Q Nightclub needs help to keep its doors open
Facing financial hardship in light of the COVID -19 pandemic, Regina’s only gay and lesbian nightclub is asking the community for help.
The nightclub, which is run by the Gay & Lesbian Community of Regina (GLCR), has posted a Gofundme and is seeking to raise $25,000 to cover expenses incurred during the pandemic. Although the club was able to reopen this week under Phase 3 of the government’s plan, club president Cory Oxelgren said the months spent shut down depleted the money it had in reserve.
Oxelgren said the club was already operating on a “shoestring budget” before the pandemic, but had reached a good place financially, and was in the process of undergoing renovations.
After closing its doors when COVID-19 hit, the club was still faced with operating expenses of approximately $8,000 a month.
“After three months it ate up our savings,” said Oxelgren.
He said things would be pretty tight if the club was unable to raise the money, but he’s confident the community will have Q’s back.
“We’ve done other things in the past where we’ve gotten into a dicey situation and were able to move forward, so we believe that we’ll be able to do this in the end.
“So that’s why we did the Gofundme,
because we thought our members will come through and help us out, and they are,” said Oxelgren. As of Tuesday, the fundraiser had reached $4,727.
The club is much more than just a bar. Oxelgren said it has evolved over the years into a community centre.
Since 1972, the GLCR has provided a safe space for members of the LGBTQ+ community to gather. The club was originally founded in a clandestine fashion because of intolerance. It later purchased a house on Smith Street before arriving at its current location at 2070 Broad St.
Oxelgren said the club has also become an important safe haven for members of the transgender community to gather and socialize.
The club’s basement has also been a venue for numerous fundraisers. He estimated tens of thousands of dollars have been raised in the building for different causes.
“Even though a gay person or a lesbian can go to other bars in the city and feel rather safe, it’s still a place that they can go that they can call their home. And that’s what we’ve been for many, many years,” said Oxelgren.