Dear Steve and Rob,
I would like to tell you my story...with hopes that we can makes a difference.
15 years ago when I decided to come out, I searched for a place where ridicule and discrimination was not a part of my everyday life. We have come a long way in 15 years, or have we?
I have been an active part of the gay community for those 15 years, and a part of Calgary’s gay scene for 5, working in gay bars and helping with events and raising money for various causes. You can Imagine my surprise when I walked in to our local gay night club and was charged a $5 cover for the simple reason that I did not look gay enough.
I approached the door man about this subject and asked how they were basing this cover charge. He told me that if they noticed the people coming in were regulars they let them through and if not they paid a $5 cover. I have been supporting this night club on a bi-weekly bases since it opened, but he also told me the ones making this decision were new employees – their first night on the job. So to summarize, I walked in with my gay male friend and they thought we were straight so they asked us for money.
The door man also told me they need to steer the “straights” away to make more room for the “gays” - can you imagine if someone said this to a gay person at a straight bar?!
I was disgusted seeing young gay-looking people getting in and I was left out. I felt so discriminated against.
I have never gone to a straight bar and paid cover because I look too gay! So why was this happening to me? I think basing cover charge on appearance is very discriminating.
Are we fighting a fight with an endless battle? Or is the discrimination within our own community?
- Tree

Tree has worked at the Verge and Victoria’s Restaurant, and has been photographed in this magazine as far back as 2004.


Dear GayCalgary,
On October 12th I went to Twisted with a friend of mine and was asked to pay cover. This was a shock to me as I have had my artwork displayed in the bar since it first opened and have supported the bar over the years. I have been involved with events in the bar as well.
The lady I went with that night has also been a big influence in the gay community in Calgary for the past five years. I found out later that the guy working the door was a brand new employee who would have no idea who the regulars are - that is forgivable. What upset me was this was not the reason given to us about why we were being charged cover. When we asked, we were told that he thought we were straight. This to me is discrimination and got me a bit fired up. I talked to the other guy working the door that night and got the same story about them charging straight people to try and discourage them from coming. I replied that this was discrimination, but was told if I didn’t like it I could find somewhere else to go. The door guy said it was because too many straight people were coming to the bar and they needed to make room for more gays as they are the only gay nightclub.
I feel that if straight people want to go to a gay bar and show their support, we as a community should embrace it, as it is sign that times have changed. I think it is sad that if it were to happen to one of these guys at a straight bar, the community would be up in arms in support of the person discriminated against.
For the owners of Twisted to encourage this behaviour is deplorable. I watched as their Pride float passed by me in the gay pride parade to support equal rights for gay people and feel it is with shame now that I have supported a bar which is showing discrimination towards straight people.
The owners once told me personally that they opened this bar because they did not like the way Boyztown’s policies and treatment of people were discriminatory and unfair. Well a few years later, look where they are now. I will no longer support this bar and hope that others will feel that supporting this bar is a step backwards in equal rights.
But to all the straight people that support Twisted I say a big thank you, because of you I feel we have come a long way in this battle of equal rights for all.
- Clif Hagstrom


Dear GayCalgary,
I happened to volunteer to take Minutes at the Pride Calgary AGM on December 4th, in the absence of the Board Secretary. What I witnessed that night was more like a three-ring circus than an Annual General Meeting. Attendance was strong, which probably should have tipped me off, but I was blissfully ignorant thinking how wonderful to have so many people passionate about their organization. Shortly after the meeting convened it became evident that this was not the case. In fact, the crowd proved more to be a lynch mob than a group of people who cared about the Pride Calgary organization. No sooner had the Co-chair asked for approval of the past AGM Minutes, than the crowd became hostile and unruly. One rowdy joker (let’s call him RJ, for short) started in immediately, refusing to approve the Minutes because they had not been recorded verbatim, spouting off about “The Rules of Roberts” which as many people know is actually, Robert’s Rules of Order, a manual for parliamentary procedure. As a professional Minute-taker for the past 10 years, I vainly tried to explain to the now riled-up crowd that meeting Minutes are not intended to be transcribed verbatim, as in the courts, but are only intended to summarize items that are discussed during a meeting. Only motions and action items need to be documented verbatim, as they are the official record of committee decisions made. “RJ” then proceeded to insist that the meeting was “out of order” as there was no Quorum present. I patiently explained to “RJ” and company that the number of people required to form a Quorum is determined by the organization’s By-laws. In the case of an AGM, the paid members have voting privileges for the purpose of electing the vacant Board positions and a Quorum is not required.
The meeting proceeded to go downhill from there. It became apparent that this unruly mob had ulterior motives, as they proceeded to become disruptive, rude and demanded the resignation of the Co-chair, in spite of the fact that this fellow has been trying to carry the entire organization in the midst of Board members dropping out left and right. As it turns out, many of those present represent local gay businesses in Calgary, who seem to be looking for their share of the profits of this NON-PROFIT Society. It did not seem to occur to them that any financial gains directed to them would be a conflict of interest, nor did it occur to these small-minded, short-sighted individuals to form a Business Association which would not be in conflict, but could partner with Pride Calgary to share common goals. I doubt any of these people are aware of the Society Act of Alberta or the Charitable Organization regulations of Revenue Canada, let alone read up on them judging from their familiarity with Robert’s Rules of Order and parliamentary procedures!
The Co-chair was not provided with the opportunity to present his annual report without interruption, as many present insisted on cross-talk, interrogatory questions and the general spewing of nonsense, such as accusing improper accounting practices by the Chartered Accountant who certified the Treasurer’s Report (because he didn’t have his Corporate seal on his statement) and demanding explanations for Financial Statements for which no one had a clear understanding. Members then proceeded to refuse to elect the twelve new Board members required, because they insisted that they start clean with a “whole new Board” - nevermind the democratic process that allows for people of diverse and varying opinions to balance out a Board. This is only a very small part of the fiasco I had to suffer through. In the end, the Co-Chair had to abruptly adjourn the meeting and postpone it to a later date, as the crowd would not permit proceedings to move forward. No wonder the organization can’t recruit volunteers - who wants to be subjected to that kind of petty, juvenile behaviour?
All I can say is, thank God you don’t have to be a “card-carrying member” to be straight.
- Kim Clarke