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Little Sister’s Book & Art Emporium, Gay & Lesbian Bookstore Vancouver

sydney — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:26:40 +0000

Little Sister’s Book & Art Emporium
1238 Davie Street
Vancouver, B.C. Canada, V6E1N3

Little Sister’s Book & Art Emporium has been around since 1983 to serve the adult, (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) communities of Canada.They stock over 2000 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender book titles, including many hard to find titles. Little Sister’s was the only gay and lesbian bookstore in western Canada in its earlier years, and was bombed three times. They have long struggled against censorship and discrimination.

Little Sister’s have garnered many awards from Canadian and international organizations and associations. In 1998 Little Sister’s was presented the Award For The Advancement of Intellectual Freedom in Canada by the Canadian Library Association.

From pride flags and stickers, to books on same sex marriage or GLBT travel, to adult toys and clothing, to same-sex cake toppers, Little Sister’s has something for everyone. Also, shop on-line for books, pride stuff, and adult toys.

Pre-Vancouver Pride: Things to Do in 2009

sydney — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:57:56 +0000

If you’re planning on coming out to our lovely city for Gay Pride weekend in Vancouver, or you’re a city resident (I hate the term “Vancouverite”), you are probably getting all geared up for the main events – the Vancouver Pride Parade, the celebration at Sunset Beach… However, the days leading up to the Pride Parade are jam-packed with fun, my friends, so, here are my picks for the best side Pride stuff to do while you’re in town. I’ll be adding to this list as I hear about more upcoming events as well.

Saturday, June 27
East Side Pride
Represent at this neighbourhood event featuring live entertainment, food, and family fun. Grandview Park, Commercial Drive (aka Lesbian Central).

Saturday, July 18
Gay Day at Playland
Like carnival rides, games, and mini donuts? You do? Let’s not forget the private beer garden – my advice is to go AFTER the roller coaster – as well as live entertainment. Gay Day at Playland starts at noon, tickets $27. Playland at the PNE, 2901 East Hastings Street.

Tuesday, July 28
Celebrities Tuesday Loves Pride Party
Celebrities hosts its annual Tuesday Loves Pride Party, with DJ DarylO. Doors open at 8pm and the party goes until 4am, so take an afternoon nap to prepare yourself for the festivities. Cover is just $10. 1022 Davie St.

Thursday, July 30
GLBT Movie Night
Popcorn and movie night at Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour Street. See a selection of GLBT films.

Pride in Fashion
Smile with your eyes and look fierce at the Pride in Fashion event, celebrating the impact of gay culture on mainstream fashion. On the catwalk will be an array of duds that have shaped the mainstream fashion world, paying homage to queer style. Doors open at 9 pm, and the event goes until 4 am. You can get advance tickets for $20 at Little Sisters or Priape.

Friday, July 31
Pride Weekend Launch
It’s the second time I’ve mentioned donuts in this post: gobble up some warm Krispy Kreme donuts and meet this year’s Grand Marshals at 12 pm. Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby St.

Celebrities Pride Ball
Grammy nominated DJ Chris Cox is back at Celebrities! Part of the duo “Thunderpuss,” he has worked with lots of superstars like Christina Aguilera, Rihanna and Britney Spears, and is also a talented remixer and producer. Mat Ste. Marie from Montreal opens. Get advance tickets for $25 at Little Sisters or Priape. 1022 Davie St.

Saturday, August 1
Terry Wallace Breakfast
This is a celebration to honour Terry Wallace, one of the founders of the Vancouver Pride movement. Enjoy a pancake breakfast put on by community churches, at Davie and Bute St.

Get more info on Vancouver Pride Weekend 2009.

Vancouver: Gay & Lesbian Bars & Clubs

sydney — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:56:19 +0000

Whether you’re looking for a classy cocktail, late night dancing, great food or all of the above, Vancouver has a solid gay bar and club scene. I thought in honour of Vancouver Gay Pride coming so soon, I’d give you an update on your old favourites and some new spots to check out.

1181 – 1181 Davie Street (604.687.3991
This is a relatively new gay lounge located in Davie Village, in one of Vancouver’s top boutique lounge spaces. There is a mix of gay and lesbian clientele, with lots of different specialty theme nights, like Meat Night, where shirtless waiters bring you $5 Coronas. Service is attentive and friendly here, the decor is cutting edge, it’s open seven days a week, and there is no cover to get in. (Try the Pink Brazilian, a tart mix of cachaca, giffard pink grapefruit liqueur, fresh grapefruit, fresh lime and raw sugar).

Celebrities – 1022 Davie Street (604.681.6180)
Celebrities is a legend, and there’s usually great energy here, which might have something to do with the largest dance floor in Davie Village. Top notch Vancouver DJ’s play sets with a high tech sound and lighting system. There are always talented performers and constantly changing feature nights here. The crowd is mixed, you’ll pay cover, and expect to stand in line if you’re not early on a Friday or Saturday night. Closed Mondays.

The Fountainhead Pub – 1025 Davie Street (604.687.2222
Another well traveled gay pub is The Fountainhead, smack in the middle of Davie Village. The street level patio is heated on cooler nights, and you can get off sales beer and wine inside. There’s a really relaxed atmosphere and lots of different people come out to play pool, hang out with friends, watch Canucks pay per view and enjoy good food at solid prices, especially before 10 p.m., when most of the other gay pubs and bars on Davie get busy.

Lick Club – 455 Abbott Street (604.710.7457
Lesbian club Lick got its start at Vancouver Pride 2003. The funky lounge/bar is open Thursday to Saturday nights. Regular events like the Nice & Naughty Dance Party every Saturday are a blast, and they feature a roundup of DJ’s and performers. Usually open Thursday to Saturday.

Numbers - 1042 Davie (604.685.4077)
Numbers calls itself the “Cruisy Dance Bar” and has been around over 25 years. This mostly male hotspot is known for its multi-level levi bar with live DJs, dance floor, pool, darts, and a variety of specialty theme nights. Regular Karaoke and Karaoke Dancer Parties attract plenty of tipsy vocalists. Open seven days a week.

Oasis Ultra Lounge – 1240 Thurlow Street (604.685.1724)
Right above the Davie St. Denny’s, this ultra lounge has a lush heated patio, a comfortable setting and an assortment of tapas, pastas and pizzas. Industry Night every Tuesday brings drink specials to restaurant and club staff and their friends. The service is sexy and friendly, entertainment is mostly DJ’s, and there is no cover. Open seven nights a week.

Odyssey – 1251 Howe Street (604.689.5256)
The crowd here is mostly young and attractive men, and the weekends are packed. Specialty nights feature Go-Go dancers, and top male and female entertainers. A large outdoor patio out back lets you cool off in between dances. Open seven nights a week, most nights have cover charge.

Pulse Night Club – 1138 Davie Street (604.669.2013)
Pulse is Vancouver’s newest gay bar, and in the recently renovated space you’ll find a VIP area, Go Go cages, mirrors everywhere and a new DJ booth. Bartenders are friendly, the crowd is mixed, and the candlelit garden/smoking patio is beautiful. Pulse Nightclub has a variety of gay and lesbian event nights, is open Thursday to Sunday, and there is a cover charge.

Pumpjack Pub – 1167 Davie Street (604.685.3417)
The Pumpjack has been around since 2000 and attracts visitors and loyal locals of the mostly male variety (lots of bears hang out here). The drink of choice is beer – especially for the legendary Sunday keggers, and they have a leather, levi and fetish nights. Two big screens and a great sound system keep things entertaining. There’s no cover, open seven nights a week.

Score on Davie – 1167 Davie Street (604.632.1646)
It’s not a bar, but a sports pub that has taken over the old Sugar Daddy and caters to a laid back, mixed crowd. The decor is warm and modern, and there’s a large patio to watch Davie Street go by. Tons of beer specials and a big menu of tasty pub food. There are TV sports featured here regularly, so make sure it’s not UFC night if you’re looking for a quieter atmosphere.

SpeakEasy Bar & Grill – 1239 Davie Street (604.685.5761)
The SpeakEasy also has a mainstream venue on Granville near Robson, and this is one of the latest additions to Davie Street. Standard pub fare, cozy booths, a bar, big screen monitors, and an outdoor heated
patio on the second level. I have to say, I heard mostly lousy things about the SpeakEasy on Granville and I’m hearing mostly lousy things about the West End version. Bad service, and bad food. I’ll let you know if things improve. No Cover.

Vancouver Pride Weekend: Hotel Reviews

sydney — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 19:03:14 +0000

Downtown Vancouver View

Thinking of coming to our lovely city for Vancouver Gay Pride Weekend? You should! What better place to enjoy the largest Pride in Western Canada than beautiful Vancouver, with its gorgeous mountain and ocean views. This year’s Vancouver Pride theme is “Educate, Liberate, Celebrate.”

If you’re looking for accommodations for Pride weekend, I recommend the heart of downtown – Davie St. – which is the center of all the Pride action. It’s close to where the 31st Vancouver Pride Parade starts, and near the Sunset Beach Festival Site, where around 100,000 people get together for pre and post parade entertainment during the entire Vancouver Gay Pride weekend.

Sandman Suites (1160 Davie St.)
Book at Sandman Suites securely online for Vancouver Pride Weekend.

The most popular hotel is, by far, the high rise Sandman Suites. Prices do go up for Vancouver Pride, which is to be expected. While this is, by no means, a luxury hotel, it is smack in the middle of the fun, and between the great August weather, hot people strolling along, the Pride beer gardens right below you, and the overall party vibe of the area, the Sandman on Davie is the most popular place for friends and luvahs to hang out and take in the festivities. There’s also a stylin’ Moxie’s restaurant (try the martinis) in the hotel and amazing water views from each suite.

Opus Hotel (322 Davie St.)
Book
Opus Hotel
securely online for
Vancouver Pride Weekend.

Opus by Night

We love, love, love this hotel for its themed rooms. No, we don’t mean tacky jungle or fantasy themes, more like traveler profiles. There are five different traveler themes, so whether you’re a business dude, urban visitor or modern family man, there’s a room to suit you. You might even see a celebrity or two raising a champagne glass at the seen and be seen Elixir lounge. This hotel is only a few blocks from the action – still on Davie, just at the opposite end, and also near world class shopping and the beach. It’s pricey, but so worth it.

Coast Plaza Hotel & Suites (1763 Comox Street)
Book the Coast Plaza securely online for Vancouver Pride Weekend.

The Coast Plaza Hotel & Suites is also thisclose to the Pride parade route and just a few blocks from Davie Village. They offer lots of pet friendly rooms, use of the Denman Fitness Health Club, and great prices on rooms.

Still not sure? Never fear, we have lots more to choose from…come on over here.

We’re Still Here, We’re Queer…Vancouver Pride Weekend

sydney — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:11:16 +0000

Vancouver Pride

The Vancouver Pride Parade started as a little protest march through Davie Village, now the heart of the Vancouver gay community. Many years later, that little event has become a world-class Pride Parade that attracts both local and international supporters, spanning 20 blocks past nearly 500,000 attendees. This year’s parade starts right in downtown Vancouver, at 12:00 on Sunday, August 2. Winding around Pacific and Beach Avenue, it finishes at the Sunset Beach Festival Site. This year’s theme will be Educate! Liberate! Celebrate!

First is the official Pride Weekend Launch, presented by the Vancouver Pride Society. Kick off this year’s celebration with a Krispy-Kreme donut fundraiser at 7 am on Friday (you had me at donut), then onto the Vancouver Art Gallery (750 Hornby St.) to meet the parade Grand Marshals at noon.

Friday night starts the festivities off right with the Davie Street Pride Party, starting at 7 pm. Two words: beer garden. Actually, there’s a lot more to it than that: enjoy DJ’s spinning, hot models, tons of dancing, live music, a giant Twister game and much more! It’s sure to put you in the spirit of Pride Weekend. It goes on until midnight, and is hosted by Kim Kuzma. If you’ve got two X chromosomes there’s also a great Chicks Ahoy Women’s Boat Cruise from 7 till midnight if you’re interested (FlygirlProductions.com).

Up early? Check out Rise and Shine on Saturday morning (Aug. 2) at 9 am, when Vancouver Front Runners host a Pride Run and Walk in gorgeous Stanly Park. That afternoon, the Dyke March and Festival is at McSpadden Park (Victoria Dr. And 4th Ave.) from 12-4.

Vancouver Pride Parade

The main event: Sunday Aug. 3 is the 30th annual Vancouver Pride Parade, which starts at Denman St. Near Robson. From noon till 6 on Sunday, the VPF will bring together tons of community organizations, vendors, performers, and exhibits at Sunset Beach (West End, by Burrard St. Bridge). Just some of the performers: Simone Denny, Kim Kuzma, Splitting Adam, Armstrong Jr., Dance Arabia, Matthew Presidente, Barry Goold, Melissa Ferrick, and Ryan Mintz.

Worth checking out: Big Roger Events throws a number of circuit parties throughout the weekend, starting with Hard on Friday night, Power on Saturday, and the grand Global Pride Party on Sunday night. Don’t miss the Big Muscle World Tour after-hours party on Sunday night, the Sunday Sweat Pride Brunch in the am, three Pride boating excursions on August 3 and 4. Don’t forget to check out the local merchants, there are lots of gay-friendly and gay-popular restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels and shops that will be offering special deals and events throughout pride week.

Buy a pass: You can buy an event pass for $185 for all of the weekends events, or pay separately. Get more info here.

Keep checking back for info, as a lot of events haven’t been finalized yet. Check local gay papers like Xtra West, for details and the Tourism Vancouver site.