Sex & Society

Montreal's red light district is about to get an unwanted visitor, and the queer community is afraid it could mean the end of their beloved burlesque strip club. Café Cleopatra, the oldest show bar in town, faces demolition in order to make room for a 12-storey office building and retail shops. And if it goes, many people who don't quite fit societal norms will be displaced.

"We have room for the alternative, the different. For the people [who] want to express himself or herself differently. Especially the transvestites, the transsexuals," club owner Zoumboulakis said.

The demolition is part of the city's plan to expand Quartier des Spectacles, the city's arts district. And even though the arts community would certainly benefit from increasing the real estate of a popular tourist area, many artists, along with queer activists and academics, argue the historic bar should be saved.

Playing hard ball, the city threatened to expropriate the land if Café Cleopatra did't sell to the developer. [more]

Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay said, "We've consulted everyone [about city projects] but we're not going to stop because a minority says it might affect certain things that are important to Montreal."

Emilie Laliberté of Stella, a Montreal group run by and for sex workers, says the city must take into consideration the strippers, queers and sex workers who interact within the space everyday.

"They didn't even ask the people who have been living there for years. This issue is about gentrification," says Emilie Laliberté, who represents support group Stella for sex workers.

Velma Candyass, founder of the Dead Doll Dancers cabaret act, added: "Forget the morals of whether or not it's a strip club — it's a business. Café Cleo just really reflects the neo-burlesque aesthetic."

A vote by city councillors is pending a final report on the new plans. It's always easier for cities to bulldoze the opposition than to legislate morals. We just thought Montreal was better than this!

Coalition organizes to save legacy of Montreal's red light district [Xtra]