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Calgary: Tough Place to be Gay

by Barry ORegan | June 13, 2008 at 04:46 am

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Opinion
Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor

Homo on the Range, where the Deer and the Antelope play seems to be a problem for this Oil and Cowboy town.

A Gay presence is visible and seems to be viable as "June is Gay month" in Calgary, with a Film Fest, Rodeo and other festivities planned in this cowboy town.

Though Cowboys fight tooth and nail to keep Calgary Hetro, slowly they are coming around and perhaps are more accepting once finding out , Yes, there are Gay Cowboys and Gay Oil Sands Workers, So, may as well "Get Used to IT!"

Tough place to be gay

UPDATED: 2008-06-13 00:38:28 MST

By BILL KAUFMANN

As surely as it's monsoon season, June is effectively homosexual month in Calgary.

From a queer film fest to a rainbow parade and northwest rodeo, it's their coming-out time.

Or so it's supposed to be, but in Calgary, it's still like swimming against a powerful current and tempting fate.

In his 31/2 decades here, Calgary native Steve Polyak has seen his city grow exponentially and attitudes towards homosexuals mellow -- frustratingly slowly.

Polyak, who says he knew he was gay since his junior high school days, has followed the evolution of the city's social attitudes through the prism of a homosexual website and monthly magazine he co-owns with longtime partner Rob.

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The publication -- Gay Calgary -- has done well enough but it's been a noticeably tough slog in a city Polyak insists still deserves its redneck tag.

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blacktryst

at 10:48 on June 13th, 2008

I would love to visit the gay rodeo someday. My friend told me it was great and hey, it willbe a neat new experience for me coming from the coast.

Rob Peters

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 11:06 on June 13th, 2008

Nice...I'm reminded of Richard Florida's controversial 'gay-index' concept--which posits the more gay a city is, the better off it is in terms of creativity, innovation, and ultimately, entrepreneurship. Although now that I think about it, Calgary seems to be doing OK, economically speaking... In any case, more openness is a positive trend.