Part Two: Rob Browatzke – Recovery and Evolution
In this second installment, Rob Browatzke reflects on his struggles with addiction and how it affected his work at Buddy’s, Down Under, and Boots. After the passing of the Boots Bar owner, he moved on to Prism Bar and the Junction Bar & Grill, eventually finding sobriety and a new sense of purpose. With support from his uncles, Rob helped launch Evolution Wonderlounge in 2013 — Edmonton’s premiere queer nightclub — and now shares how that legacy continues with the opening of EVO in the spring of 2025.
A powerful story of resilience, renewal, and the ongoing evolution of community.
Part One: Rob Browatzke – Finding Community
In this first installment, Edmonton writer and community builder Rob Browatzke reflects on coming out in high school, his first night at The Roost nightclub, and the early challenges of finding acceptance. Rob shares stories of moving to Lethbridge for college and returning to Edmonton, where he worked at the Georgia Bathhouse, Down Under, Boots Bar, The Roost, and Buddy’s Niteclub. He also talks about his shift into community activism and media — from volunteering with the Gay Men’s Outreach Crew and Edmonton Pride Festival to helping launch Fresh Magazine after writing for Times.10.
A candid look at the spaces, people, and moments that helped shape one of Edmonton’s most enduring voices in queer culture.
“I never thought I’d still be here to tell this story — but maybe that’s exactly why I need to.”
In Part Two of this biographical series, Edmonton’s Ron Byers continues his remarkable journey — one defined by survival, advocacy, and the power of storytelling to build community and preserve memory.
As the AIDS crisis deepened through the 1980s and 1990s, Ron witnessed the loss of countless friends and community members. Then, in 1998, he himself was diagnosed with AIDS, facing both the stigma and the steep challenges that came with navigating a medical system often unprepared — and at times unwilling — to meet the needs of those living with HIV. Through it all, Ron’s resilience and determination became acts of quiet defiance and hope.
Decades later, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ron once again turned to storytelling — this time through writing. He began contributing to the Edmonton City as Museum Project, documenting the History of the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose and the History of Gay Bars in Edmonton. These projects inspired the creation of his own non-profit foundation, the Rainbow Story Hub, dedicated to preserving and amplifying Edmonton’s 2SLGBTQ+ history.
His work soon caught the attention of Explore Edmonton, who invited him to author the Guide to Pride in Edmonton. That collaboration sparked the founding of Pride Edmonton, reviving local Pride initiatives and connecting organizations across the city.
Building on these partnerships, Ron worked with Explore Edmonton and other community leaders to raise awareness of Queer History Month, ensuring that Edmonton’s queer stories were celebrated and remembered. His leadership also extended internationally when he joined a team developing Edmonton’s bid to host the 2030 Gay Games, highlighting the city’s inclusive spirit on the world stage.
Today, Ron reflects with gratitude on the journey that brought him here — from survival to storytelling, from activism to recognition. His decades of work have been honoured with numerous accolades, including being named a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his service to community and culture.
Part Two celebrates Ron’s ongoing legacy: a story of perseverance, creativity, and the belief that by telling our stories, we make it possible for others to tell theirs.
In Part One of this biographical series, Edmonton’s Ron Byers reflects on the early chapters of his life — from coming out as gay and facing rejection at home, to finding the courage to live openly and authentically. His story traces the challenges, friendships, and discoveries that shaped both his life and Edmonton’s emerging queer community.
After leaving home, Ron moved into his first apartment with his best friend from high school. It was there that independence began to take root — a time of exploration, music, and late-night conversations about identity and belonging. Soon after, he found Edmonton’s first gay bar, a hidden space that offered connection and the promise of something larger than himself.
That discovery set him on a path of adventure. Ron joined a female impersonation revue, traveling across the Prairies as the troupe’s tech person. Life on the road opened his eyes to the artistry and resilience within drag performance — and to the chosen families built through laughter and performance in small-town bars and hotel ballrooms.
Returning to Edmonton, Ron became part of the staff at Flashback, the legendary nightclub that stood as a safe haven for the city’s 2SLGBTQ+ community through the 1970s and 1980s. Within its walls, he witnessed both the joy of liberation and the heartbreak that came with the AIDS crisis, as friends and colleagues were lost to a growing epidemic that reshaped the community forever.
In time, Ron sought peace and balance away from the city. He found it on a small farm near Tofield, a life chapter captured in the story “Loading Dock to Farm Pasture: The Annual Flashback to Tofield Migration.”
Part One captures the foundations of Ron’s journey — the courage to come out, the pull of community, and the unbreakable spirit that kept Edmonton’s queer history alive even through its hardest years.
Every community has its torchbearers — people whose strength, compassion, and authenticity light the way for others.
In Edmonton, one of those voices belongs to Scott Bryen — a respected leader, advocate, and mentor whose journey has helped shape the city’s queer and leather communities for more than four decades.
From the early days of organizing safe spaces for self-expression to building bridges between the leather, kink, and wider 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, Scott’s work has been rooted in visibility, respect, and belonging.
His story is one of courage — of challenging stereotypes, nurturing understanding, and ensuring that every person has a place to be fully themselves.
We celebrate Scott’s legacy — a legacy of community, education, and love — and the lasting mark he continues to leave on Edmonton’s evolving queer history.
For Part One please check out: https://yegqueerhistory.ca/scott-bryen-part-one
Every community has its torchbearers — people whose strength, compassion, and authenticity light the way for others.
In Edmonton, one of those voices belongs to Scott Bryen — a respected leader, advocate, and mentor whose journey has helped shape the city’s queer and leather communities for more than four decades.
From the early days of organizing safe spaces for self-expression to building bridges between the leather, kink, and wider 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, Scott’s work has been rooted in visibility, respect, and belonging.
His story is one of courage — of challenging stereotypes, nurturing understanding, and ensuring that every person has a place to be fully themselves.
We celebrate Scott’s legacy — a legacy of community, education, and love — and the lasting mark he continues to leave on Edmonton’s evolving queer history.
Watch Part One of Scott’s story with interviewer Murray Billett.
Duane Shave was a founding member and Empress of the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose (ISCWR) as well as Matriarch of All Alberta in the International Court System. We bring you the story of Duane Shave — better known onstage as Empress II, Chatty Cathy — a true pioneer in Edmonton’s performing arts and queer community history. As Edmonton’s longest-performing drag queen and a retired educator, Duane’s influence stretches far beyond the stage. His story is one of courage, compassion, and commitment, intersecting performance, teaching, activism, and community leadership.
From helping to found the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose (ISCWR) in the mid-1970s to being crowned Empress II, Duane has long been a central figure in Edmonton’s drag and LGBTQ2S+ community. He stepped into the role of Matriarch of All Alberta upon the passing of the Edmonton court’s founding Empress, and he continues to be a guiding presence in its operations.
In a time when public drag events were rare, Duane performed some of Edmonton’s first “public drag shows,” including at venues like Chez Pierre — spaces that welcomed queer expression in an often-hostile environment. Through his decades of performance, mentorship, and service, Duane has left a legacy that binds art, education, and activism together.
We invite you to listen closely as Duane Shave — Empress II, educator, advocate — shares the story of how a life on stage can also be a life of service, community, and transformation., a retired educator, and one of the first drag queens to perform publicly in the city, notably with Empress 1 Millie at the Pegasus nightclub and in the ISCWR’s elaborate Broadway-style drag shows, including Hello Dolly!.
This biopic tells the story of Marni Panas, a nationally recognized advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Marni has dedicated her life to advancing 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, healthcare equality, and creating safe, affirming spaces where everyone can be their authentic selves.
From her personal journey as a transgender woman to her leadership in organizations and communities across Canada, Marni’s story is one of courage, resilience, and hope.
🌈 Why This Story Matters
Marni’s work continues to inspire change—challenging stigma, building understanding, and showing what it means to lead with compassion.
👀 What You’ll Learn
Marni’s personal and professional journey
Her role in advancing human rights and healthcare inclusion
Queer History Month 2025 marks a special milestone for Rainbow Story Hub as we celebrate five remarkable community leaders who have shaped the 2SLGBTQIA+ movement over the past 55 years.
With generous support from the 47th Reign of the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose, we honour the profound contributions of these leaders—not only to Alberta’s longest-running 2SLGBTQIA+ organization, but also to the broader community they continue to cherish and serve.
Each story is shared through video, featuring the leaders in their own words, enriched by historic images that highlight their journeys and legacies.
After 7 long years, the Edmonton Pride Parade made its return — more colourful, and fabulous than ever before!
Thousands of 2SLGBTQ+ community members, allies, and supporters lined the streets as the Pride Parade made its way back to the streets of downtown Edmonton in a dazzling celebration of love, identity, and unity.
The 2025 Edmonton Pride Parade was lead by Edmonton’s first Trans Parade!
In celebration of Pride Month, Rainbow Story Hub and Metro Cinema are honored to host a special screening of the 1981 CBC documentary The Gay Straight Jacket—a poignant time capsule examining Edmonton’s queer community in the wake of the 1981 Pisces Spa raid.
Directed by CBC Edmonton Documentary, this 28-minute film delivers an unvarnished portrait of a tense yet pivotal period for 2SLGBTQ+ Edmontonians. Featuring intimate interviews with community members, clergy, and activists, as well as rare footage from queer venues like The Roost and Flashback II, the documentary offers a vital glimpse into early queer activism and resilience .
In this Gaywire Fundrive Special from 1999, Kristy Harcourt interviews Dan Savage about his work – his sex ed advice column, then-recently published book, Savage Love, and how one can stretch Canadian radio profanity guidelines– all while having a tea party, live on air, in HUB Mall on the North Campus of the University of Alberta. Listen to this piece of Edmonton Queer History today! Thanks to CJSR FM88 for allowing us to bring this unique audio episode out of the vaults.
Trevor Schmidt has never been one to play it safe. As the long-standing Artistic Director of Northern Light Theatre (NLT), he has spent more than two decades reshaping Edmonton’s theatre scene with daring, provocative, and emotionally charged productions. Whether through his original works, visionary direction, or collaborations with groundbreaking artists, Schmidt has made it his mission to challenge audiences while keeping independent theatre thriving.
Theodore (ted) Kerr’s journey as a queer writer, artist, and community organizer is a story of movement—across cities, disciplines, and generations. Unsure of where he will next call home given the current upheavals in Canada and the U.S., Kerr’s work on HIV/AIDS cultural production and queer storytelling is internationally recognized. Yet his foundation was built in Edmonton, Alberta, where a blend of suburban upbringing, grassroots activism, and artistic experimentation first shaped his path.
The space she creates is electric and rare. You don’t just learn how to write there; you learn how to live with integrity. You learn how to sit with pain, how to make something of it, how to recognize what you owe—to the past, to others, and to yourself. You learn that stories aren’t just art; they’re strategy.
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Rainbow Story Hub
Blazewing Photography
Ron Byers
Terrence Adams
Kyler Chittick
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