Amanda Ayer and Kellie McCutcheon
From 1969-1989, there were very few areas in Hamilton where the gay and lesbian community could safely and comfortably meet and socialize with each other. Having a space to gather is incredibly important as spaces “allow 2SLGBTQ+ people to meet one another, form connections, and build community” (3). Not to say there were none, but “some men who spend their evenings here have grown disinterested in the local bar scene and don’t want to make a nightly journey to the gay bars and steam baths in Toronto.”1 In Hamilton, the handful of options of nightclubs, bars, and bathhouses included Club 121, The Warehouse Spa and Bath, The Werx and Billie’s Place (5). None of these establishments are open today.
There isn’t one unified reason why all of these nightclubs, bars and bathhouses closed, and it is not very well documented. Among the list of reasons for their closures are the safety of the patrons, who were threatened when “someone called the Hamilton Spectator threatening to blow up the bar which they referred to using the f****t slur, which resulted in the evacuation of patrons in both Billies and the Windsor” (5). The bathhouses were under incredible scrutiny by law enforcement who once “raided the Warehouse, ticketed several men, charged two others with indecent acts, and collected the information of many others who were there. The owner, Jamie Bursey, stated that because of the police raid, many patrons would not return, so his business is at risk of being shut down as a result. “(5) These acts of violence and discrimination, as well as the overall gentrification of Hamilton’s downtown core, resulted in the closure of these businesses.
Continue reading “Hamilton’s Only Gay Bar: An Exploration of the Loss of LGBTQ2SIA+ Spaces in the Steel City”