While the sorry Canucks fight for that eighth and final playoff spot, Vancouver’s Cutting Edges Gay Men’s Hockey team celebrated its winning ways with its annual Score skating shindig. Several hundred hockey and skating enthusiasts packed the West End Community Centre for the seventh annual fundraising skate and sock hop. Proceeds from the neighbourhood party support the Dr. Peter Centre, McLaren Housing and the 25 players representing Vancouver at the upcoming Chicago Gay Games and Montreal Out Games to be held this summer.

Alberta Premier Ralph Klein was in town for a fundraising luncheon in support of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. Several hundred guests paid up to $500 to lunch with the outspoken premier at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Speaking to the well-heeled, Klein denied being the “Darth Vader” of Canada’s Health Care system. The Klein government’s “third way” health care program would allow people to pay for certain procedures to jump wait lists and permit doctors to practise in both public and private systems. Umm, has Ralph been talking with our Gordo lately?

Another notable politico Bill Clinton apparently has a love affair with Canada and Vanhattan. Recently partnering with cyclist Lance Armstrong at The Power Within speaker series, the former U.S. president and humanitarian returns next month to join Diana Krall and some of the world’s most noted performers for the VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation big gala-gala-do. Clinton, the 42nd U.S. president, will be joined by Tony Bennett, Elton John and Elvis Costello at a private sold-out black tie charity benefit concert and auction at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Proceeds from the star-studded soiree go to help pioneer “made-in-B.C. cures” for blood-related cancers and diseases at VGH.

Homosexuality, spirituality, cross-dressing, Communism and the Catholic Church dominated the city stages this week as Touchstone Theatre and Pacific Theatre presented Shawn Macdonald’s world premiere of Prodigal Son and the Vancouver Playhouse presented the Tony Award-winning play I Am My Own Wife. Macdonald’s Prodigal Son, a moving exploration of sexuality and spiritual life, tackles issues of faith, family and sexuality in a raw and honest Brokeback Mountain kind-of-way. Clutching pearls, Tom Rooney puts down a stellar performance as Berlin’s Charlotte von Mahlsdorf-a German transvestite-confronting Nazi Germany, fascism and communism in the Playhouse presentation of the powerful true story of one person’s inner and outward survival.

Finally, the Vancouver Art Beatus office/gallery presented the 2006 FIFA World Cup Art Posters exhibition designed by 14 internationally renowned artists in support of the soccer championships.

Have an event, opening or just plain gossip you’d like to share or something cool, hot or trendy you’d like to show off? Email me at yvrflee@hotmail.com. Fred’s weekly funcast Stepping Out can be heard every Monday morning on CBC’s The Early Edition.