This is an update to an article by Meghan Dewar published 3 weeks ago.
With P.E.I. Pride 2025 coming to a close, many queer Islanders were excited to be able to keep the celebrations going at the Be You Bar which soft-opened on August 1.
However, the shine of the new queer bar seems to have quickly worn off.
Following the postponing of the opening, which was initially scheduled for July 26th, several folks took to social media to bring awareness to a situation between the bar and a pride event organizer.
In several Instagram posts, it was alleged that due to the bar not opening on the 26th as planned, an independently organized pride event was cancelled. What elicited rage was that the event organizer shared they were being charged a $1000 cancellation fee that was not originally agreed upon.
In response to the online outrage, Be You Bar posted a somewhat confusing statement on their social media.
“To be clear, the event was organized by others. It was also cancelled by those organizers. BE YOU BAR was not informed or involved in the planning or organizing of this event.”
The bar turned off the comments on their post, prompting additional speculation both online and in person.
It was supposed to be a safe space
Prior to the bar’s opening, Michaela Killorn served as the front of house manager before resigning. As the former manager at Upstreet Craft Beer Corner, Killorn knew what criteria made a bar space safe and accessible for the queer community.
“I was told all the staff were going to receive first aid training and bystander intervention training. To my knowledge neither of those things happened,” Killorn shared.
“It was supposed to be a safe space but upon opening last night one of their first customers was someone accused of sexual assault, who I had warned the owner about by name.”
Killorn highlighted that when the bar opened on August 1st, it did not have a method to accept card yet, only cash.
“They opened cash only without a POS system, leaving a huge financial responsibility in the hands of a young queer person,” said Killorn.
Additionally, Killorn raised an issue that the bar utilized volunteer labour to get off the ground, which leaves a sour taste for community members following the alleged $1000 pride event cancellation fee.
“They took advantage of multiple volunteers from marginalized communities for multiple weeks. The owner refused to tell me his relationship to the queer community when I asked, leaving me wondering what motivation there was to open this space beyond profit,” Killorn explained.
“I'm really upset with the outcome and desperately wanted a safe queer space in town.”
it can be hit or miss often times about how safe those spaces are until they’re proven
Killorn isn’t the only community member who feels disappointed. Charlottetown’s Fletcher Gibbons shares the sentiment as a member of the trans community. Gibbons, initially excited for the new queer space, says they will be steering clear out of fear for their safety.
“It’s exciting to hear about a potential new safe space for queer folks in town, but it can be hit or miss often times about how truly safe those spaces are until they’re longer standing in the community and proven to be as they describe,” Gibbons explained.
“Hearing how folks in our queer community have been treated by this business owner while they continually claim to be building a safe space in Charlottetown is an egregious contradiction to what their goals are.
“Before they’ve even opened, they’ve proven to not be safe for folks like me. Folks in the community that are so desperate for an established night-life space of their own that their kindness and labour are exploited for profit.”
Gibbons shared that they will not be contributing to the profits of a business that has not met the mark, and they feel much of the community shares their feelings towards the current situation.
“Personally contributing to the profits this business will yield off of the backs of my people in my community will not be something I will participate in,” said Gibbons. “This town is small, and we have a wonderful queer community composed of so many vibrant and varied people and personalities.
“The owners of the Be You Bar have shot themselves in the foot with their actions, and the community's trust will be difficult, maybe impossible, to gain back.”
Meghan Dewar is a queer journalist on P.E.I. with a background in Indigenous Affairs and arts/culture reporting.
