On 2026-04-25, Dan asked, "I am documenting lesbians' use of Charlie's Bar in Halifax as a queer space, as their space, for two separate history projects. If you have some experience there, or if you have heard about it, please contact me on Facebook or by email" Jacque L'Oursin * dyke night is also held at charlies, tho i think theyve done other venues. i go there a few times a week and its not unusual for it to be mostly queer and trans people, but idk about lesbian specifically. after tdov in november we went there and almost everyone in there was trans. like cat girls playing mtg and everything. https://www.instagram.com/dykenighthalifax * and this is the queer karaoke: https://www.instagram.com/i_dont_karaoke * looks like it was april 2023 when karaoke left gus' but i feel like charlies was a known queer spot before that, which is why that was the new location Emily LeBlanc * it’s called I Don't Karaoke and moved to Charlies in 2023. My wife Michelle is the host! The staff have been very welcoming and supportive of the queer community in our experience 🩷 * She’s created a welcoming space on Monday nights that skews very queer 🥰 Come check it out some time! Courtney Morrison * I worked there for a while if that perspective is helpful. Started in 2012, came back in 2015, then did another stint in 2020. Jacque L'Oursin * for sure. Charlies has become a defacto queer bar in part because places like MenzBar are long gone but Charlies is in the same neighbourhood, and then places like Stardust are too pricey for the kinda down-and-out queer n trans people you see at Charlies. Nikki Valentine * Offered to answer questions by email. Sent her the Q's 2026-04-26 Stephen De Mello * Charlie's has away been a safe place for the community, since I have been in halifax and is one of my favourite hangouts Sade Alexander Stacey * I know one reason a chunk of queer people started going to Charlie’s was because there was a very queer attended karaoke night at Gus’s that moved to Charlie’s with the host * Tamsin Moynihan-Robson answers: I know one reason a chunk of queer people started going to Charlie’s was because there was a very queer attended karaoke night at Gus’s that moved to Charlie’s with the host This was pretty recent - summer 2023, I think? I'd been a regular at the Gus' karaoke nights and migrated to Charlie's along with a number of my friends. The karaoke host in question was Michelle. Jo-Ann Downey * I haven’t been there since Diamonds was a bar! So 20 years or so. It was safe then. I can’t speak about now. [20 years ago] It was all inclusive. Easy laid back place for everyone. Jasper Wolfe * I’ve been going to Charlie’s for over a decade. It was one of my favourite bars because it had a nice sense of neighborhood community to it. Todd the bartender always made sure to toss out people who were causing problems. It wasn’t considered a queer bar until kind of recently I think, but it’s always been a welcoming place. The karaoke night definitely helped, as the woman who runs it is a lesbian. They’ve started having lesbian nights there. When I first started going it was mostly folks who lived in the area , and older men that frequented there. So it’s interesting to see the progression. I believe the lack of gay bars after reflections and men’s and Molly’s closed down, before Rumours opened kind of contributed to this also * I moved away for a few years so I’m not entirely sure but when I moved back 3 years ago it seemed to be moving in that direction. I’d say between 3-5 years. I’d go there any time I’d come to visit and in the past few years since being back I’ve noticed a different demographic. Much more young and queer people * [Do you think it was generically queer or mostly women or what?] Hard to say because I don’t know who’s queer visibly, but I would say less of a classically gay male space for sure. Probably more women and non binary folks than would attend Rumours unless there’s an event there that attracts that demographic Abbey Ferguson * Charlie's became a great alternative for myself and my pals when CoHo closed! My pals mostly being roller derby players * [Wow that goes back to 2017! Were you considering it a somewhat queer space then?] Yes! We had a teammate who bartended there, if I recall correctly Mila Mckay * I can speak to why I avoid it as a trans lesbian. Megan St Rose * Michelle is absolutely phenomenal at hosting a safe space. The people going from Gus’ to Charlie’s for karaoke makes absolute sense. Charlies has been a safe space for almost the entire 10 years i lived in Halifax and has always been a great hideout for the arts community, the queer community, and people wanting to go somewhere with that “drinking in your pals rec room” vibe. Todd [the bartender] is absolutely to thank for that. Not sure if he’s managing or what the position is now. Jude James * I do not go there because it is mostly focused towards queer men. Myah Shantz * Very fair! Well I used to live in the north end and Charlie’s Club was the closest to my apartment so starting in 2023 my girlfriend and I would go quite often, like around once a month for the 2 years we lived there. I didn’t think of it as a queer bar at the time, but certainly a bar with a diverse crowd. I also went to stardust and Rumours downtown Halifax, but Rumours tends to have a more queer/ gay men crowd and I didn’t feel it was as inclusive. Stardust is great in terms of diversity and safety but it’s expensive. Charlie’s I feel is accessible because of its price point and the diversity of the room feels very welcoming! * Yeah, I also want to say that the organizers for Dyke Night do an awesome job of putting on their events. They collaborate well with the staff at Charlie’s and have a lot of people on the ground lowkey making sure the atmosphere is good and no one is getting too drunk or crazy * I feel like because it’s a private club and you need a passcode to get in, that secluded feeling almost creates a sense of community in itself * But it’s not just that. The bartenders are great to talk to and definitely make you feel welcome. Plus I believe atleast 2 of them are queer women. So when you see that your bartenders are queer, you definitely feel safer as a queer person * I don’t think I’ve ever talked to [Todd] before, I’m sure he’s also great. They seem to have a close team dynamic there and I know the two women who I usually talk to have worked there since I started going so that’s 3 years ago now * My neighbour in my old apartment building recommended it, though he is not queer but certainly a frequent visitor * Charlie’s has monthly events called “dyke night” that are specifically for the sapphic community, I’ve been to one of those events, last month actually and it was fantastic. Honestly it was super refreshing to be in a space that is only women (and nonbinary and trans folks) and I felt suuuuper safe! Unfortunately at the end of the night a crowd of men did come into the bar which raised some complaints - made me feel uncomfortable, like we don’t get to have these spaces that are actually so needed for the community Anonymous messages: * [What about TERFs?] I don't know historically but my experience with Charlie's I've never seen a terf there * People involved with various Rad activities have been attending Charlies for over a decade. * The space is so small that if you do not feel safe with someone there really isn't any practical way to be away from them.