Fletcher Kent
If the most important moments of life are burned into our memories, Michael Phair clearly demonstrates the importance of May 30, 1981.
© Supplied to Global News Edmonton police photographed Michael Phair during the May 30, 1981 bathhouse raid.
The LGBTQ activist and former city councillor sits in a downtown park named after him recounting, in great detail, the day he and 55 other gay men were arrested in a bathhouse raid.
"I was there," says Phair, who described the raid as "crazy, scary and frightening all at the same time."
Phair remembers every tiny moment. He describes sitting in a TV room at 'Pisces Spa' with a few other men. He was watching the Spokane news.
"All of a sudden, there was a rush, lights went on. There was a rush of people running down the hallway," he said.
"It took me a minute to realize it was police and they had video cameras and lights. One of them came into the TV room where there were three or four of us watching TV and yelled, 'Don't move. This is a raid. Stay right where you are.'"
Phair says he was shocked and afraid.
"I didn't know if this is a first step to going to prison or whatever."
He remembers being "herded towards the front and photos were taken of each of us with our names."
As this was all happening, Phair remembers wondering why there was so much attention paid to the men at Pisces.
"What was it about us that was so significant?"
The Pisces Spa was a bathhouse used by gay men. On May 30, 1981, 56 men were arrested after nearly 50 officers stormed the spa.
Police had been watching the building for months. Undercover officers infiltrated the club and gathered intelligence for police prior to the raid.
The men were charged with being found in a common bawdy house. The term refers to a place where prostitution or indecent acts occur. There was never any evidence of prostitution taking place in the spa.
All 56 were loaded into vans and taken to the courthouse for 5 a.m. court appearances.
Phair pleaded not guilty. The charge galvanized him. He fought back. He was eventually convicted but an appeal court overturned that conviction.
Read more: Canadian police chiefs issue formal apology for 1968 stance on homosexuality
While Phair says he can still clearly remember every detail of that night, it's critical others do as well.
"I think it's significant to understand what oppression of a particular group can lead to."
Writer Darrin Hagen is also trying to keep these difficult memories alive. He's researching what happened and plans to write a play and a book about it.
"This anniversary is a brilliant opportunity to reflect on what happened 40 years ago and to wonder how we can treat each other better," says Hagen.
Hagen was a 17 year-old gay man in 1981. He was living in Rocky Mountain House and preparing to move to Edmonton.
The Pisces raid rattled him. He's still trying to understand its true impact on Edmonton's LGBTQ community.
"I had no real idea of the impact it had on the community because the community was trying to move past what they had experienced."
Hagen notes Phair was talking about it. Others did not. They could not.
The raid became front-page news and the men who were arrested were demonized during their trials. The Crown prosecutor told court the spa allowed gay men "to rut like animals."
That attention traumatized many of the men who were arrested. In his research, Hagen has no doubt what the attention brought many of them.
"Shame," says Hagen. "The shame of what the city did to them. The shame of what they went through for no reason."
Hagen says the raid was an important moment in Edmonton history that must be remembered.
"Lives were ruined. Reputations were shattered. Jobs were lost. Families were broken up. Edmonton needs to be able to reconcile its past."
"I'm in mourning right now for the lives they could have led, the contributions they could've made to Edmonton society that they never got to make because their dignity was assaulted in such a demeaning and pointless way."
In 2019, Edmonton police chief Dale McFee issued an apology to Edmonton's LGBTQ community for actions that included the 1981 raid.
Read more: ‘Our actions caused pain’: Edmonton police chief apologizes to LGBTQ2 community on behalf of EPS
“To the members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and two-spirit community — both across our public and within our service — on behalf of the Edmonton Police Service, I am sorry and we are sorry,” said McFee in the May 2019 apology.
“Our actions caused pain. They eroded trust. They created fear."
Phair says a lot has changed in the last 40 years. For that, he is grateful. But he vows to keep talking about every detail of those painful moments that are forever etched into his memory.
He feels he has to.
"It reminds one of the authority and power of a police force," says Phair.
"It's important it not disappear. I don't want anyone to have to live though it again. Once for a group is quite enough."
The LGBTQ activist and former city councillor sits in a downtown park named after him recounting, in great detail, the day he and 55 other gay men were arrested in a bathhouse raid.
"I was there," says Phair, who described the raid as "crazy, scary and frightening all at the same time."
Phair remembers every tiny moment. He describes sitting in a TV room at 'Pisces Spa' with a few other men. He was watching the Spokane news.
"All of a sudden, there was a rush, lights went on. There was a rush of people running down the hallway," he said.
"It took me a minute to realize it was police and they had video cameras and lights. One of them came into the TV room where there were three or four of us watching TV and yelled, 'Don't move. This is a raid. Stay right where you are.'"
Phair says he was shocked and afraid.
"I didn't know if this is a first step to going to prison or whatever."
He remembers being "herded towards the front and photos were taken of each of us with our names."
As this was all happening, Phair remembers wondering why there was so much attention paid to the men at Pisces.
"What was it about us that was so significant?"
The Pisces Spa was a bathhouse used by gay men. On May 30, 1981, 56 men were arrested after nearly 50 officers stormed the spa.
Police had been watching the building for months. Undercover officers infiltrated the club and gathered intelligence for police prior to the raid.
The men were charged with being found in a common bawdy house. The term refers to a place where prostitution or indecent acts occur. There was never any evidence of prostitution taking place in the spa.
All 56 were loaded into vans and taken to the courthouse for 5 a.m. court appearances.
Phair pleaded not guilty. The charge galvanized him. He fought back. He was eventually convicted but an appeal court overturned that conviction.
Read more: Canadian police chiefs issue formal apology for 1968 stance on homosexuality
While Phair says he can still clearly remember every detail of that night, it's critical others do as well.
"I think it's significant to understand what oppression of a particular group can lead to."
Writer Darrin Hagen is also trying to keep these difficult memories alive. He's researching what happened and plans to write a play and a book about it.
"This anniversary is a brilliant opportunity to reflect on what happened 40 years ago and to wonder how we can treat each other better," says Hagen.
Hagen was a 17 year-old gay man in 1981. He was living in Rocky Mountain House and preparing to move to Edmonton.
The Pisces raid rattled him. He's still trying to understand its true impact on Edmonton's LGBTQ community.
"I had no real idea of the impact it had on the community because the community was trying to move past what they had experienced."
Hagen notes Phair was talking about it. Others did not. They could not.
The raid became front-page news and the men who were arrested were demonized during their trials. The Crown prosecutor told court the spa allowed gay men "to rut like animals."
That attention traumatized many of the men who were arrested. In his research, Hagen has no doubt what the attention brought many of them.
"Shame," says Hagen. "The shame of what the city did to them. The shame of what they went through for no reason."
Hagen says the raid was an important moment in Edmonton history that must be remembered.
"Lives were ruined. Reputations were shattered. Jobs were lost. Families were broken up. Edmonton needs to be able to reconcile its past."
"I'm in mourning right now for the lives they could have led, the contributions they could've made to Edmonton society that they never got to make because their dignity was assaulted in such a demeaning and pointless way."
In 2019, Edmonton police chief Dale McFee issued an apology to Edmonton's LGBTQ community for actions that included the 1981 raid.
Read more: ‘Our actions caused pain’: Edmonton police chief apologizes to LGBTQ2 community on behalf of EPS
“To the members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and two-spirit community — both across our public and within our service — on behalf of the Edmonton Police Service, I am sorry and we are sorry,” said McFee in the May 2019 apology.
“Our actions caused pain. They eroded trust. They created fear."
Phair says a lot has changed in the last 40 years. For that, he is grateful. But he vows to keep talking about every detail of those painful moments that are forever etched into his memory.
He feels he has to.
"It reminds one of the authority and power of a police force," says Phair.
"It's important it not disappear. I don't want anyone to have to live though it again. Once for a group is quite enough."
'Shattered lives': A look at Edmonton police raid of Pisces Spa bathhouse four decades later
Dylan Short
Four decades have passed since dozens of gay men were arrested during a raid at Edmonton’s Pisces Health Spa, charged and outed to the broader community, changing their lives completely
.
© Provided by Edmonton Journal Ron Byers, community leader and storyteller, poses for a photo with a Pride flag at Evolution Wonderlounge at 10220 103 St. in Edmonton on Saturday, May 29, 2021. The nightclub opened on Sept. 13, 2013. Byers and others are marking the 40th anniversary of the Pisces Spa bathhouse raid.
Fifty-six men and six employees were arrested under bawdy house laws when 40 Edmonton police, seven RCMP officers and two attorneys raided the bathhouse on May 30, 1981.
Ron Byers, a member of Edmonton’s LGBTQ community and a queer historian, said he had planned to be at Pisces the night of the raid to celebrate a friend’s birthday. He said the ensuing treatment of those charged by law enforcement, the courts and the media was cruel and has left many still unable to talk about their experiences.
“That raid shattered lives, literally, because it wasn’t just gay people that were there. There were straight people there, there were people who were questioning their sexuality. There were people who, to this day, they still consider themselves straight,” said Byers.
Following the raid, the so-called found-ins were taken to a 5 a.m. court hearing where a judge and prosecutors were waiting for them. The ensuing court cases garnered significant media attention. Many of those charged had their names plastered across TV screens, radio broadcasts and newspapers.
The treatment they received was harsh compared to others found in other types of bawdy houses, said Byers. At that time, the justice system would typically shield the names of men who were found paying for prostitutes.
The men charged for being at Pisces were not given such treatment. Byers believes several attacks on gay men the following fall were a direct result of having their names plastered across the news
Fifty-six men and six employees were arrested under bawdy house laws when 40 Edmonton police, seven RCMP officers and two attorneys raided the bathhouse on May 30, 1981.
Ron Byers, a member of Edmonton’s LGBTQ community and a queer historian, said he had planned to be at Pisces the night of the raid to celebrate a friend’s birthday. He said the ensuing treatment of those charged by law enforcement, the courts and the media was cruel and has left many still unable to talk about their experiences.
“That raid shattered lives, literally, because it wasn’t just gay people that were there. There were straight people there, there were people who were questioning their sexuality. There were people who, to this day, they still consider themselves straight,” said Byers.
Following the raid, the so-called found-ins were taken to a 5 a.m. court hearing where a judge and prosecutors were waiting for them. The ensuing court cases garnered significant media attention. Many of those charged had their names plastered across TV screens, radio broadcasts and newspapers.
The treatment they received was harsh compared to others found in other types of bawdy houses, said Byers. At that time, the justice system would typically shield the names of men who were found paying for prostitutes.
The men charged for being at Pisces were not given such treatment. Byers believes several attacks on gay men the following fall were a direct result of having their names plastered across the news
.
© Ian Kucerak An original Pisces Spa card owned by Ron Byers is shown on Saturday, May 29, 2021. Byers and others are marking the 40th anniversary of the Pisces Spa bathhouse raid. Ian Kucerak/Postmedia
One of the men charged during the raid was Michael Phair, who went on to plead not guilty. He was convicted, but then appealed, had his record scrubbed and eventually went on to hold public office.
He said the way he and the others were treated in the courts and in the media, being called “animals” and berated by lawyers, led to some of the men leaving the city for good while others lost their jobs.
“The kinds of comments that were made, particularly during the court cases, were particularly damaging to most individuals,” said Phair. “Talking about running like animals, I think was, was horrible and I’ll never forget.”
Despite the trauma and pain that it caused, Phair said the incident also shone a spotlight on the treatment of the LGBTQ community. He said many people at the time felt sending dozens of police officers into a bathhouse and tying up the courts with charges was a waste of money, especially since those charges did not include any prostitution, drugs or weapon offences.
He said it led to push-back against mistreatment. The broader community called for LGBTQ Edmontonians to be treated fairly.
The shutdown was the accumulation of an undercover investigation and led to all 56 people being convicted.
Two years ago, Edmonton police Chief Dale McFee issued a formal apology to Edmonton’s LGBTQ community for the way they were treated, including during the famous raid. Several people who were charged in the raid were in attendance to hear McFee speak.
One of the men charged during the raid was Michael Phair, who went on to plead not guilty. He was convicted, but then appealed, had his record scrubbed and eventually went on to hold public office.
He said the way he and the others were treated in the courts and in the media, being called “animals” and berated by lawyers, led to some of the men leaving the city for good while others lost their jobs.
“The kinds of comments that were made, particularly during the court cases, were particularly damaging to most individuals,” said Phair. “Talking about running like animals, I think was, was horrible and I’ll never forget.”
Despite the trauma and pain that it caused, Phair said the incident also shone a spotlight on the treatment of the LGBTQ community. He said many people at the time felt sending dozens of police officers into a bathhouse and tying up the courts with charges was a waste of money, especially since those charges did not include any prostitution, drugs or weapon offences.
He said it led to push-back against mistreatment. The broader community called for LGBTQ Edmontonians to be treated fairly.
The shutdown was the accumulation of an undercover investigation and led to all 56 people being convicted.
Two years ago, Edmonton police Chief Dale McFee issued a formal apology to Edmonton’s LGBTQ community for the way they were treated, including during the famous raid. Several people who were charged in the raid were in attendance to hear McFee speak.
Police still work to repair relations
Forty years later, Byers said he continues to uncover stories from that day. He said it is important to archive what happened and continue strengthening a better relationship between community members and police.
He said the police have done a good job in recent years trying to build trust through McFee’s apology, creating a liaison position and continuing work through panels and boards.
“The Edmonton police have made some really good steps forward in gaining the trust of the community. Not regaining, but gaining it,” said Byers. “It will help cement a better relationship for the queer community here in Edmonton. Moving forward, there’s still a lot of work to do.”
On Sunday, the Edmonton Police Service issued a statement and released a video to commemorate the 40th anniversary, saying the impact of the raid was profound.
“Many 2SLGBTQ+ community members, including those who were not present during the raid, experienced humiliation, shame and stigmatization from this incident,” read the EPS statement. “While the EPS strives to improve equity and inclusion in its approach to policing, we must also acknowledge the role we have played in unfairly targeting the 2SLGBTQ+ community.”
dshort@postmedia.com
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