Gay AF Comedy at the Just for Laughs festival: queer and hilarious with BDE

12 Sep 2022 - photos courtesy of Robert Watson

"I'm thrilled to let you know that Gay AF Comedy has a show as part of the Just For Laughs Toronto Festival on Wednesday September 28th," crowed Gay AF Comedy mastermind and host Robert Watson in an email. "Having this kind of queer representation as part of such a mainstream festival is a great step forward for both queer comedians and queer comedy lovers. I'm so happy that my persistence with JFL has paid off."
 
And who couldn't use a good laugh? Preferably in a queer context. So I sent six questions to the five funny queers - headliner Martha Chaves, Bobbi Summers, Hillary Yaas, Heather Mariko, Tamara Shevon, Ajahnis Charley and Watson himself as the host - in the hopes they would give some insight into queer comedy. And give us a few good laughs. They did. In alphabetical order, meet the Gay AF Comedy gang about to queer up the Just for Laughs festival.

Drew Rowsome: What does the opportunity to participate in such a huge festival mean to you? 

Ajahnis Charley: I'm excited because I need the largest possible platform to decry my love for Joe Pesci. That's 100% of my content by the way. 

Martha Chaves: I've done JFL multiple times, and it always means that I'm participating in the Olympics of Stand-up Comedy, competing with myself, and getting gold. 

Heather Mariko: It means the world! I love JFL Toronto and I love being a part of it. 

Tamara Shevon: The opportunity to participate in this festival means a lot to me because of the representation it brings. I think often times such great talent is overlooked in Canada and this festival gives us the opportunity to showcase that we have some of the best comics in the world. 

Bobbi Summers: It’s neat. 

Robert Watson: I’ve been working on getting Gay AF Comedy to be part of JFL for awhile so this is a very satisfying and exciting result. To have our local queer comedy community participate in such a mainstream festival gives validation to LGBTQ+ artists and performers who deserve recognition from their peers. 

Hillary Yaas: It means that I have to pay for bus fare two ways and maybe even get more people to watch me on Camp Wannakiki season 4, streaming on OutTV! 

What was your most gloriously queer moment as a comedian? 

Ajahnis Charley: Asking my mom whether she thought I was a top or a bottom — this was mid-coming out conversation. 

Martha Chaves: The moment that I completely connected with a crowd that may have been a tad bit hostile towards LGBTQ+ people, but through laughter we became siblings. That's the power of laughter, it demolishes preconceived ideas and opens minds, it's a great equalizer! 

Heather Mariko: When multiple women twice my age bought me a mountain of Molson Ex and then immediately asked if I have Facebook. 

Tamara Shevon: My most gloriously queer moment was finally getting a joke I wrote about coming out to work on stage. It is such a sensitive topic and is never easy but being able to look back on it and make it funny gave me such a sense of relief and build my confidence to talk about my experiences without caring about judgement. 

Bobbi Summers: Getting called fag after a show. 

Robert Watson: Recording my album back in June was a very special moment in time for me. I had one shot at the recording and I delivered a career best – the crowd, the responses they gave, absolutely everything was magical. And it’s all on tape! 

Hillary Yaas: Spraining my knee on television! So gay! You can watch it on Camp Wannakiki season 4 episode 3 to see it in HD! Oh the lengths I will go to for camera time! 

What was your most comic moment as a queer and is it part of your act? 

Ajahnis Charley: I often do a sketch about donating blood that usually either gets a laugh or a groan, but one time got a full 30 second scream break. 

Martha Chaves: My most comic moment as a queer is a verbal fight I had with a Latinx charlatan preacher at Dundas square, and it's part of my act. 

Heather Mariko: My whole existence feels like one big comic moment, so yes. I dunno if there was a single moment.. I guess coming out? Ya, coming out. 

Bobbi Summers: Getting the monkeypox vax at Cloverdale Mall .

Robert Watson: I was working retail when I had a female customer come up holding a colourful casual shirt and ask me, “Do you think my boyfriend will look gay in this?” A bit taken aback I responded “I don’t know how to answer that, because I’m gay.” The woman was horribly embarrassed and apologetic and of course decided she was going to buy the shirt. As I was ringing it up, my co-worker Rose walked by, noticed the garment and said, “That shirt would look really good on you Rob.” The woman still left with her purchase. I haven’t worked it into my routine, I should give it a go! 

Hillary Yaas: Some people say my makeup is crap. And I wear it to every show. So yes, its part of my act. And if you laugh my job is done, honestly. 

A few big name comedians, who shall remain nameless by me (but feel free to express yourself), have complained that comedy is being ruined by woke culture. Have you ever had to self-censor for fear of offending? 

Ajahnis Charley: I honestly haven't been offensive enough. I have some opinions about dogs that will definitely get me cancelled. 

Martha Chaves: Well, in my act I take shots at the powerful, be it in politics, religion, or a dominant race or gender, so . . . I do censor myself when I perform in Latin America because I don't want to get "canceled" you know, have my voluptuous arse thrown in jail. Or worse, shot. In North America, I pretty much speak about all I want, fearless of the consequences. Like the other day in my crowd, there were sympathizers of the freedom convoy who didn't like me saying that Canada is not a dictatorship. Making fun of them felt dangerous, like walking on a tightrope without a harness, but I'm still here. And my encounter with them became a funny story.

Heather Mariko: There’s no topic off limits if you do it right. But there is such thing as tact. Saying hateful or hot topic words for shock value is boring. We get it, you’re not creative or elegant with your writing. It’s just boring and redundant to me. If there’s a point and a joke, and it’s clever and thoughtful and FUNNY, there’s no need to censor. But at least make it funny.

Tamara Shevon: I don't self-censor or have a fear of offending people which is probably why I  usually get myself in so much trouble. 

Bobbi Summers: No . . . how can you cancel something that hasn’t begun? 

Robert Watson: I like to categorize the shows I run at Gay AF as inclusive stand-up - I don’t like comedy that punches down on the marginalized, so if that means to some that I’m promoting “woke culture,” I accept that for what it is. The misogynists and homophobes will always have an audience unfortunately, but it’s not my job to worry about them, and I don’t need them in order to reach the audience that I’m catering to. 

I wouldn’t say I ever self censor, but I do cater my routine to whoever my audience is on a given night. As a guest comedian on a straight show I might validate the heteros a bit more so they know I’m joking when I go in for a hot take – but at our JFL Toronto show expect me to be at my most unequivocally queerest as the host.

Hillary Yaas: See . . . drag queens have been cancelled forever. It's actually a relatively new thing for us not to be cancelled. So yeah, drag definitely can let you get away with stuff perhaps others can't. But, it's important to know what is what. If you "get cancelled" it means you're not keeping up with the times, and your jokes probably smell of mothballs and cat pee. And if you apologize (and make reparations, if needed) and someone is STILL cancelling you, well . . . that is when "cancel culture" is just people who are hurt projecting their hurt onto other people. Show them some love or your block button. At the end of the day as a comic not everyone will like you . . . because we relentlessly make fun of people! 

Are there other comedians that you admire or hope to see during the festival? Why? (please limit to three [3] or less we are here to promote Gay AF's role in the festival). 

Ajahnis Charley: Everyone on the Gay AF roster, Jerrod Carmichael, Viola Davis. She's here for TIFF, but I hope she hangs around. 

Martha Chaves: I would like to see Laurie Kilmartin, Maria Bamford, and Jarrod Carmichael. Why? because I love their writing, delivery, point of view, and comic persona. 

Heather Mariko: Can’t wait to see Atsuko Okatsuka, Clare Belford, and Julio Torres because they’re all hilarious, original, and tactful as hell. 

Tamara Shevon: I am looking forward to seeing Jerrod Carmichael. I have followed his comedy for a long time and loved his show so it will be cool to finally see him perform in person. 

Bobbi Summers: No. 

Robert Watson: There are a lot of great queer comedians in this year’s festival. The outdoor show with Monet Exchange and Bob The Drag Queen is on my list for sure, though it still bothers me after all these years that Bob’s name out of drag is Christopher. 

Hillary Yaas: I hear there are some other influential drag queens at the fest. I won't name names because I value my time.

Now that Pete Davidson has pulled out of the headlining gig at Just For Laughs, how will you, as a queer comedian, help replace his BDE? 

Ajahnis Charley: He does not have BDE, unless the BD stands for Barely Doing (anything). 

Martha Chaves: I don't want to help replace his BDE. I don't think it's a great thing to have Big Douche Energy. 

Heather Mariko: I don’t know him. Just kidding, his BDE transcends, so hopefully just being on the same fest as him (rip) will rub off onto me and transcend my BDE and my queerness thus will thrive! But mostly by being out and seen and convincing more women twice my age to buy me a mountain Molson Ex.

Tamara Shevon: I didn't know he pulled out. Toronto as a city already has the biggest BDE so I don't think he will be missed if I'm honest.

Bobbi Summers: I could never stand in for Pete, but I’d love for him to stand in me. 

Robert Watson: I don’t think Pete was even coming to do stand-up, he was just going to dish about all the ridiculously famous people he’s dated – that would’ve been worth the price of admission - he will be missed. 

Hillary Yaas: By shoving it between my thighs and telling some jokes.