Category Places

• Rainbow Story Hub
• December 27, 2024
• 0 Comments
• 6 minutes Read

Edmonton’s Elusive Women’s Spaces: The Prism Story

The lesbian bar has become a rare gem, as elusive as a white whale. There are only 32 remaining lesbian bars in the United States at time of writing — with 25% located in New York — and according to Radio-Canada data, there are none left in Canada. It’s a shame, given that Edmonton was by all accounts something of a hotbed for vast and varied queer venues. But what did the proverbial fall of lesbian “Rome” actually look like here in Edmonton? For that, we can look to Prism.

• Darrin Hagen
• June 30, 2024
• 0 Comments
• 1 minute Read

The Flashback Files: Dance Marathon!

Archival footage from the legendary Flashback nightclub. Video from 1981-1983 recorded by Patrick Monaghan. All other footage 1983-1992 recorded by John Reid or whoever else was available to run the camera. VHS Files digitized by Jim Bilodeau. Thanks to Darrin Hagen and Chris Fassbender with the support of the Edmonton Arts Council and the City of Edmonton – Local Government here is a video that captures a few moments of the fun.

• Darrin Hagen
• June 6, 2024
• 0 Comments
• 1 minute Read

The Flashback Files: B-52’s Beach Party 1990

The second location of Flashback on 104 street closed in late 1990 before opening a while latter on 105 Street.

This is the final show performed at the iconic Flashback 2 location was on December 1, 1990.

Starring Twiggy, Mandy Kamp, Dorky and Gloria Hole (Darrin Hagen).

Footage from the vaults of Darrin Hagen.

• Darrin Hagen
• May 17, 2024
• 0 Comments
• 2 minutes Read

The Flashback Files: Masters of Ceremonies

From the stage of the legendary Flashback nightclub we present a montage of various live unscripted moments of hilarity and confusion from some of the outstanding Flashback event hosts ever to grace the stages. From Gloria Hole (Darrin Hagen) to Rhoda B. (Ron Byers) then the icon and face of Flashback John Reid. There is even Millie (Paul Chisholm), Neon (Terrie Grieve), Trash (Terry Robison) plus many more that you will be sure to remember. Thankfully this video is not rated NSFW!! Patrick Monaghan – a consulting producer on the Flashback Documentary Film – decided to start filming drag…

• Darrin Hagen
• May 16, 2024
• 0 Comments
• 2 minutes Read

The Flashback Files: Drag Races

One of the most fun events put on by Flashback was held on the May Long Weekend. Annually the Mz Flashback Contest was held and part of the weekend fun was the Drag Races – invented long before RuPaul came along. In fact it was Mz. Flashback 4 Bianca Bang Bang (Lee Denning) and Mr. Flashback 4 Mr. Vera (Daryl Broyles) that came up with the idea after they saw a video from the US. way back in 1979. According to Mr. Vera “it was an actual drag race on like wild world of sports and some old drag…

• Rainbow Story Hub
• April 9, 2023
• 0 Comments
• 1 minute Read

A Flashback to Flashback

History of Edmonton’s Gay Bars, Part 2: A Flashback to Flashback Author Ron Byers and Rob Browatzke | September 30, 2020 The impact Flashback had on relations between LBGTQ people and straight people was enormous. With LGBTQ members bringing friends to the club (many of them straight), Edmonton’s young adult crowd was quickly changing their opinions on how they viewed the LGBTQ community. As John Reid says, “How better to get to know people than to party together and feel safe? We were proud of [Flashback] becoming a melting pot of differences that found harmony.”  To read this story on the Edmonton City As…

• Ron Byers
• March 27, 2023
• 0 Comments
• 9 minutes Read

Cruising at The Pig

Cruising for sex in the late 60’s and early 70’s was an experience that seems seedy and dangerous by today’s standards but at the time when there were no protected spaces for gay men to connect with each other they had to carve out their own places at local businesses that were willing to allow gay men to gather as long as some discretion was used. The Pig N Whistle Lunch Room was one of those places. Located at 10548 Jasper Avenue, it opened around 1938 and was bought by local businessman Henry Wener in 1942. During the many…

• Rob Browatzke
• January 22, 2022
• 1 Comments
• 4 minutes Read

The Great 1998 Cruising Controversy

In 2021, we acknowledged the 30-year anniversary of the Pisces Spa raid, a raid which led to Edmonton’s early Pride festivities, and to the closure of gay bathhouses like the Pisces and the Gemini. It wasn’t until 1998 that another gay bathhouse would open in Edmonton.

• Rainbow Story Hub
• November 10, 2020
• 0 Comments
• 1 minute Read

Queer History Collection

Queer History Collections, Stories and Podcasts

Local Queer historians, writers and podcast producers have put together a collection of stories on the LGBTQ+ history in Edmonton. Some of these are featured on the Edmonton City As Museum Project (ECAMP) website. The link for their website is https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/

We have put together some direct links…

• Darrin Hagen
• August 29, 2020
• 0 Comments
• 1 minute Read

Queer History in Edmonton: The 1981 Pisces Bathhouse Raid

Queer History in Edmonton: The 1981 Pisces Bathhouse Raid Jul 21, 2020Local writer, director, and performer, Darrin Hagen, has done extensive research into the infamous police raid of the Pisces Health Spa, an Edmonton bathhouse that served the gay community, in 1981. Darrin joins us to share details about what happened that night, and how this event has continued to impact Edmonton’s LGBTQ2S+ community. This video is part of the Edmonton Public Library EPL from Home: Queer History in Edmonton playlist..

• Michael Phair
• August 29, 2020
• 0 Comments
• 1 minute Read

Flashback and the Gay Drag Races

• Rainbow Story Hub
• February 3, 2020
• 0 Comments
• 1 minute Read

Places the Queer people hung out

The Strand Theatre, Pig N’ Whistle, Jack’s Grill, Coffee Cup Inn, Bus Depot Bathrooms, The “Hill”, Club 70, Flashback, The Roost, Pisces Spa, Down Under Bathhouse, Steamworks Bathhouse, Buddy’s and Woody’s, Victoria Park, Evolution Wonderlounge. Just a small sampling of a long list where the Edmonton LGBTQ2S+ community hung out, cruised, socialized and met friends.