Few businesses of any kind survive the first five years. For any organization to reach over a decade is truly a remarkable feat. While GayCalgary has been a forum for many writers to cut their teeth, gain experience and tell stories, this journey would not have existed if not for the tireless efforts of Steve Polyak and Rob Diaz-Marino who have been the heart and soul of this publication.
It does not seem like 11 years ago that I first met up with Steve. It was a cold November day and we connected at North Hill Mall to head across the street to SAIT to interview Ms. Rhonda about her annual Crowns for Kids drive. The magazine had just released its first issue, and I would be featured in the second, and have been lucky enough to be part of nearly every issue since. At first it was primarily local content – interviewing bar owners and community members. As the magazine began to get a reputation for quality writing more doors opened. Theatres asked us to review their shows. In August, 2005, we scored our first major celebrity interview with a cover story on Bif Naked. Since then, through music labels as well as our relationship with the Comic Expo, we have been lucky to interview many top celebrities. Jann Arden, Dolly Parton, John Barrowman, Lily Tomlin, Melissa Etheridge, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Bill Paxton, Wil Wheaton, Bruce Campbell, Dallas Green, Nick Carter and Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys are just a few of the major interviews that I personally have been lucky enough to do. And it is all because of the magazine.
Looking at the past 11 years our community has changed so much. We have said goodbye to bars like Boyztown and The Rekroom, Detours and The Calgary Eagle. We have seen Pride grow from a small parade down 17th Avenue and a street fair in a Tompkins Park to a massive event drawing over 30,000 people. Bars like Cowboys and Flames Central have hosted drag shows and pride events, which is something that would have been unthinkable in 2003. We have seen the fight for equality continue in the States, watched acceptance continue to grow in Canada, and seen our friends fall in love, get married, and have kids. We have grieved through the death of community members while celebrating their lives. Through it all, the magazine has been there.
This has long been a labour of love for everyone involved. The amount of hours and time and money used to promote local events and organizations cannot be measured. But everyone who has been on this journey – whether from the first issue or having signed on in recent years – is incredibly proud of the legacy that has been created. Young members of the LGBT community can look through our archives and learn about important members of our history, of the community groups and bars and people that may no longer be around but live on in our memories and are immortalized in the pages of the magazine.
The print industry is changing constantly. From e-books to websites like the Huffington Post, media is constantly at our fingertips and we are connected to news and events instantly like never before. It is with this knowledge that GayCalgary is undergoing a transformation that will see the concept of a print magazine evolve into a more up to date and frequent online publishing model. This is great for us. We will no longer be challenged by trying to get interviews before deadlines but can provide content immediately prior to an event. I, for one, am excited for the next step in GayCalgary.com.
Eleven years: of memories; of moments; of blood, sweat and tears. What a ride it has been. I want to thank Steve and Rob for everything they have done over the past decade plus. Few truly understand everything that has been involved with this company and the tireless, and often thankless, work that they, as the face of the magazine, have put forth. Without them, and the magazine, the LGBT community in Calgary would be a very different place.
So here is to a remarkable 11 years. I am excited for the new vision for GayCalgary and many more years of bringing the community, arts and the world to you, the reader, and of sharing Calgary with the world.
