What Happened at Joe's Cafe? Exploring Vancouver's Lesbian Past

Join Mekeil Wilson and El Chenier for an exploration of one of the most significant and controversial events in Vancouver's lesbian history: the 1990 protest and decades-long boycott of Joe's Cafe.

Ever since the early 1980s, Joe's Cafe on Commercial Drive offered a welcoming environment for local lesbians who shared space with artists, activists, and local residents. In September 1990, however, cafe owner Joe Atunes kicked out two women for kissing, and thus began a series of events that changed the lesbian community forever. Tonight we present our preliminary research findings, invite those who were there to share their stories, and those who weren't to learn and ask new questions about our very queer past.

Doors at 6:30, presentation and conversation starts at 7.