Vancouver’s Pride House, involved in Stephen Colbert’s latest antics, just happens to be located across the street from BC Liquors. Fitting, because with all these gay pride celebrations during the Olympics, it’s important to stay well stocked.
Above, gals Claire Squires and Sally Barton take us on a tour of the “You Gotta Be Out Here” event at the B.C.-Canada Pavilion, the gay pride event that went down with the blessing of Olympics officials. (Xtra has more from the party here.) It’s where Canadian homos and visiting queers could mingle and celebrate with Canada’s own 1992 Olympic gold medalist swimmer Mark Tewksbury. And other self-professed “swimmers bodies.”
Below, Butch takes us on a tour of Pride House and Vancouver’s Gay Village/West End, where we learn Canadian gay bars are strikingly similar to every other gay bar you’ve ever been to. Ever!
Wish you were here!
romeo
Been to gay bars in Canada and all over Europe, and they ARE all almost exactly the same. I think if an undiscovered tribe is finally found in the Amazon, its gay bars will be exactly the same, too. It’s genetic!
That Bitch Tea Delgado
It’s the clientele that tends to be different. I’ve found gay men in European gay bars to be friendlier and have less attitude than they do here in the States. Don’t know about Canada.
mark
My favorite gayborhood so far has been in montreal. Big fun friendly venues.
alan brickman
Montreal has the best….
JfC
EEEEE Mother Mother! Everyone that paid attention to the music, this is an excellent Vancouver based band and it needs more exposure.
EdWoody
The problem is that I live in Vancouver, I am gay and I work literally one block from the Art Gallery where this was held. And yet I never heard anything about this. I didn’t see it advertised in any of the gay papers, and I read all of them (hell, I write a column for one of them). There was next to no promotion for this event, and that is a problem that plagues too many events in this town. The people just don’t know how to push it.
rodrigo
GO CANADA!!<3
iVision4u
I encourage everyone to drop by the Whistler Olympic Pride house. I just interviewed Dean Nelson, the executive director of Pride House the other day. See it here and then take a virtual walk around pride house and Whister at http://blog.virtualwhistler.com/?p=344
Sam G
I met an Olympic athlete from a middle eastern country at one of the bars on Davie St. during the games. Won’t name the country as that would out him. Very friendly, a shame about his country’s attitudes on gay people.