ANTIGONISH, N.S. (CUP) – Imagine the scene that occurs when an unsuspecting bar crowd sipping pints at the local pub is infiltrated by a hundred members of a guerrilla insurgency collectively clothed in plaid, stripes, or a vibrant shade of yellow, adding colour to an otherwise standard Friday night.
Patrons at several Halifax bars have witnessed this very event, watching on as a camouflaged crew enters en masse, swarming a typical downtown establishment.
The “insurgents” in question are members of Guerrilla GayFare Halifax (GGF), an LGBTQ group that plots secret monthly “takeovers” of local bars.
Inspired by the success of similar groups in cities throughout Canada and the United States, GGF launched its first takeover in February of 2008, targeting Tribeca, a popular nightclub in downtown Halifax.
More than 80 participants donning the night’s designated “camouflage” – red and pink clothing – attended the initial takeover.
With mention of “guerrillas,” “insurgencies,” and “camouflage,” one might envision GGF as a group of militant activists, but current chairperson, Joseph Stewart, says this definitely isn’t the case.
“I know it sounds a bit hostile, but it’s meant to be light-hearted and fun,” he explains. “It’s not meant to be controversial at all. We’re not trying to make a stance.”
What GGF is trying to do, Stewart says, is offer an alternative nightlife for the LGBTQ community in Halifax, which can often feel relegated to just a few bars.
“I know the gay movement for a long time has been keeping to itself, but it’s big enough now that we can explore other options,” he notes.
“(GGF) lets gay people know that we don’t fit a cookie-cutter mould,” he continues. “If you are gay, you can go out to a bar in north end Halifax and meet other gay people – you don’t have to go dancing at (local gay bar) Reflections.”
The group’s most recent takeovers have recruited up to a hundred people, creating quite a visual at the target bars when participants show up sporting the same colour clothing.
Since GGF’s inception, Halifax bars like The Split Crow, Maxwell’s Plum, Foggy Goggle and Bubbles Mansion have all experienced a takeover.
“We do bars, we do pubs, we do martini lounges,” says Stewart. “We try to find places that accommodate people who want to go to these events.”
While GGF’s takeovers can be read as an attempt to de-segregate the bar scene, Stewart notes that there are some who think takeovers of “straight bars” take away business from the city’s gay scene.
“I’ve had some complaints from people who say that we’re not supporting gay bars,” says Stewart. “But we only do this once a month.”
“It’s not against the gay scene at all. It’s just meant to be an alternative,” he assures.
Although Stewart posits the takeovers as light-hearted fun, he isn’t naïve about the risks of homophobic violence.
“We’re not ignorant to the fact that there could be violence in the future, but we definitely haven’t had it in the past,” he says, explaining that to his knowledge, GGF takeovers have never been accompanied by negative confrontations.
He views this success as mostly the result of strength in numbers.
“People who are more apt to cause violence are kept at bay because there are so many of us there,” he concludes.
GGF is currently plotting a Halloween takeover for a yet-to-be-disclosed Halifax location.
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