The arrest for “gross indecency” and the indefinite imprisonment of Everett Klippert as an “incurable homosexual” and “dangerous sexual offender” caused much shock and outrage. It was a time of growing change and demand in Canada, and the prairies were no exception. However, they acknowledged that some members wanted to be more involved in the burgeoning gay and lesbian liberation movement. Queer life on the prairies was often harder and different than in the big city metropolises and that is reflected in how social spaces were created and the community organized amidst active resistance.Ĭlub 70’s focus was always meant to serve as a safe and social gathering space for Edmonton’s gay and lesbian community.
In Edmonton, they found the back of the Mayfair Tavern to be “very swishy queen and hard-drinking butch,” while Club 70 was “all gay and very private.” Historian Liz Millward has written how “judgmental statements reveal more about the authors than the people they encountered” and “one can only speculate that the ‘two dykes on a bike’ were young, anti-corporate, and distanced themselves from the ‘hard drinking butch’ category.” While the “two dykes” assessment of gay bars across Canada was far from unbiased, it did provide “information for other women who might travel to the same location, or even for those who lived locally but had not visited a particular venue.” From the past to present, LGBTQ2 Edmontonians are used to being misjudged and overlooked by people and pundits from larger cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. In July 1971, the Montreal-based magazine Long Time Coming ran an article called “Two Dykes on a Bike,” in which two lesbians travelled by motorcycle (and later train) across Canada, reporting on their experiences in gay bars. Given Club 70’s membership that ranged between 300 and 400 people, the club’s openness to having both gay and lesbian members and their guests present speaks to the importance of the club for Edmonton’s growing gay and lesbian community and allies. In an article she wrote, which was later reprinted in Club ’70 News, Plaumann argued that it was unwise for clubs to “split into even smaller groups” as an “unwanted minority.” Clubs that included both men and women were richer in their entertainment offerings and could provide a more diverse perspective on issues affecting the community. The club permitted entry only to gays and lesbians, with those members who brought straight guests being subject to a 30-day suspension of their membership and a fine.īarb Plaumann, who was Assistant Editor of the Carousel Capers in Calgary, lamented that many gay clubs at the time were officially segregated by gender. Club 70 also organized and hosted many different shows and performances, with casting calls frequently advertised in their Club 70 newsletter. In addition to their regular open nights on Wednesdays and the weekends, Club 70 hosted several special community events open to members and non-members, such as a Hawaiian Night in September 1971 and annual Halloween and New Year’s Eve celebrations. Club 70 was required to apply for permits monthly, with police routinely entering the club on “dry nights” to ensure no liquor was being served.
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It truly was a community venue that needed everyone to pitch in to help it not only thrive but survive.Īt the time, obtaining a liquor license was a complicated process. For example, those members with experience in renovations were asked to help paint the club, and those who knew something about music helped with sound technology. To help maintain regular operations over the years, the club relied heavily on its members for much-needed support. Upon finding a new, more permanent home, Club 70 relocated to 10242-106th Street. Having club member names made public could have meant losing a person’s job, family, reputation, or worse. Since membership information, including the names and addresses of club patrons, was stored in the basement, a few dedicated club members broke in through a window to retrieve the club records and ensure none of the private membership information would be misused or exposed. Some places like the King Edward Hotel, as well as the Corona, Mayfair, and Royal George Hotels, tolerated same-sex patrons so long as they were quiet and unsuspecting.Ĭlub 70 was initially located in the basement of a Greek restaurant on the southeast corner of 101st Street and 106th Avenue, but the club’s presence there was short-lived after the owner discovered the “type of club” it was and demanded Club 70 vacate the premises. Before Club 70, members of Edmonton’s LGBTQ2 community often gathered together clandestinely in houses, apartments, parks, tea rooms (public bathrooms) and other fugitive spaces to find friends, relationships, and spaces of safety.