Kiss of the Fur Queen

Gabriel is at The Rose, an upscale gay bar. His good looks attract immediate attention from the patrons. Wayne, the Indigenous man with whom he had a sexual encounter in Chapter 16, helps Gabriel (now 15) get beers at the bar. Gabriel observes a gyrating figure in the middle of the dance floor: the only other Indigenous person in the bar, they have an androgynous appearance that both fascinates and repels Gabriel. Afterwards, Gabriel finds himself partaking in an orgy with other men. Though the experience is filled with pleasure, Gabriel also flashes back to memories of Father Lafleur’s crucifix.

With Gabriel occupied with his ballet classes and social life, Jeremiah finds himself so lonely that he often contemplates death by suicide. Only the Winnipeg Central Library provides Jeremiah with solace. The plays he reads prove a thrilling education. One day on his way to the library, he follows the sound of music and singing to a church. Inside the church are some Indigenous people dressed in traditional regalia and dancing while others, in jeans and T-shirts, watch. To Jeremiah, the scene seems straight out of Hollywood movie caricatures.

Amanda Clear Sky, dressed in traditional clothes, greets him.