirt.org for testimonials and tips.

9. Go to Hanlan’s Point or a TNT!MEN (Totally Naked Toronto Men Enjoying Nudity) event and get naked: Hanlan’s is clothing optional but so many youngsters stay clothed on the beach — take off the designer Speedo and quit being so uptight — let it dangle in the breeze and you might be surprised how free you feel.

10. Get spanked: It might be surreal to you but if you are with someone who knows what they’re doing, you’ll be surprised by how sensual it is. It might bring you back to a subconscious “child place” or might just bring you to a place where you enjoy a little mild pain.

Todd Klinck is a fab contributor, the author of Tacones and one of the masterminds behind the pansexual pleasure palace Goodhandy’s, 120 Church St. Goodhandy’s has a full slate of Pride events including the Show-your-Pride Naked Retro Dance followed by the I Love Sex Party Pride Edition on Sat June 27. Info: goodhandys.com


Top 10 activists every gay man should love and emulate
by Andrew Brett, gay activist

1. Magnus Hirschfeld (1868-1935): A Jewish German doctor who founded the Scientific Humanitarian Committee to repeal the German law criminalizing homosexuality.

2. Emma Goldman (1869-1940): Not gay, but a Russian anarchist and one of the first sisters in the struggle. She famously quipped, “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution.”

3. Reed Erickson (1912-1992): Also not gay, but a US transman and the sugar daddy of the trans rights movement. An heir to millions of dollars from his father, he used the money to fund almost every trans activist effort in the ’60s and ’70s.

4. Harry Hay (1912-2002): The US co-founder of the Mattachine Society in 1950 and the Radical Faeries in 1979.

5. Harvey Milk (1930-1978): The first openly gay man elected to public office in the US. He fought for and won an ordinance against anti-gay discrimination. He famously said, “If a bullet should enter my brain, let the bullet destroy every closet door,” before being assassinated in 1978.

6. Xiaomingxiong (1954- ): The pen name for a Hong Kong writer who travelled to the United States in 1971 and became immersed in the post-Stonewall gay rights movement. He returned to Hong Kong in 1979 and published “A Chinese Gay’s Manifesto.”

7. Larry Kramer (1935- ): A US writer who co-founded the Gay Men’s Health Crisis and later the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT-UP) when his friends started dying of AIDS.

8. Simon Nkoli (1957-1998): A South African antiapartheid and AIDS activist who came out while in prison on charges of treason in the ’80s. He is credited with convincing the African National Congress to prohibit anti-gay discrimination in the 1994 South African constitution.

9. Svend Robinson (1952- ): The first openly gay Member of Parliament in Canada. He came out in 1988 and fought for the inclusion of sexual orientation in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

10. Peter Tatchell (1952- ): A controversial Australian- British human rights activist, political candidate and co-founder of queer direct action group OutRage.


Andrew Brett is a writer and well-known queer activist of long standing.