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The women’s scene has evolved beyond the Birkenstock.
The old femme and butch is the new high femme and tranny bois.

The Girl-Girl Guide
Retire that dolphin-shaped dildo. The old rules of the lesbian scene, with its earnest, enforced gender rules, have been broken. Enter a slew of splinter groups, interpreting the old rules of the butch/femme dichotomy in new and naughty ways. But hold off on your looting and pillaging – the dyke scene is not quite in anarchy. Today’s queer woman is following in the Birkenstocked footsteps of her dyke mother, not by observing her traditions but by adapting them.

Labels like lesbian, butch and femme are of no use to DJ Vashti, who’s been in Toronto’s women’s scene for 12 years. “These labels over the years have become confining in terms of their definitions,” she says. Some of the women who would have identified as butch in the past are now coming out as trans. “People are starting to be more comfortable with sex and gender not matching,” says Krysta Hartlen, who coordinates Buddies’ Bois Will Be Boys drag show as drag king Skylar. She talks about the trans bois she’s dated, who are sometimes visibly indistinguishable from butch dykes. “They’re people who call themselves ‘he,’ but if we were to stand together naked we’d have matching bodies,” she says. “So to call myself a lesbian is totally denying him.”

Tonya Thongs, the promoter behind the GirlToronto parties at Foxy’s and Coyotes, has a different perspective: “Lesbians aren’t wearing lumberjack jackets anymore,” she says. The women who grind on her dance floor are done up from heel to hair in smouldering J.Lo looks. Their vampy look is the least subtle of these subcultures, but all across the city, today’s queer woman is flaunting her sexiness. Whether she’s hiking up her skirt at a GirlToronto party, stripping off her shirt at the Hussihop or pasting on sideburns for Bois Will Be Boys, she refuses to let her sexuality be under siege. And, at many women’s parties, a dash of boy is as trendy as a fag hag at fly. Experienced DJs like Denise Benson and Vashti find the energy from a mixed party invigorating. But Vashti is still cautious. “There are far too many straight men out there who think two women together are for their sexual pleasure,” she says. “Even though it’s a party, there needs to be an awareness of how hard it’s been to get these spaces.” In that sense, the 10 nights detailed below are more than parties – they’re victories.

HERE KITTY KITTY
The chalkboard propped up beside the door proclaims that this is a “dyke night” and men unaccompanied by a woman may be refused admittance. But once down the stairs and into the lavishly decorated Ciao Edie, the ambience is welcoming and friendly. The clientele is uniformly attractive, with second glances often necessary to discern whether one is eyeing up an attractive dyke or a cute young boy – or a combination of the two.
On the first Sunday of every month, DJ Barbrafisch spins an up-tempo mix of rock, metal and even a smattering of pop (Ms. Spears’ new single is heatedly debated). There’s more conversation than dancing but almost every song elicits a cheer from somewhere in the room as a request is fulfilled. Both Barbrafisch and Rochelle, the bartender, refer to the night as “an institution” but it feels more like a funky neighbourhood bar that just happens to be packed full of lesbians. Most seem to know each other and each new arrival is greeted, by someone, like an old friend. Yet there is no sense of cliques and discussions begin between total strangers. Tracey, the doorperson, points out the “aqueerium,” a large plastic porthole through which one can view the activities in the lounge. With a bluish tint to the air from cigarette smoke and mood lighting, it does resemble an underwater world filled with languid, exotic specimens. There are only a handful of men but they are all actively, and openly, cruising each other. The women seem amused and encourage the process. A woman at our table explains: “With women, getting to know each other is part of the foreplay. There are predatory lesbians, but this isn’t their space.”

By midnight the room is packed and Tracey discusses the club’s plans to merge Ciao Edie with Andy Poolhall next door to create a larger space. On long weekends, and for special events, many get turned away. “All the suburban lesbians come into town and this is where they go,” she says. Here Kitty Kitty’s resident DJ Nikki Red plays hip hop and R&B the second and fourth Sundays of the month, with Secret Agent and Sasha Van Bon Bon DJing an upcoming Sunday. 10pm. Ciao Edie, 489 College St. No cover. 416.927.7774. Every Sunday. - Drew Rowsome

TANGO
In the heart of the Village rests the notoriously crowded dyke fiesta Tango, conveniently attached to the drag hot spot, Crews. The place to be if you’re queer, single and female, Tango is a lounge-y dance pad crammed with pool tables, make-out couches and a smoke-filled boogie floor for twentysomething lesbians of all styles to cruise up a storm. “You’ll see girls in military fatigues with crewcuts dancing alongside Britney Spears wannabes,” says patron Amanda, adding that on Saturdays it’s so popular you have to wade through two separate lines (one outside, then another inside Crews) just to enjoy the festivities.

According to five-year manager Katherine Smith, Tango’s biggest draw, besides the convenient queer heartland location and bumping score of dance hits by DJs Xenon, Glitch and Quinces, is the hospitable atmosphere. “It’s like partying in your best friend’s living room,” she says while tending the joint’s sole and very busy bar. Well, maybe if that best friend shacks up in the attic of a cheerful drag queen’s tavern. “Being attached to Crews is always a benefit,” Smith admits. If the partiers feel asphyxiated by the tight dancing quarters, there’s always a relaxing, albeit bubbly, Cher or Tracy Chapman impersonation lying just steps away in the bar below. Just remember it might take an hour or so of queuing to work your way back if you change your frisky mind. Tango is located on the upper floor of Crews at 508 Church St. with various weekly events and usually no cover charge. www.crews-tango.com. 416.972.1662 - Mike Sag

FOXY’S AND COYOTES
The Pope is dead. But 547 Parliament St., where the Rose once thrived and Pope Joan lasted until late 2003, continues its long tradition as a lesbian bar in its latest incarnation, Foxy’s and Coyotes. The Fox trap has been successful in snaring the young and pretty dykes on the scene. Since AJ Tataliga launched the bar on New Year’s Eve 2003, the enormous club space has undergone trendy renovations. Hip, abstract paintings and zebra-print floors deliver a modern art-inspired class designed to keep pace with rival Toronto dance zones on Church or Queen. Tataliga has lofty visions for the future, such as giving all the bartenders fancy Coyote Ugly bottle-twirling lessons. Luckily, her wenches already look the Piper Perabo part. Also in the works is a suave, third-floor VIP lounge, “Cherry Poppers,” with strippers and drink passes. Tataliga currently lives on that third floor, where her young niece and nephew are watching a movie tonight as the party rages below. The busybody owner plans to put her home on the back burner and invest over $100,000 in the renovations.

The dance floor is nicely claustrophobic as GirlToronto’s Tonya Thongs oozes charisma, hosting from atop her DJ booth. The former Lofter and her sexpot posse have attracted a sizeable women-dominated Friday night crowd. Tonya insists the pop and dance hits are appropriately upbeat for the hip-hugging, tight-bodied youths who are “tired of going to straight clubs.” Lesbians looking for sweltering fun, minus the grinding guys, have a prime G-spot – for now. Thongs says if Foxy’s doesn’t deliver new renovations soon, the fly girls are keen to take their party to a swanker venue. 547 Parliament St., $5 before midnight on Fridays. www.girltoronto.com - Mike Sage

HUSSIHOP
Emily Lord, the even-keeled, freckle-faced hostess of tonight’s Hussihop drag show, is working the crowd. “We’ve got some great performers,” she says. And then a catcall from the audience: “Show us your tits!” The unflappable Lord agreeably unfastens the bra beneath her shirt and tosses it aside. No one is shocked – such shenanigans are routine at the Hussihop. The U of T gal night was launched in November 2000. Though the queer get-together shares a suffix and parent organization (LGBTOUT) with the wildly popular Homohop, the Hussihop is keen to separate itself from the boy-a-rama. “Rather than ‘the sister of the Homohop,’ we want to be an event unto ourselves,” Lord says after the show, when the dancing starts. A new name is to be chosen in May, one that will reflect the number of “hussies” that identify as tranny boys. Ball caps and baggy shirts suit a fair number of the revellers shaking to Smash Mouth and Madonna tonight. But the skater-boy look isn’t just for the tranny boys. Lord calls it the new “lesbian cute” and sees both boy-dykes and trans boys adopting the style. Tonight is Lord’s first Hussihop since taking on the role of organizing committee chair, but she already knows how to command an audience. Before wrapping up the evening’s show, she pulls her shirt over her head and her ample bosom tumbles out. The audience hoots, but there’s no change in Lord’s no-nonsense expression. She seizes the audience’s undivided attention and plugs a few upcoming events. 9pm. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St. $4 for students, $6 for others. www.lgbtout.com. Happens several times per year. - Ryan Porter

SAVOUR
Burly women in collared work shirts, a pair of women with rainbow-coloured locks, a woman in a tilted fedora and a fun orange top revealing her shoulder. The women at Savour tonight are striking in varied ways. The night, co-produced by DJ Denise Benson and local activist JD, has proven a smash success since going monthly last August. Guest DJs have included Toronto’s loveliest women, like Juicy DJ Sue Seto, rocker Barbrafisch and hip-hop/house DJ Dalia of Chicks Dig It. Even Benson’s girlfriend Sasha Van Bon Bon has had a spin at the tables, where she played chick rock. Drag king and JACK FM morning personality Deb Pearce/Dirk Diggler struts past, stopping to pontificate on Savour: “People here are way more progressive,” she says. Diggler’s a flagrant flirt, and feels her advances almost work at Savour. “It’s better received here,” she laughs. Nigel Smith, a dashing gay boy clad in a tight T that reads, “Ask Me Why,” first stumbled into Andy Poolhall without realizing that ladies make up 80% of the crowd. But he can vouch for the night’s boy-friendly cruising power. “They’re all looking, so it’s easier,” he says. But they’re also that much easier to ignore. “I can be more personal with my friends and not have to think about the other shit.” Andy Poolhall, 489 College St. $2 before 11pm, $5 after. www.denisebenson.com, mentalchatter@sympatico.ca. 416.923.5300. One Saturday per month (check Web site for more info). - Ryan Porter

BOIS WILL BE BOYS
You’ve only just heard about drag kings and they’ve already launched the next model. What is this, Playstation? This month, young king Skylar is twisting his monthly Bois Will Be Boys drag cabaret into Bois Will Be Boys Will Be Grrls. That’s right – butch queer women are draping themselves in femme trappings to perform only the girliest of numbers. Skylar’s switching crowns, too, becoming a queen for the evening. “I’m thinking about Cher,” he says. Aren’t we all? Skylar was recruited in March 2003 by Buddies to build this performance-driven party after they saw how well he coordinated the drag revue at the Hussihop. “They were looking for a night to go opposite Vazaleen,” he says. The answer: an hour and a half-long drag king show preceded and followed by dancing. A twentysomething crowd that is more than 95% women and trans, plus an attention-diverting show, make it a hospitable environment for baby lezzies. Skylar also classifies the party as a good time for tranny boys, his personal weakness. Scene explorers are encouraged to attend, but heed Skylar’s warning on punctuality: “No gay time, no drag time, no dyke time, no homo time, no nothing!” he says. “Eleven o’clock is when we start.” Doors open at 10:30pm. Buddies in Bad Times, 12 Alexander St. $5. skylar_rocket@hotmail.com. 416.975.8555. Last Friday of the month. - Ryan Porter

JUICY
Funky ladies tip their trucker hats to their slick friends with dicks at Juicy. The monthly party is fronted by wunderkind Kirsten Iverson and her posse of hard-partying gals. The night for women attracts a healthy dose of male comrades (about 15%). “Fuck gender. Straight, gay, whatever!” says Holly Rock, DJ and promoter of the night. As the West End progressively becomes the stomping ground for the nouveau queer and the whateverosexual, Juicy stands out alongside scene heavyweight Vazaleen as the best in the West. An eclectic mash-up of ‘80s, electro, house, techno and hip hop (big up to Holly Rock for her hard-ass, old-school hip-hop sets) will have you rockin’ out with your tits out. The Juicy crew, consisting of Kirsten, Holly Rock, Violca and Sue Seto, has created a sultry party atmosphere that drips raw sex appeal. Get ready to strut your stuff ’cause this crowd means serious business out on the dance floor. You better work. The girls say their motto is simple: “Party on.” 10pm-3am, El Mocambo, 464 Spadina Ave. $7. www.hotpinkproductions.com. Third Saturday of the month. - Nick Stadnyk

HIGH FEMME FRIDAY
It’s a boi’s life at High Femme Friday. Drag kings galore and the femmes who love them flock to this monthly to catch the rotating cabaret of gender debauchery. And though the night masquerades as a cocktail party for the femmes fatales there is also an overabundance of facial hair and macho bravado because it’s definitely the bois who wear the pants in this environment. Curated by the ever-so-cute Zoe Whittall, High Femme Friday showcases the best in spoken word, film and burlesque. Whittall classifies her ensemble as “fast and sexy,” leaving plenty of time for the gals to drink up and work the room. DJ Catscratch plays an eclectic mix of hard-rocking tunes, with guest DJs appearing often. Ms. Whittall accurately labels her night “a bit punk rock, a bit slutty and pretty fierce.” To avoid the risk of hosting a big sausage party, femmes are enticed with free admission before 11:30pm. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St. $5.
www.zoewhittall.com. 416.975.8555. First Friday of the month. - Nick Stadnyk
Synchro’s like a box of chocolates – totally sweet. And, as the Forrest Gump proverb goes, you never know what you’re going to get. “I love not knowing which way the mix is going to go from week to week,” says Denise Benson of the crowd that spans sexualities. “I remember one night it was pretty much all dykes at the end of the night, blasted out of their heads.” Benson’s the resident DJ and producer alongside friendly het Andrew Allsgood, but roughly half the nights feature guest DJs like Dynamo Productions, who were on tour with Portishead. For those that don’t play well with others, this is not your scene. The downtown creative types who are attracted to the deep-red interior of Andy Poolhall identify across the spectrum of sexuality, but if Denise wants to flush out the lesbians, she simply spins “Push It” by Salt ‘N Pepa. The girls go wild. Andy Poolhall, 489 College St. Free except for special events. www.denisebenson.com. Weekly, except for the first Friday of the month. - Ryan Porter

CHICKITAS
Young butch-ish and femme-ish singles, sexy cougars and fun-loving couples shake it to Britney, Kylie, disco and much more at the biweekly Chickitas party. You won’t hear any whiny folk singers, or the illegal Melissa Etheridge, as DJ Carol Hylton has branded her, at The Winchester Pub – it would slow down the pace too much. “People don’t feel like they’re being watched,” says event organizer Karen Halliday. The night’s an escape for lesbians sick of the voyeurism they experience in both straight and gay clubs. Regular Michelle gives thanks for Chickitas, saying it’s “great for those of us who have nowhere to go.” Even straight folks and gay men feel welcome. “I feel more comfortable here than [at] the Church Street bars I go to,” claims gay male club-hopper Sam Burgio. “The pressure to impress doesn’t exist here.” With cheap beer, tequila body-shots and the gamut of music from ’80s to Beyonce, it’s a great party for the down-to-earth dyke. 537 Parliament St. $8. www.chickitas.com. Twice monthly. - Mike Sage

To keep up on all the event listings go to the T.O. Listings section at www.fabmagazine.com/listings