| Following the closures of Boyz Town and Detours, Calgary’s gay clubbers are now faced with limited nightclub options. Moreover, the demise of these bars has deepened a rift in Calgary’s gay community between those who think it’s time to integrate more into the mainstream and those who feel the struggle for equality is far from over.
For over 20 years, Detours specialized in heavy dance music in an openly gay environment. Next door, Victoria’s restaurant was a gossip den where drag queens held court, couples dined and club kids sipped on cocktails.
Boyztown, home for many in the community, was a safe environment to celebrate their sexuality and scope out the action on the dance floor. The amateur strip nights and drag shows lent a festive air to the joint.
"There is sadness about the loss of these bars," says Deva Dave, owner of the Deva Dave boutique that specializes in vamp wear. "It’s unnecessary. It seems impossible and far-fetched that in such a large gay community this should happen. There should be more than enough support."
As Calgary’s only remaining gay and lesbian dance club, Twisted Element has been bursting at the seams and is consistently lined-up, with 800 people going through the doors some nights.
Steve Polyak, publisher of GayCalgary.com, says complaints that the club caters to a young crowd are misinformed, and that Twisted is a microcosm of the city’s gay and lesbian community.
Polyak adds the closure of these clubs is simply part of the natural evolution of the city but also recognizes the contribution Detours and Boyztown made over their long-running existence. "They should be proud of what they accomplished," he says.
However, he says it was time for a progressive club in the city, and Twisted Element filled the gap with highly danceable music in a fresh setting. He also notes owners Cliff Andrews and R.J. Fard have contributed over $70,000 to the community since opening one and a half years ago.
Fard says he simply satisfied a hunger in the community for a lighter-spirited bar. "I didn’t shut those clubs down, the customers did. All I did was offer a club that was about having a good time and not necessarily a pickup joint."
Pierre Tremblay is a researcher with the University of Calgary who delves into the complexities of the gay experience. A recent study he co-authored found between 10-13 per cent of Calgary men aged 18-27 identified as gay or bisexual. Given this number, it would seem one gay club isn’t enough. Tremblay says shifting attitudes towards clubbing are also a contributing factor.
"In the ’70s and ’80s people were restricting themselves to gay clubs. But by the ’90s they began diversifying and going to straight clubs," Tremblay says.
Another social tool that has eliminated some of the risks of in-person dating could be at the root of a less club-centric gay, bisexual and lesbian population. Online chat rooms and dating websites take the risk out of engaging in social intercourse in a crowded, competitive environment and are highly appealing for those not yet out. Web cruising has resulted in the closure of gay clubs and bookstores from San Francisco to New York.
However, the need for interaction will always spur people out from behind their monitors and laptops, and Calgary’s gay community has been pulling off increasingly high profile, well attended events.
Recently, the Pride Calgary association has been striving to create a more inclusive image, deleting all gay references from its name and weaving its parade right through the core, on Stephen Ave.
"We’re throwing our arms open to the straight community," says John Skorka, co-chair of the association.
They also held their yearly fundraiser at Tantra nightclub, a straight bar. The decision has been controversial for some who feel gay events should be bolstered from within.
"We’ve struggled so hard to get where we are. To turn and run back into the closet isn’t going to work. You have to fight for your rights," says Fard.
Ilyxor, the bar that replaced Metro Boyz Town has been a disappointment for those who felt a loyalty to the establishment. Polyak says he witnessed doormen openly discouraging visibly gay clientele from entering the club by charging an inflated cover late at night and claiming they were nearing closing time. Eric Jackson, a former employee of Ilyxor and drag performer, says he felt discriminated against and that claims of the creation of a gay-friendly atmosphere at the club never materialized.
Further contributing to the diminishing support of traditional gay clubs is the appeal of straight bars such as Ming and the Warehouse with egalitarian atmospheres.
"A lot of the gay community is going to straight bars where they are being welcomed with open arms," says Jackson. "I can walk in dressed in full drag and it’s no big deal." |
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