This week we thought we’d try something new for Avatar of the Week and pull together members by geography. First up, the great city of Vancouver, British Columbia. How did we assemble a list of Vancouver AfterElton.com members you ask? Simple, we just found one member who listed Vancouver as their city, and then we clicked on the hypertext city link in that profile. (If you’re curious what other AfterElton.com members might be living in your town, click on the city link in your profile to generate a list.)

Before we get started with the avatars, a few fast facts about the great city of Vancouver…

• It’s on the west coast of Canada, just north of the border and right above Seattle, Washington.
• It boasts the largest gay population in Western Canada.
• The centerpiece of the city’s annual Gay Pride Week is the Vancouver Pride Parade. Last year’s event drew over 150,000 spectators. This year’s parade is scheduled for August 5^th.
• Vancouver has become a popular destination for U.S. gay couples looking to tie the knot. Since 2003, British Columbia has issued marriage licenses to even non-resident couples.

Okay, enough about the city itself. Now here are some AfterElton.com members who call Vancouver home:

First up is Don R. who has a cool convertible and a fluffy dog. He’s also…

"Single with a 14 yr old son. I like all the usual stuff, music, movies, tv, cooking, shopping, decorating, and I collect Coca-Cola memorabilia. I love my Smart Car!"

Second up is Keith, who has a Xanadu-inspired avatar pic. Love the headband, and if Olivia Newton-John had alopecia, why, they could be twins!

Keith co-hosts a very entertaining weekly entertainment video blog, which can be found here. On this week's episode he and partner Stuart discuss the mechanics that must have been involved in producing Marilyn Monroe's 1950's sex tape. They also reveal Oprah's plot to take over the world. Good stuff!

This week’s winner is Perry Thaler, who takes the prize for his Torchwood-fan avatar that recalls one of Ianto’s best snippy comments from this season.

Perry is 21 and he also gets points for describing his profession as “Time-Waster/Money-Loser, ie. Chemistry Student.”

So congrats to runner up canooks, Don R. and Keith. And a special tip of the maple leaf ey, to this week’s winner – Perry Thaler.

It hasn’t been that long since we posted an MTV-Canada anti-pot smoking advertisement which depicted brothers kissing after smoking up, but another Canadian commercial is stirring up some more gay controversy. Fido, a subsidiary of Rogers Wireless, released a series of ads this year that star people and their similar looking dogs. This recent ad, featuring a wiener dog and his owner has a gay twist. The announcer reads “Life changes. With Fido, change your monthly package without charge whenever you want”. During this, the owner is seen first kissing a blond girl, the scene then morphs to show him with another girl and a baby. This then changes to the owner romantically hugging another man on a couch. The only constant is the wiener dog by his side.

This has rubbed a number of people the wrong way. It’s often risky for a large company to include gay content in their mainstream advertisements as there straights and gay folks who might take offense. IMHO, I think the ad isn't offensive by any means and just depicts a young man coming to terms with his sexuality as often happens. Some have said that the ad tries to say that sexual orientation is a choice since he switches so quickly. I think for that argument to be taken seriously, we have to forget the fact that the commercial is fifteen seconds long.

We've tried to contact the advertising firm behind the campaign and hope to hear back from them soon in regards to how this commercial came to be. I’m also interested in what our AfterElton readers have to say about it!

Those helpful Public Service Announcements produced by the Department of Good Intentions have probably been around since cavemen first scrawled on rock walls (hunting mammoth drunk BAD!). We all remember those PSA's warning you not to touch yourself or you'd get hairy palms try drugs or you'd walk off a high rise or play Dungeons and Dragons lest you end up sacrificing babies to Beezlebub. Well, via our friend John over at New Now Next, we can tell you Canada MTV has a new anti-drug PSA out that seems to indicate toking weed will drive you to start kissing other guys--really inappropriate guys.

I can't find a YouTube clip so you'll have to go to Advertising Age to watch the whole thing. On the plus side, no one leaps up and rips out chest hair or gets whacked with a tire iron after the kiss. On the down side, what message are they sending here? At first it seems to be implying that pot will mess you up so bad that you'll kiss another guy, but then there is the "twist" and you see that twist is supposed to be the messed up aspect. Still, I think it is a pretty mixed message that doesn't entirely work. I can't say I about crazy about it. What do you think? Is my sense of humor in need of a tune up?

(FYI, there isn't any dope out there strong enough to cause me to kiss my brother! No offense, Chris!)