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
• CY OF EDMONTON GAY AND LBIAN ARCHIV
• HISTORY OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS, PART 2: A FLASHBACK TO FLASHBACK
• GAY AND LBIAN ARCHIV OF EDMONTON
• HISTORY OF EDMONTON’S GAY BARS, PART 3: THE LONG-RUNNG

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.

CY OF EDMONTON GAY AND LBIAN ARCHIV

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. 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.

This historic se was schled for moln Augt 2020, which wip away the begng of Gay Bar History Edmonton. 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.

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

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.

The Gay and Lbian Archiv of Edmonton was created to pture the history and the important rerds of var anizatns created by and for the Gay and Lbian muny Edmonton.

An early anizatn, origatg as a Universy of Alberta stunt and faculty group lobbyg to change laws discrimatg agast homosexuals, was the Gay Alliance Toward Equaly (GATE), formed . GATE evolved om a quasi-Universy activist group to one more reprentative of the general gay muny Edmonton, emphasizg social servic for the muny.

GAY AND LBIAN ARCHIV OF EDMONTON

They were a rource centre, providg peer unsellg servic and speaker referrals, while ntug to advote for gay civil rights. GATE lost s Societi Act registratn 1986, and regaed that stat on November 4, 1987, rtartg unr a new name: the Gay and Lbian Communy Centre of Edmonton (GLCCE). GLCCE ntued the role of an rmatn/tn centre and was an important social gatherg space for Edmonton’s gay populatn, hostg danc, a ffee hoe and vio nights.

Meanwhile, 1984 the Gay and Lbian Awarens (GALA) Society was formed as a reprentative group to anize the Gay and Lbian Celebratn Week of June 1984. GALA reprented other member groups the mpaign to see those remendatns implemented; was rporated unr the Alberta Societi Act May of 1987 to promote awarens of the gay muny and issu that affect them among the general public of Edmonton, pecially as ncerns the grantg of civil rights to homosexuals.

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

In rponse to the growg awarens of the vastatn HIV and AIDS was havg amongst the gay populatn world-wi, the AIDS Network of Edmonton Society was rporated as a non-prof society 1984. Other anizatns, reprented the GALA fonds, clu the Universy of Alberta’s GALOC (Gays and Lbians on Camp) group, and numero social and cultural groups. The first openly gay club, CLUB 70, opened late 1969, and was followed over the years by many other gay entertament venu and social groups.

An early sports body for gays Edmonton was the Edmonton Roughnecks Recreatn Associatn tablished 1980; the Vol Mory Mic Society formed 1983; and the first Gay newspaper published Edmonton, “Fe Prt” started as a sp off om the Edmonton Roughnecks newsletter. The library tablished at GATE, transferred to GLCCE and then the Pri Centre, llected and subscribed to a number of publitns of tert to Edmonton’s gay muny.