12/29/2023 0 Comments Silverback tattoo gainesville flIn terms of mainstream success, University Club has been the starting point for numerous famous drag performers. “There have been a lot more queens as well, so I think UC is becoming a foundation for a lot of people who want to get into drag as well.” “More people are going now - whether that’s because UF is becoming a more queer-inclusive space or just that more people are finding out about UC, and people aren’t as scared to talk openly about it,” she said. Like D’Addario, frequenting UC since the Spring semester of sophomore year, Swarthman has noticed a change in the club’s clientele since entering the scene. So, not just cismen dressing in drag - women dress up in drag, too.” “From what I’ve seen, every show is different, every show brings a unique vibe, and that’s created by the queens,” she said. Having attended her first drag show in summer 2021, Swarthman has seen the product of Gainesville’s drag evolution. The lineup of five queens, including her former retail manager and horror queen J’adore Boheme LaGore, enamored Swarthman and her friends as they flipped, kicked, danced and lip-synched to songs backed by pop artists like Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato. The last time Sydney “Squid” Swarthman, administrative assistant for Pride Student Union, enjoyed an evening at UC was for her best friend's birthday in January. However, despite the impact the city has on her capacity to feel safe as a queer individual, the line between queer and straight spaces has become more and more blurred as clubs like UC foster the growth of cisgender, heterosexual patronage. “Moving to Gainesville and actually seeing queerness for the first time was really instrumental in my development as a queer person,” she said. Since that night, D’Addario knew Gainesville would finally allow her the space to express her sexual identity. “The performance was amazing - super high energy.” “I do remember the full reveal moment,” she said, remembering how the drag performers changed from glowing gowns to tight unitards in Fall 2017. Jianna D’Addario, a 22-year-old psychology senior, attended her first gay club and drag show at University Club since living in conservative Panama City, Florida. Drag queens of all experience levels are eligible to participate, Spangler said. ![]() To highlight new talent, the nightclub hosts talent nights on the last Wednesday of the month and its annual Miss UC Newcomer Pageant. Now, University Club has drag shows hosted by different local drag queens almost every night of the week. Her Thursday night “Pussycat Cabaret” comedy show was particularly popular with sorority girls, Spangler said.Įventually, the success of Pearl’s shows led to the decision to host more weekly drag shows. University Club continues to use its platform to combat the stigma surrounding AIDS and support the local queer community by providing HIV testing information inside the nightclub in collaboration with The Unspoken Treasure Society, a foundation that aims to support transgender communities.įrom then on, Pearl started hosting weekly themed drag shows at University Club. In 1991, Pearl went to Spangler with the idea to organize a drag show and AIDS benefit - drawing a huge crowd and raising roughly $10,000 for the North Central Florida AIDS Network. UF fraternities used to throw glass bottles at the club’s back entrance.ĭuring the ’90s AIDS crisis, LGBTQ+ organizations commonly paid tribute to those who died from the virus through fundraisers. ![]() “Everyone will tell me when they come through town: ‘Thanks for creating a safe space for us for all these years,’” Spangler said.Īs LGBTQ+ people still faced frequent violence and discrimination within their communities in the ’90s, there were regular attacks on University Club after it first opened. Mark Spangler, co-owner of University Club, opened the bar in April 1990 because he wanted to create an environment where queer people could be themselves, he said. It’s widely recognized as the heart of Gainesville’s LGBTQ+ nightlife.Īlthough Gainesville is largely known for Gator Nation and its natural beauty, in the city lives a thriving and historically rich LGBTQ+ nightlife scene, with University Club and the growing local drag scene as its anchors. ![]() The downtown nightclub, located at 18 E University Ave, became Gainesville’s first gay club after opening its doors more than 30 years ago.
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