History of Edmonton’s Gay Bars, Part 1: The Begng | Edmonton Cy as Mm Project ECAMP

Contents:

• HISTORY OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS, PART 1: THE BEGNG
• LIST OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS
• HISTORY OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS, PART 4: THE EXPANDG SCENE
• HISTORY OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS, PART 3: THE LONG-RUNNG
• HISTORY OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS, PART 2: A FLASHBACK TO FLASHBACK

HISTORY OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS, PART 1: THE BEGNG

When the landlord found out that gay people were g his buildg, he promptly put locks on the doors and nied further entry. Ias nnected to social pury activism that emerged the 1890s began impactg how society was expected to thk, and as the Send World War began, so did the persecutn of gay men. It was beg difficult to meet other gay men, and Edmonton-based law enforcement were creasgly chargg dividuals wh crim such as gross cency, buggery, and posssn of obscene lerature.

Bill C-150 opened the doors to the gay and lbian muny Edmonton, fally allowg for the opportuny to meet others a “public” place.

Many tabl were filled wh gay men shortly after openg each day. In the evengs, the back sectn of the Mayfair Hotel tavern was a haven for members of the gay and lbian muny, often meetg to swill back untls draft glass, sloshg beer over the terry cloth table vers that were required by the Alberta Liquor Control Board (ALCB) which then dripped down onto the beer-soaked rpet (another requirement of the ALCB.

LIST OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS

The on clost to the back were for the “gays, ” and this ctom was rpected by hotel staff and ctomers alike. There was a ph to create safe spac for gays only, where ls termglg wh other populatns lsened the chance of abe.

In the fall of 1969, when homosexuals were no longer thrown jail for their sexualy, a small group of people cid to open a place dited to gay and lbian folk. In the later part of 1969, they opened the very first gay bar Edmonton. This historic se was schled for moln Augt 2020, which wip away the begng of Gay Bar History Edmonton.

This also meant that to be a member or a gut, one had to be gay or lbian.

HISTORY OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS, PART 4: THE EXPANDG SCENE

The dour-lookg person monorg the entry would grill any prospective guts wh qutns about their purpose for g, their sexualy, and more- to get “proof” they were gay or lbian.

It was a meang procs to first-timers already nervo about g to a gay tablishment, but served to protect the clientele those early years. Dpe the bt efforts to ensure the safety of those g to Club 70, asslts om “gay bashers” happened many tim through the years, and police were often lled when fights took place outsi.

She had bee Mother Jean to many gay guys om her daily viss to the Kg Eddy Tavern, and her excln om Club 70 beme too much. List of Edmonton’s Gay Bars. Read the 5-part seri, The History of Edmonton’s Gay Bars.

HISTORY OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS, PART 3: THE LONG-RUNNG

First Gay Bar (Club 70) – September 1969. When nsirg Edmonton’s gay bar history, there were over thirty venu almost half a century. After about a year and a half of operatn, they cid to rename the bs and gear toward the gay muny.

The venue altered between gay and straight dienc throughout the years. For reasons nobody uld que put their fgers on, the space jt never appealed enough to the gay muny for any of the ventur to be succsful. For the send time LGBTQ history, a queer-based bs had been forced out of s space by homophobic owners.

It took time, but their posns regardg homosexualy eventually changed. One of the more unique gay bars Edmonton was a former Howard & McBri Funeral Parlor.

HISTORY OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS, PART 2: A FLASHBACK TO FLASHBACK

Wh most of the gay bars to date primarily terg to the gay male populatn, the lbian muny felt the need to create spac that were appealg to them. When Jim Schafer passed away 2010, the historic gay bar lotn of Club 70 and Boots beme available. On September 22, 2012, the Junctn closed s doors, brgg to an end forty-two years gay bar operatn that space.

Right: “A Ltle Gay Bar on 106 Street, ” closg night event at Junctn Bar & Eatery, September 22, 2012. Another important venue Edmonton’s gay bar scene was The Roost. At the same time that Flashback ( s first lotn on Jasper Avenue) was fillg to pacy, four people who had been fluential the management of Club 70 quietly built a new gay bar on the ma floor at 10345 – 104 Street.

Ultimately, this proved to be a huge benef to Edmonton’s gay bar scene as people moved back and forth between the clubs. In 1985, the AIDS epimic h Edmonton and began takg the liv of clubgoers om the gay muny. Other plac entered Edmonton’s gay bar scene those early years.