8×6 & Villa69: QUEER THIS SPACE.
This morning, I got a tour of the brand new 8×6 club that opened up in Vancouver. Previously, I knew zero things about this club. Now, I have some answers!
(Note: For all photos below, keep in mind that I was taking these pictures during off-hours with the lights on. The club is usually much darker.)
What is Villa69?
In short: it’s a sexy party for all genders.
From Villa69.0rg:
We are a growing group of members who are interested in having sexual pleasures amongst consenting adults. If you’re looking to enjoy fun with other people of the opposite sex or same sex or gender building friends, then this is the group for you!
Our group welcomes straight / bi men & women, CD and transgender who are enjoying a non bias environment where everyone is able to share moments of pleasure and good conversation.
Please, be respectful and non judgmental, this is a secret of successful play party. If you are first time to attend this kind of party, please read our info page and if you have any questions send us an email.
First Party: Wednesday, September 11 @ 8pm
If you like to attend, send your request to info@villa69.org registration is mandatory.
RATING: Selective
VIBE: No attitude
TIME: 8pm to 2am
CROWD: Varies
AGES: 20s-50s
FEE: Men $15, Couple $20, Women/CD/Transgender $5 (also: anyone who mentions me by name will get in for $5)
SS/BB: Safe Sex
SPACE: Private Club
SUPPLIES: Condom/lube
FREQUENCY: Every Wednesday
LIGHTING: Mood lighting with some dark corners
GETTING IN:1775 Haro St. (Haro @ Denman)
Front door, next to the patio of True Confection on Haro.
Why do I need to register?
This club is usually open to men only, but the owner would like to cut down on the numbers of single, non-trans* men in the space in order to help the women/trans* guests feel more like it is their space for the evening. This is also why the cover for single men is higher.
Upper floor. Less party space; this is where the check-in desk and a mini-cinema are.
Who is normally in this space?
This club is open on the weekends for gay men. For more info about 8×6′s usual nights, visit 8×6.ca.
An open play area.
Who is throwing this event? Why?
This event is being thrown by the venue owner, Petar. He is the former owner of the M2M Playspace, and had opened up that space to the sTeam Collective for a series of all-genders bathhouse events. 8×6 is the club he has opened up since M2M closed down, and he has stated that he misses having all-genders events in his venues.
Seating and porn-playing screen, in front of gloryholes and emergency exit.
Is the sTeam Collective collaborating with him on this party? Will there be members of our community on staff or volunteering?
No, this is entirely 8×6′s initiative. I am helping Petar promote this event to a queer audience that he does not have the same access to, and I will be present in the space as an attendee. However, there will be no Buddy System in effect, or DMs on staff at this time. (My hope for the future is that if this event takes off within the queer community, a Buddy System can be put in place at this party. This time around, there was not enough prep time to organize volunteers.)
A portion of play space. There is a sling hiding in the shadows in the back.
How is this similar/different to M2M and the sTeam Bathhouse parties?
a) This space is an after-hours club, not a bathhouse. There will be no steam room or showers, but there will be more seating, gloryholes, and some dungeon equipment.
b) This event is clothing-optional. Lockers are available for an extra $2 if you would like to lock up your clothing/belongings; however, nudity is not required by any means. (Fucking is also totally not required, by the way. Come hang out!)
c) ID will be checked at the door only for age verification. No names/information will be recorded.
d) The venue is all one open space, with some mini-walls here and there for privacy. There are no private rooms available for rent.
e) Like at M2M, condoms and lube will be provided around the space for free. Gloves and dams are not currently provided.
Lockers available for $2.
Will there be alcohol served/allowed in the venue?
No. There will be a bar selling water, Red Bull and pop, but this space is not currently licensed. No drugs or alcohol are permitted in the space.
A glimpse at the bar, stocked with water and pop.
Are ins-and-outs allowed? I want to be able to smoke!
Yes, you will receive a ticket stub upon entry. As long as you hang onto that, you can come and go as you please. Smokers, please cross the street to do your business – this club is quite new, and it is not in their best interest to have a rowdy crowd right outside their doorway.
Entry/exit door, at the base of the stairs from the upper level.
Is the space accessible?
Surprisingly, YES. The main party space is downstairs; however, there is a back entrance through the parking lot. The parking lot is private, so Petar/staff must be flagged down to raise the gate.
I did not expect the space to be accessible at all, so I didn’t bother bringing my tape measure or a full audit. But I did ensure that there was an accessible bathroom stall available.
There are two bathroom stalls. One is wheelchair accessible.
I can’t make it tonight. When will this be happening again?
Petar’s goal is to turn this into a weekly Wednesday event. Frankly, I’m a bit skeptical about having a good turnout that frequently, but this is the first party of its kind in the space (which is only a couple of months old in itself), and now is the time to fucking CLAIM THAT SHIT. Petar says that he wants as much feedback from the community as possible, and that he would like to build this into a party that we will truly love and feel is our own.
I was recently talking to a clever n’ kinky femme friend about the lack of non-male cruising space in Vancouver, and she stated the following:
“…The lived reality is that: cruising is hard. Need space! Found space? Fill space! Cruise space.”
In true bathhouse fashion, there is a wall of gloryholes.
This is what we absolutely need to do with 8×6. Vancouver queers, you want Space? Yes, the gay community has money and privilege, and they have just extended a hand to us to create our own badass hedonistic party out of a venue we could never afford ourselves. This is our opportunity to either work with them to build the space, or reject it and end up right back where we started.
There might be some creeps there. The music might be awful. Honestly, someone dumb might refer to you with the “T” word while trying to flirt with you. It might not be perfect…yet. But to take over the space and make it our own, we need a queer swarm to lock it down.
Let’s QUEER IT.