Edmonton's 2SLGBTQ+ Heritage Through Community Storytelling
Edmonton's 2SLGBTQ+ Heritage Through Community Storytelling
Darrin HagenA collection of promo posters from 1984-1991 All artwork by Gloria, Twiggy, with occasional help from Iris. Archives digitized by Kevin Hendricks & Jim Bilodeau.
Darrin HagenA tribute to the many friends who lit up the Flashback stage. We miss you all. Emperor 10 of the ISCCA – Cardinal Sin Mr. Flashback 13 – Zola Sadie Yoda Empress 12 of the ISCWR – Ora Fice Tinoir Reena Sabrina Empress 9 of the ISCCA – Flora Tron Emperor 7 of the ISCWR – Sam Empress 1 of the ISCWR – Millie Joolz Prince 12 of the ISCWR – Perry Karen K. Empress 11 of the ISCWR – Beverly Crest Mz . Flashback 12 – Kim Burley Mz Flashback 4 – Bianca Bang Bang/Janie Marie/Lee Denning Mz.…
Darrin HagenOne of the most memorable and enduring Flashback personalities – larger than life!
Edmonton’s only Divine Approved Divine Impersonator – Sister Neon (Terrie Grieve)
Footage captured by John Reid or whoever was free to run camera.
VHS videos digitized by Jim Bilodeau.
Darrin HagenArchival 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 HagenDrag Legend Twiggy: Mz. Flashback 11, Entertainer of the Year VI, And Empress more times than one can count!
Ron ByersTwo lesbians and a drag queen bought a small farm near Tofield in the early 80’s. There they kept chickens, ducks, a pig, a cow and a horse named Africa – who became the Baroness Regent of Tofield. Then one weekend 350 people from Flashback and Edmonton’s LGBTQ+ community showed up to party.
Darrin HagenThe 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 HagenEvery once in a while, a queen is born. Whether through osmosis or immaculate misconception is still mostly a mystery, but they appear. Suddenly and without warning, a new pretender to the throne stands in front of you. Under the terms of the Sisterhood of Unrecognized Royalty, they all get their grab at the tiara at some point in their career. Darrin HagenThe Edmonton Queen: The Final Voyage – 2007 July 1982 a young man ventured out on his own with a few clothes, a love letter from an older (33) man and his accordion strapped to his back…
Darrin HagenFrom 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 HagenOne 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…
Chloe CamaraMost foundational LGBTQ+ organizations in our city were influenced by Liz Massiah, Edmonton’s lesbian community leader extraordinaire. From GALA to Womonspace, the AIDS Network of Edmonton, and the Liaison Committee, Liz was there for it all. Her steady head has worn many hats as a community leader, civil rights activist, social worker, and psychologist. Liz was an out lesbian when she moved to Alberta from Ontario in 1983 after graduating from Wilfrid Laurier University with her MSW. Like many lesbians of her time, she married a man before coming out later in life. Years earlier, she and her husband…
Nik ZemlakSonya Moyer is a 70+ year old Deaf queer woman from Medicine Hat. She discovered she was a lesbian while attending Gallaudet College in Washington D.C. Like many queer people in the 70s and 80s, she married a man to hide her sexual identity but the marriage did not last long and she moved back to Canada… “where her roots are.” After she returned, she found the love of her life, started to come out and found out something new about herself. She was kinky. As a Deaf person… connecting to the kink and queer communities has been difficult. When she was active in queer and kink community, finding other Deaf people in those communities was rare and most of the hearing people she met did not know sign language.
Gwen TonackIn the mid-seventies, Big Joey – who was born Janet Wilkeson – was a character slightly larger than life. Though she was a founding member of Club 70 as well as a huge supporter of Flashback, she is primarily remembered for her no-nonsense behaviour and the power of her physical presence. It may surprise you to know she was also a dog loving softie.
For some reason Joey and I were ‘roommates’ for a short time sharing a house with John Reid – a founding partner of Flashback. I think it was his house, located in a totally cute, blue-collar working-class neighbourhood in Edmonton.
Baker ParkFor years one of the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose’s annual events was Turnabout, the rare opportunity to catch traditionally male-presenting performers do female-presenting numbers, and traditionally female-presenting performers do male-presenting.
Baker ParkMay Long Weekend has been the home of a drag marathon for many years and at many venues: Boots, Junction and Evolution. Started originally by Rob Browatzke as a way of celebrating his birthday. Typically, these shows have been linked to a charity which in recent years has been mental health causes. This is a video montage of short clips of the performances and is from the Baker Park collection.
