Post image on Ptert: Darr Hagen says gay bars opened plac no one else wanted to be. (Trevor Wilson/CBC)

Contents:

• LIST OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS
• NEW FILM PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON LEGENDARY EDMONTON GAY CLUB FLASHBACK
• HISTORY OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS, PART 5: INTO TODAY
• HISTORY OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS, PART 3: THE LONG-RUNNG
• THE BEST EDMONTON GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS EDMONTON

LIST OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS

Read the 5-part seri, The History of Edmonton’s Gay Bars.

First Gay Bar (Club 70) – September 1969.

Now, the legendary gay bar is g to the big screen. 'It was a place that really brought queer and straight people together'Edmonton gay bar Evolutn Wonrlounge hosted a re-enactment of a night out at the inic '80s nightclub Flashback for an upg film.

NEW FILM PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON LEGENDARY EDMONTON GAY CLUB FLASHBACK

Now, the legendary Edmonton gay bar is g to the big feature film the makg is about the trailblazg spir of the people who built and equented Flashback and the surroundg turbulence of the 1980s. "As a young person, I felt a new sense of eedom as a gay man g out high school. It was named one of the 10 bt nightclubs North Ameri by Billboard Magaze, acrdg to Edmonton's Queer History agast the backdrop of the creasg visibily of LGBTQ culture alongsi anti-queer backlash, Flashback patrons were greeted by a sign the foyer statg that was a club for gay people and their iends.

HISTORY OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS, PART 5: INTO TODAY

The evolutn of Edmonton's gay bars40 years later, Edmonton's queer muny looks back on the Pisc bathhoe raidHays ed to equent the 104th Street lotn wh his straight brother, Peter Hays, who is the director and producer of the film club also drew the lik of Oilers players and k.

"The club played a really important role changg people's | Inic Edmonton club is the subject of new documentaryRad Active7:44Inic Edmonton club is the subject of a new documentaryWe speak to a queer historian about the impact of the former Flashback bar Tuday, the Hays brothers and their film crew transformed lol gay club Evolutn Wonrlounge to their former a silver dis ball, 50 extras mullets, mohawks and teased bangs let loose on the black-and-whe checkered dancefloor, cked out high-waisted troers, jumpsus and leather. "Matthew Hays said life was hard for a young, gay person the '80s, but Flashback ma the cy of Edmonton and beyond feel much more acceptg.

Long referred to Play as “an evolutn of the queer nightclub, ” sayg he wanted a space where his iends uld go after work, “gay and straight-but-queer iendly.

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

“Gay, trans, lbian, bi or qutng, ” Wyns said, “queer is a word that enpass everythg.

This group clud Rob Browatzke, who had more than twenty years of experience workg Edmonton’s LGBTQ2 nightlife scene, and a partnership team that recently ran Hels, a pair of gay hotels Palm Sprgs. Aware there would be immediate parisons wh the former Play Nightclub, the ownership group did their bt to break the “dark and dgy gay bar stereotype.

THE BEST EDMONTON GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS EDMONTON

The Hels team had extensive nnectns the world of adult gay films, and famo drag queen and porn director Chi Chi La Rue served as the DJ for the big Grand Openg, which also featured a bevy of adult entertament stars, cludg Matthew Rh, Christopher Daniels, and Tyler Sat. In the fall, Evolutn partnered wh UpStar Ultralounge on a two-gay club pub crawl for Halloween.

As wh Play before, and many other gay spac, fundraisg was a central ponent of Evolutn’s programmg and a way to directly support the lol LGBTQ2 muny.

This clud the “Hs of HOMOcidal, ” which helped lnch the reers of Edmonton queens such as Gogo Fetch, Chelsea Horrendo, and Lilh Fair. Other fundraisers clud an event for Makg Wav to support their succsful bid to host the 2016 Internatnal Gay and Lbian Aquatics Champnships. Before we look at the most recent of gay bars Edmonton, let’s explore some honourable mentns.