DEBATE :: Monday February 6th is the Toronto Day of Action Against the Criminalization of HIV. As the escalation and severity of criminal charges involving HIV non-disclosure continues, the question remains:

RELATED :: Shaun Proulx asks: What happened to taking responsibility for your own sexual health?

Toronto Day of Action Against the Criminalization of HIV takes place at 5:30 pm Monday February 6th at the Church of the Holy Trinity, 483 Bay Street.  The event will include: calls to action, a march to Old City Hall, and street theatre.

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MILESTONE :: This April Fools’ Day marks a decade since GGT, Toronto’s original queer web portal, was launched into cyberspace, which makes us younger than Yahoo! and older than Facebook and Twitter. Our mission was – and still is – to support our community and it’s people, and to provoke thought and provide upliftment.

Throughout the year Shaun Proulx Media will celebrate our birthday in fine style (congratulations to GGT-er Benjamin Ross who is fresh off the Caribbean cruise he won from us last month). This new flashback feature will recall the amazing people, places and moments of a decade gone by.

GGT founder and publisher Shaun Proulx recalls what propelled the idea of a gay web portal for Toronto: “I’d just quit my finance career, and although the technology bubble had burst I was fortunate enough to have a keen understanding – from investing in the tech sector – that as a society we were going to be intertwining our real lives with virtual worlds. So in beginning to pursue my creative ambitions, I also knew technology had to be the way I did it. With GGT I saw a niche within my own community I could fill that would allow me to combine business and art, and be the launching pad for a new career. Ten years later, here we are.”

Ten years ago, we began by publishing GGT online once a month as ‘issues’ rather than on a daily basis. We even had a cover each time (a concept some complained to us about because of the extra ‘click’ that was required to get into the site!). Our first, above, revealed the contents within as well as a (really, really awful) tagline we would soon put to rest, replacing it with the one that lives on today and informs what we do best here at GGT: ‘Thinking Outside The Triangle’.

In the excerpt below: Xtra! covers our launch. We have to laugh at how far we and technology have come from the days of “reciprocal links”!

- TheGayGuideNetwork

SMITTEN :: We all have our guilty pleasures. Mine is Pauly D. Don’t pretend like you don’t know who I’m talking about. Jersey Shore is a cultural phenomenon whether you like it or not. How did it become such a phenomenon when most of the people I talk to hate it? Is it that they are simply hiding a secret. A secret love affair for one of the trashiest shows on the air!

There is a lot of power in keeping a guilty secret. Fact is, when you hide something from others, your attachment to it only grows! Like the attachment I feel for Pauly!

At first glance, the cast of Jersey Shore look like they are all the same person. But they are as individual as snow flakes; well, they aren’t clones of each other anyway.

Of the guys on the show, Pauly is by far my favourite. Always smiling, always joking, everyone’s friend with not a care in the world, Pauly is sunshine wrapped in overly tanned skin and topped with helmet hair.

Too many tattoos, eyebrows too manicured and obviously too tanned, this guy is too much on all levels, and it’s great!

Most endearing to me is his bromance with fellow co-star Vinny. Watching these two together is heaven! Two guys, loving each others company, totally connected and always there for each other. What could be better?

So, when I heard that Pauly was going to be in Toronto on February 8th at the Sound Academy, I knew I had to be there! I pulled some strings and have some tickets to give away. Enter here to hang with me, get whisked to the Sound Academy in a limo courtesy of A Celebrity Limousine and see DJ Pauly D doing his thing live!

RELATED :: Eddie does Pauly for Halloween.

WATCH :: A Bromance Is Born

Cover Girl: The art for the first single, Give Me All Your Luvin'

AUDIO :: In celebration of the big fat week Madonna has ahead of her, what with Jay Leno Monday, an American Idol sneak peek of the new video for the first single off of MDNA (“Give Me All Your Luvin’ feat Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.), the digital release of the single Friday on iTunes and as a YouTube video at 9am ET, culminating with her Super Bowl half time performance Sunday, we asked our resident Madonnaologist Philip Tetro to curate an Rdio playlist of Madonna songs that didn’t get the attention they deserved from radio:

- TheGayGuideNetwork

More Madonna Watch

American Idol preview of the preview:

 

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Currently appearing as a cancer patient in 'Wit' on Broadway, Nixon reveals her shaved head on the talk show circuit.

DEBATE :: Former Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon is holding firm to her recent statement that she has chosen to be homosexual, although her comments have understandably sparked controversy from within our community. But the question remains:

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BLACK DIAMOND :: We love female trailblazers, and are obsessing over the work of Ashley McKenzie-Barnes. The visual artist commemorates inspirational female performers ranging from the early 1800s to the Harlem Renaissance and the civil rights movement in her upcoming Black History Month show, Black Diamonds*. We managed to get McKenzie-Barnes to break from overseas gallery hopping, crushing on a certain avatar and ordering doubles and take our TMI Questionnaire:

JUST THE FACTS ::

I’m a Capricorn.
I’m 28.
I was born in beautiful Toronto, Canada.
I am Visual Artist, Art Director for Torstar, and Visual Art Director for Manifesto Festival of Arts & Culture.
My fave colour is purple.
Passion is in the creative… anything related to art and music and life travels.
Inspiration comes to me in different ways. Usually through other artists and day to day life.
My Canadian icon is Emily Carr.
Fantasy entourage would be The L Word women.
Fictional best friend – Peggy.
Turn-ons are sense of style, ambition and confidence.
Irresistible in a mate: if you can cook. I mean REALLY throw down.
I’m currently crushing on Zoe Saldana & Lisa Ray (The Canadian/Bollywood actress)
Phrase I most overuse – “that sh*t cray”
Most people would be surprised to know I really wanted to be a veterinarian when I grew up but instead I did art, but I still love animals.
Talent I wish I had that I could sing. I would’ve had a hit record by now, I’m sure of it.
The celebrity I most closely resemble is Janet Jackson, or at least I would like to believe!
The one word my best friend would use to describe me is “magical”.
My parents wanted me to be this when I grew up: Whatever I would be successful at doing.
When I order a cocktail I ask for a “double”.

GUILTY PLEASURES ::

TV: Grey’s Anatomy & True Blood.
Song: Damian Marley “Beautiful”.
Greatest extravagance: My birthday trip to Paris.
Candy: Ginger mint.
Last impulse-purchase: My birthday trip to Paris.
Last regretted purchase: I don’t remember, I probably returned it. I’m a Capricorn, we don’t do that stuff.

WEAR APPARENT ::

Jeans: ‘Rich & Skinny’ or Gap’s ‘Sexy Boyfriend’ jeans.
Footwear: My black worker boots or my Michael Kors wedge boots.
Underwear: La Senza.
Watch: Don’t wear them.
Eyewear: Classic black Ray Bans.
Casual: Jeans, tee and blazer.
Formal: Jeans, tee and blazer.
Perfume:
 Diesel ‘Loverdose’.

BEAUTY DUTY ::

Shampoo: You’d have to ask my hairdresser.
Face wash: Neutrogena Visably Even.
Moisturizer: Neutrogena ‘Visably Even’ lotion.
Body Lotion: Vaseline Cocoa Butter.
Make-Up Line: MAC cosmetics.
Indulgence: Good theatre.

Gadgets: I’m not a gadget person, I love my Apple laptop, that’s about it.
On my music player now: The Weekend ‘Echoes of Silence’, Jill Scott ‘Light of the Sun’, Adele ‘21’,  James Blake, Gotye “Making Mirrors’
I always PVR: I hardly watch TV, I’m not even sure how PVR works.
Best app ever: Isn’t that for Iphones? I’m a loyal BB user!

CULTURE VULTURE ::

Last book read: Essays in Love by Alain De Botton.
Last movie seen: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Last concert: Watch the Throne – Jay-Z & Kanye West.
Last play: Memphis.
Last song sung in the shower: 
Rihanna – ‘You da one’.

OBSESSIONS ::

Current obsession: Visiting art galleries overseas. Did 3 in Paris (and 2 in Detroit) this month.
Past obsession: Visiting pet stores to see watch the new borns.
Future obsession: The shrimp tacos at Milagros on Queen. SO GOOD.

CRYSTAL BALL ::

The next big thing will be:
 My art show in February.
I see myself in this place in ten years:
 Somewhere in Spain, in love and painting.

AND FINALLY …

Words of wisdom: Put your passion first, but don’t let the fire become destructive.

Meet Ashley McKenzie-Barnes at Black Diamonds, Tuesday, February 7, 2012, a Black History Month Celebration. 7pm at N’Awlins Jazz Bar, 299 King Street West (no cover). Live performances by AYAH, @whoisNvS.

* Shaun Proulx Media is a proud sponsor of this evening.

Got someone you think we should take interest in? Email us: [email protected]