A popular gay bar in west Toronto turns 30 | Coronavirus: Ontario

Paul Mena – who won the first Miss El Convento Rico pageant in 1992-93 as her alter ego Nicole Batista – says he felt safe from judgment and homophobic slurs inside the bar.

Opening a gay club in this neighborhood was not accepted at the time. We were surrounded by very religious and conservative Italian and Portuguese communitiesremembers the drag queen, one of the first to perform in the new establishment.

We had to hide a bit. It was taboo.

Founder Maritza Yumbla says her bar has even been the target of homophobic attacks on a few occasions. We were thrown eggs and tomatoessays the owner, who still believes that it was a lack of awareness at the time.

” It was quite difficult at first, but I believed in my vision. »

El Convento Rico means the rich convent in Spanish, the mother tongue of the businesswoman, who actually dreamed of becoming a nun when she was young. At the age of 27, she became something of a mother superior of his own convent.

My goal was to make sure everyone who visits us can be themselves and be part of our big family.she says.

Diversity at the rendezvous

Mikael Melo frequents regularly El Convento Rico. The Cambridge, Ont., native, whose two parents are Portuguese, says the nightclub helped him discover his gender identity.

Especially for young people from immigrant communities, who may never have frequented queer spaces, it’s such a great place to meet people who are going through a bit of the same situation.he says.

Mikael Melo likes that the Toronto bar attracts such a diverse clientele, as do its performers on stage. We need more queer spaces and not just in the gay village [sur la rue Church]he said.

Jason Pelletier, who plays the drag queen Jezebel Bardot, provides entertainment for the evenings at the El Convento Rico for a few years.

We obviously see the Latino community very present here, it’s a Latino club, but everyone is represented here. There is also a large Sikh community that comes to encourage us, participate in our showshe says.

It’s very diversified as a clientele and it’s beautiful to see.

A devastating pandemic for bars

Health restrictions have led to the closure of many queer bars in recent years in Toronto, particularly in the west end of the city.

” We lost here The Beaverwe lost The Henhousewe lost round. It’s really sad, so it’s so special and important to have a space like El Convento Riconow more than ever. »

The bar El Convento Rico was not spared by the waves of closures imposed by the province, but the management knew how to show resilience and creativity to survive the numerous confinements in the Queen City.

Ms Yumbla says the yo-yo of openings and closings in recent years has been very difficult for the company. She says she sold other properties she had to keep her iconic bar afloat.

The establishment also obtained a catering permit in order to modify its offer. We converted the dance club in a cabaret evening show with dinner, explains drag queen Jezebel Bardot.

” Despite the reduced capacity, we managed to continue to offer shows and to offer something so that people don’t forget us. »

It seems to have been a good strategy because on Fridays and Saturdays, the queues are very long. People can’t wait to come see usshe adds.

The resumption of activities has been so strong that owner Maritza Yumbla has decided to launch a resto-bar on the same street next month. The new establishment Que Rico will provide a showcase for artists from the LGBTQ community. Customers can get together for brunch or tapas while enjoying the shows.

I have no intention of slowing down and restingsays the entrepreneur, who also recently opened the Itza boutique hotel in Cuenca, Ecuador.