David Robert (DR): It’s still amazing to me that I get to come on TV and be openly gay, you know? There are countries where if they even suspect you’re gay, you can be beaten up, and we all live in a place where we talk about being gay men on national television. It’s amazing. I always try to remember how awesome that is.
Philip Tetro (PT): For me, it’s great because I’ve always felt like I needed that creative outlet, and TV is just one of those ways you can sort of let loose. [When we tape an episode], it rarely feels like we’re actually filming a TV show.
Most of the time it’s just us sitting around talking; there just happens to be a camera watching.
TC: Do any of you participate in any artistic practice outside of the show?
Jean-Paul Bevilacqua (JB): Well, I went to York for drama, so that was obviously a big deal to me . . . I love to sing and I love to act. Acting and singing are both really big passions of mine.
DR: When I was a kid, I did some modeling and some TV work, but now besides the show I also produce and I do a lot of stuff behind the camera, so I guess that’s my little part of the queer arts community.
TC: Why do you think having a queer arts community is so important?
PT: I don’t mean to be stereotypical or anything but I feel like a lot of gay people are drawn to the arts and I think it’s because of the suppression that many gay people face when they’re not quite out yet and they’re coming into themselves. It almost maybe draws gay people to the arts as a way of expressing themselves.
JB: Yeah, I agree. I think there’s something so relevant in suppression and suppressing your desires that makes gay people find a way to express themselves and the arts are a really good way of doing that.
TC: Is this your first time attending Capital Pride?
DR: This is actually the first 1 girl 5 gays Pride appearance besides Toronto [where the show is filmed], so we’re super excited. I love Ottawa, so I’m happy to be here. I’m really interested to see whether other Prides are like Toronto and a big party, or if they’re more grassroots and activist based. It should be amazing!
