After the Pisces Bathhouse Raid: John Kerr – Dance for Gramma
In the years before John Reid launched his career as owner of Flashback, Edmonton’s first gay disco, he worked cleaning…
Early in the morning on May 30, 1981, the Pisces Health Spa was raided by RCMP and Edmonton Police. Fifty-six men were arrested for being “found-ins” in a “common bawdy house,” and three were charged with being “keepers of a common bawdy house.” The subsequent court proceedings, media coverage, and ensuing activism had an enormous impact on Edmonton’s LGBTQ2S+ community and the individuals involved.
On the 40th anniversary of the raid, award-winning playwright, author, and LGBTQ historian Darrin Hagen reflects on the event and captures the emotional personal stories of some of the men involved.
Darrin Hagen
In the years before John Reid launched his career as owner of Flashback, Edmonton’s first gay disco, he worked cleaning…
Darrin Hagen
As of this writing, Michael is one of the few men charged as a “found-in” to speak publicly on the…
Darrin Hagen
Henri Toupin was born in Legal, Alberta, on March 15, 1923. He acquired his B.Sc. in 1947 from the University…
Darrin Hagen
Paul Chisholm’s first contact with another gay man occurred as he hitchhiked out of Saskatchewan in the late 1960s. Legend…
Darrin Hagen
After the Pisces Health Spa opened in Edmonton in 1978, word spread quickly that it was the best-kept gay bathhouse…