March 21 edition: Inside a sex worker’s road trip

Plus: On living and dying young in Vancouver

March 21, 2024

Hey there. Happy equinox! 

There’s a joke that gay people going to brunch always dress like they’re going to completely different events. Spring does that for the community as a whole. 

Winter is the domain of puffers and boots; summer brings tank-tops and sunglasses. Taking the bus this week, I sat between one person in shorts and sandals, and someone else in a trench coat and toque. You know TV showrunners wouldn’t let their extras on set dressed in such disparate fashion. And yet, here we all are, freezing and sweating, as we try and figure out what the hell March will bring us this weekend. 

What’s much more straightforward is voting in the Golden Plates awards. Which you should do, if only so you can feel smug every subsequent time we remind you to do it. Go on. Do it now. We’ll still be here when you get back. Promise.

— V.
Associate Editor

FEATURE

Sex//Work: 72 hours in the life of a sex worker

A photogrph of a bed, with an open book on it

This one’s not for the kids. Curvy provider Lexci Lust gives us a glimpse inside her world, writing about a whirlwind trip she recently took that covered three cities in three days. Being a sex worker isn’t all fun and games—though Lust’s account definitely suggests there’s plenty of pleasure to be had in well-paid debauchery.

CITY & CULTURE

On living and dying young in Vancouver

An aerial photograph of downtown Vancouver near Chinatown andthe Downtown Eastside

“In the public imagination, young people who use drugs in the context of homelessness and unstable housing are often defined through their relationships to place,” writes medical anthropologist Danya Fast. “In Vancouver, they are viewed as out of place when in too close proximity to the city’s towering, glassy high-rises and condominiums, expensive bars, restaurants, and shops, and carefully restored heritage homes.” Read an excerpt from her new book The Best Place, which explores how young people who use drugs find their place in a beautiful, broken city.

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SPONSORED BY VANCOUVER CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

Celebrate Cherry Blossoms at The Big Picnic

The Big Picnic is a special event that brings people from all over Metro Vancouver together to share in the beauty of the cherry blossoms and experience why “there are no strangers under the cherry tree”. The event is inspired by the long-time Japanese cultural tradition of hanami* which literally translates to “cherry blossom (hana) viewing (mi)”.

Join other Vancouverites and visitors at The Big Picnic on March 30 at David Lam Park. You’ll be able to relax under cherry blossoms right in the heart of the city in the Yaletown neighbourhood while enjoying a superb line-up of local talent on the Cherry Jam Stage as well as a variety of interactive arts activities, workshops vendors and food trucks.

ARTS

New king on the block: AndrogynAss scoops Vancouver’s Next Drag Superstar title

Drag king AndrogynAss wears red circular glasses and a red outfit, ith black hair, beard, and eyebrows

“I grew up queer in a very straight world,” AndrogynAss says over coffee. “I was very sure of who I was pretty quickly, and confident, which really helps me in the drag world—I was able to enter with a very clear mindset of who I am, who my character was, what I wanted to do.” His drag character? A swaggering rockstar send-up of scumbag musicians and camp supervillains. What he wanted to do? Make a splash—which he did when he won Vancouver’s most prestigious drag competition earlier this month.

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MUSIC

Dune composer Hans Zimmer brings orchestral noise to Rogers Arena

Hans Zimmer plays bass on a brightly lit tge

If you think the best part of box office smashes like Interstellar, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Dune is the music, you’ve got one man to thank: prolific composer Hans Zimmer. The 66-year-old is embarking on his first-ever tour of North America, bringing specially arranged concert suites of some of his best-known scores.

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SPONSORED BY DAVE NICHOLSON

Independent Investment Advice - The way to your future

Free weekly email newsletter full of investment suggestions along with estate and retirement planning ideas published by Dave Nicholson. Regulated by CIRO and a member of CIPF.

"Solid work Dave! For anyone who doesn't know Dave is a honest guy. If you're anything like me you care about that" - Ben Sarma

FOOD & DRINK

The culinary lives of Angus An

A shoulders-up shot of Angus an, wearing a heavy apron and navy blue shirt

It seems that hardly a day goes by when Angus An isn’t serving up a new project, celebrating a milestone, or drawing up plans for what comes next. The chef behind Michelin-approved Maenam has been a fixture of the Canadian restaurant scene for nearly two decades. In this delicious profile, he chews over his success—and plans for the future. 

  • Veggie comfort spot The Arbor is shutting down next month

  • Fable Kitchen is launching monthly collab tasting dinners

SPONSORED BY CARAVAN WORLD RHYTHMS

Ukraine's DAKHABRAKHA brings their powerful blend of Ukrainian tribal indie--world-folk music to the Massey Theatre Friday, March 29

Experience Ukraine's iconic indie-folk band DakhaBrakha with their powerful Music and Multimedia show, March 29 at the Massey Theatre. With influences from Ukrainian folk, world sounds, and theatre, the ensemble’s ethno-chaos band creates a bright, unique, and unforgettable musical landscape. Don’t miss this uniquely creative and culturally significant performance!

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND

ACTIVISM 🌎
Wilderness Committee hosts an evening advocating for getting pesticides out of forests. (March 21 @ Heritage Hall)

SPORTS 🏒
BOOM! pro wrestling smashes onto UBC campus. (March 22 @ The Great Hall in the Nest)

THEATRE 🎭
Catch the world premiere of queer Pakistani play Dil Ka. (March 22 to 31 @ Presentation House Theatre)

THEATRE 🎭
United Players present classic family drama The Trip to Bountiful. (March 22 to April 14 @ Jericho Arts Centre)

MUSEUM 🏛️
Velvet Terrorism: Pussy Riot’s Russia has its West Coast opening. (March 22 to June 22 @ Polygon Gallery)

COMEDY 🤣
The city’s funniest queerdos come out for That’s Gay!. (March 23 $ The MOTN)

DANCE 💃
The Modus Operandi dancers showcase the works they’re currently developing. (March 24 @ Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre)

MUSIC 🎤
Glitterfox fuses nostalgic southern country with SoCal indie. (March 24 @ Biltmore Cabaret)

Want to know what else is happening in Vancouver? Check out our events listings.

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