University club gainesville gay thursday

The University Club will be transforming its space from a beloved nightclub where you can dance for hours to an entertainment venue featuring returning and new talent. The historic bar is committed to adapting to ensure the safety of its guests and hopes to have these changes completed by the end of the year, said show director Jay Brooks, also known as drag performer Kelly Kelly.

The club hopes that by adding more talent and shows per night, it will encourage people to stay for a show and drink rather than dance and party in large groups, said Kelly. The University Club celebrated its 30th anniversary this year.

Gainesville LGBTQ City Guide

Kenny Scott, 57, has been an employee since it first opened. Places like University Club were once the only spots gay people could truly be themselves, Gay said. Often outcast by their own loved ones because of their gender or sexual identity, people find a new, loving community in these spaces.

Daryl Marshall, 33, said he was seeking a gay bar to go to when he moved to Gainesville for college about five years ago. He frequented the club as a patron and eventually became a bartender. When Alachua County enacted in March its stay-at-home order, nonessential businesses club the University Club closed.

It stayed closed for most of the summer. The University Club briefly re-opened for about two weeks in June, but closed again when cases spiked, Kelly said. The University Club management was able to pay its employees through a Payment Protection Program through the Small Business Administration for around three pay periods, Scott said.

Scott said it is important for places like the University Club to be open because it shows that someone has their back. The loss of connection is. Others in the service and entertainment industry agree. A frequent performer at the University Club, Fults said being able to entertain for her community helps people feel more connected to one another.

When venues closed, entertainers like Fults and Kelly Kelly transitioned to digital shows to maintain their thursday. Fults said she went from performing upwards of 15 shows a month to nothing. These performers took the pandemic as a learning experience to try something new. Now they must know how to set up digital platforms, stream and wear protective gear while still serving up signature universities, Kelly said.

We have entered a digital tipping era, Kelly said. The drag and burlesque shows at the University Club are offered at no additional cost to visitors, so performers heavily rely on tips from the audience. This entertainment aspect is popular throughout LGBTQ clubs throughout the country, making these spaces that much more special.

Digital tipping through apps like Venmo and Cash App lets people who are still hesitant to go out contribute to their favorite entertainers as well as people in person who are using cash less often, Kelly said. Performers must gainesville know all the rules and regulations that are being implemented to maintain safety and hygiene.

Hand sanitizer bottles are placed throughout the club and visitors are encouraged to wash their hands every 30 minutes in the bathrooms available both upstairs and downstairs. Masks are required for entry but may be removed to drink beverages.