Update on Victoria Queer Spaces Through COVID

Even before COVID, queer spaces were having a hard time staying open. Now with a pandemic, many around the world have been forced to close permanently.

With so few queer spaces to begin with in Greater Victoria, losing any would represent a big loss. The most recognizable queer space over the last decade has been Paparazzi Nightclub which closed in March to follow provincial health guidelines. The club expects to remain closed until at least the fall, and most likely longer. When asked about the long-term future of the club, owner Attilla Bassett said it was “grim.”

Moving Online
Many groups that create queer space through focused events have moved online during the pandemic. AIDS Vancouver Island (AVI) has moved their regular Queerabilities meetings online and increased the frequency to weekly. AVI also has a survey available for what the community would like to see from them during Victoria Pride Week.

The Health Initiative for Men has launched a number of weekly online events open to those across BC. UVic Pride has launched a casual meeting for self-identifying queer and questioning students. Queer Crafternoon is now meeting online as well. The 2-Spirit, Queer, & Trans Youth Drop-In recently launched Queerly Connected for 2SLGBTQ+ youth.

New Queer Space Set to Open
As pubs and restaurants are opening, Victoria will be getting a new queer pub. While the Vicious Poodle was nearly ready to open just as COVID hit, Owner Socrates Dimert now has a new opening date of June 13.

“We are boldly going forward,” said Dimert, who added that he has been overwhelmed by the community’s response so far.

“The vision from the beginning was a friendly gaybourhood pub for the community. But the vibe is created by the people and we want to let the community dictate which way it goes.”

With a half capacity of 35 seats, the pub is hoping to soon host regular drag shows featuring local artists, assuming everything can be done safely.

 

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