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It’s hard to describe how pivotal Flashback was in the formation of a community, of an art form, for individuals like me.
But clues to its enduring impact on Edmonton can be seen in moments like the raising of the original neon sign on 104th Street, as a generation of aging comrades gathered to reminisce and celebrate the insular world from which we emerged. Or at the 50th anniversary party at Evolution, Edmonton’s only remaining Queer night club, where videos and posters from decades ago capture the spirit, energy, and defiance of the pre- equality Queer underground.
Or the new Telus feature-length documentary by brothers Peter and Matt Hays that examines the club’s significant role in Edmonton’s party underground in the 1980s — the decade that Flashback became legend.
Within a few months of being buzzed through that rickety wooden door by Brother Bob, I encountered the majority of the people that would be the most important peo- ple in my life for decades to follow. Together we experienced the dark- ness of discrimination, and the optimism that change could bring. Flashback brought us together for a common purpose: belonging.
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