After more than 50 years of dreaming, Calgary's first dedicated 2SLGBTQIA+ community centre is opening its doors on June 29. The Calgary Rainbow Room, located off 11th Street S.W., will provide a permanent gathering space beyond bars and nightlife venues, which have traditionally served as the community's meeting spots.
A Dream Realized After Decades
The vision dates back to 1970, when community pioneer Lois Szabo first imagined a permanent gathering place for Calgary's gay community. Now, the End of the Rainbow Foundation is making that dream a reality. “Fifty years of people like Lois Szabo and others that have really asked or tried to get together a community center, it’s a big deal,” said Kelly Ernst, president of the foundation. “A lot of people are very excited. We literally have three hundred people signed up for our opening.”
Services and Programs Offered
The centre will offer a wide range of services, including peer-support groups, sexual health education, tax clinics, and refugee support. “If you look at queer spaces in Calgary, a lot of it right now is just bars,” said Kerry Rasmussen, service centre lead. “So having a place where they can come in and actually have a conversation and laugh, these spaces are really important for that.”
The goal, Rasmussen added, is to act as a directory connecting Calgarians with organizations and support they need. Several local organizations are already tenants: Calgary Outlink, La Cité des Rocheuses, Rainbow Elders Calgary, the Centre Edge, the Centre for Newcomers, and the Calgary Men’s Chorus. Plans include opening the space to more organizations based on community needs.
A Safe Space for All
Beyond formal programming, the centre is designed as a safe space where people can simply exist without judgement. It features a small living room with colourful beanbags, a craft room with supplies, and a 2SLGBTQIA+-specific library. “When we’re living in a time where things are coming off of library shelves and books are being banned, this will still give people choice in literature,” Rasmussen said.
While cities like Montreal and Toronto have established 2SLGBTQIA+ villages, Calgary has lacked such dedicated spaces. Ernst noted that the Beltline area is the unofficial gay community, but the new centre marks a historic milestone. “The people are going to dictate what we do in here,” Rasmussen said. “We don’t want to do something that somebody else is already doing … How can we work together to fill the gaps and really just be the best for this community?”
