After the Pisces Bathhouse Raid: A Reflection on the 40th Anniversary

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After the Pisces Bathhouse Raid: A Reflection on the 40th Anniversary

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.

After the Pisces Bathhouse Raid: John Kerr – Dance for Gramma

Darrin Hagen

In the years before John Reid launched his career as owner of Flashback, Edmonton’s first gay disco, he worked cleaning…

After the Pisces Bathhouse Raid: Michael Phair – LGBTQ2S+ Activist and Community Leader

Darrin Hagen

As of this writing, Michael is one of the few men charged as a “found-in” to speak publicly on the…

After the Pisces Bathhouse Raid: Dr. Henri Toupin – Dignity in the Eye of the Storm

Darrin Hagen

Henri Toupin was born in Legal, Alberta, on March 15, 1923. He acquired his B.Sc. in 1947 from the University…

After the Pisces Bathhouse Raid: Millie – I’m Number One

Darrin Hagen

Paul Chisholm’s first contact with another gay man occurred as he hitchhiked out of Saskatchewan in the late 1960s. Legend…

The Pisces Bathhouse Raid: Igniting Four Decades of Activism

Darrin Hagen

After the Pisces Health Spa opened in Edmonton in 1978, word spread quickly that it was the best-kept gay bathhouse…