‘We’re queer all year’: Where to find queer-friendly spaces in Kamloops year-round

Every June marks Pride month, recognizing and celebrating the 2SLGBTQPIA+ community. 

Beyond the Pride parade and other celebrations, many local businesses contribute to Pride inclusivity through services and offerings year-round.

Haus of Misfit owner Jess Santos says the growing number of 2SLGBTQPIA+ friendly spaces show Kamloops is progressing as a city, but remains far behind compared to other urban centres. 

“As a queer person, having those [queer-friendly] spaces is important, because you can just come and you can show up, you can be authentic,” Santos says. 

While local 2SLGBTQPIA+ folks point out Kamloops still does not have any venues or spaces specifically for the queer community, the following local coffee shops and retail stores provide an inclusive space by taking action to uplift the queer community, whether through hosting drag brunches and other events or by carrying queer-owned merchandise. 
As Pride month winds down, here are a few places to find community and solidarity in Kamloops (Tkʼemlúps) for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, year-round. This list is not exhaustive of queer-friendly spaces in Kamloops. Pride Kamloops provides a directory of resources for the queer community in town and across B.C. that can be accessed for information on spaces, organizations and programs supporting the 2SLGBTQPIA+ community.

Haus of Misfit

Haus of Misfit features independent local brands and artists with unique items. It is a queer-femme owned shop that has also offered workshops and hosted drag shows. 

“There’s always going to be that queer perspective, and then also I order from queer owned businesses,” Santos explains.

Around Pride month people ask her about rainbow flags or products but she does not carry them. 

“We’re queer all year, just because we’re gay doesn’t mean everything has to be plastered with rainbows. That is coming from a place of love,” she says. “It’s just having work by queer people who may just inherently embody queer culture.”

Haus of Misfit has worked closely with Kamloops Pride and is also one of the other locations which features the Rainbow Reads Library, comprised mainly of non-fiction and horror, tucked in a cozy space. 

Last year Santos volunteered for Pride Week and helped with events like Kamloops pride trivia. She has worked along with Bright Eye Brewing and Rebellious Unicorns to organize various queer events. 

Haus of Misfit is located at 275 Tranquille Rd., and is open Wednesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Bright Eye Brewing

Bright Eye Brewing, a well-loved local craft brewery, restaurant and arcade, has created a queer-friendly space by hosting drag shows and brunches, such as a recent event hosted by Ella Lamoureux, a drag queen from Kelowna. The brewery has a casual vibe along and a small patio. The arcade offers various light and animated areas for those who love games. 

Located at 292 Tranquille Rd., Bright Eye Brewing is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 11 p.m.

Far and Wide

Emma Marion is the team leader of Far and Wide, a women-owned retail shop with a mix of items from books to clothing that are handmade and from independent and women-owned brands.

The store, located at the heart of downtown, welcomes you with plants along with very detailed shelving. According to Marion, the store has always been a queer-friendly space.

“We’ve had queer people working here throughout the years and a lot of queer customers as well, and it’s just always been very lovely and friendly for everybody involved,” Marion says. 

By being inclusive employers, Far and Wide has become a welcoming space. 

“I think representation matters. A lot of people on the staff are queer-identifying as well and having a place that we feel comfortable shopping — even if we weren’t working here — is so important,” Marion says. “Not every place feels that way. So knowing you can walk into the store, find things that fit you, find things that fit your vibe and aesthetic, is so important.”

The store recently started carrying books located mainly at the back of the store and organized intentionally. The books have a wide range of options that have queer storylines. 

Marion says the store collaborates with local queer organizations like Kamloops Pride, during the last Pride parade which happened in June.. 

“We’ll accept donations on behalf of them and then pass them off to them as well.”

Located at 353 Victoria St., Far and Wide is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Kamloops Art Gallery

The Kamloops Art Gallery is a queer-friendly space which has also offered programming focused on the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. 

Queer Time is an example of a collaboration between the Kamloops Art Gallery (KAG) and Kamloops Pride. The exhibition is located in the Open Gallery showcasing the work of 10 local queer artists. 

The exhibition is curated by Teresa Donck-Matlock who is also an assistant preparator and art instructor. It was created after a workshop series that Donck-Matlock led from November until March of this year. 

In the workshop, queer artists and Donck-Matlock got together and talked about self-discovery and the vulnerabilities of living as a queer person. 

“The timeline was so long, it gave the participants the opportunity to try an art medium that they hadn’t experimented with before, without the pressure of needing to create something perfect right away,” Donck-Matlock says.

The title “Queer Time” was chosen by Donck-Matlock with the goal of wanting queer people to relate to the exhibit and also see how each person would interpret it. 

“I wanted to choose a topic that would increase a sense of safety and for queer people to feel seen when they saw the artwork. We’re on queer time, meaning we are on our own schedule in a world that is not made for us. Wherever you are in your life or your experience, you’re on your own timeline, and that’s okay.” 

The exhibition will be showcased until July 19, but the art gallery still actively participates with queer focus programming throughout the year. For the past two years, Donck-Matlock has offered programs in sign making, zine making and printing workshops related to Pride. 

“I think the arts are really making an effort to be more inclusive. We try to make our studio space more inclusive. We have a vinyl sign up year round that says, no space for hate,” Donck-Matlock says. “Our role as an art gallery is to encourage important dialogues and conversation.” 

The gallery also is part of the Rainbow Reads Library, a project designed to increase accessibility of 2SLGBTQPIA+ stories to the community. The gallery is one of three locations, and books can be borrowed free of charge.

Kamloops Art Gallery is located at 465 Victoria St. It is open from Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Noble Pig

The Noble Pig is a restaurant and microbrewery located in downtown Kamloops with a big sunny patio that used to be an old pool. The restaurant uses local products to make a majority of its meals and offers an inclusive environment. 

The restaurant recently hosted Rainbrews, an event organized by Kamloops Pride every month which brings the queer community and allies together. The event seeks to foster an inclusive space and a time to meet people part of the 2SLGBTQPIA+ community. 

The Noble Pig is located at 650 Victoria St. It is open from Monday to Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Pogue Mahones

Pogue Mahones is an Irish bar and restaurant in the heart of Brocklehurst. This is a casual sports bar with some Irish pub decor. The bar features Irish beer along with traditional Canadian pub food.

Previously, Kamloops Pride has hosted Rainbrews at this bar. Live music, karaoke and music bingo are amongst some of the activities offered at the bar.

Pogue Mahones is located at 843 Desmond St. It is open from Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to midnight.

Paramount Theatre

The Paramount Theatre is operated by the Kamloops Film Society (KFS) and last year the KFS hosted its first Kamloops Queer Film Festival. The festival was a collaboration with Kamloops Pride and featured films by and about the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, such as Lightyear and Fitting In. 

On its regular programming of films, the Paramount Theatre also offers a wide range featuring queer topics. 

This year KFS will host the second queer film festival in August with the focus on educating and promoting queer cinema. 

The Paramount Theatre is located at 465 Victoria St.

The Art We Are Cafe

The Art We Are Cafe welcomes queer folks beyond offering beverages and food by creating a space to find inclusive local art.

Local artists can sell their paintings, illustrations and a small space also displays jewelry, ceramics, crochet figures and much more made by local small businesses. The space is full of art surrounding people who walk in, it is hung from the ceiling, on the walls and other spaces.

The Art We Are Cafe is located at 246 Victoria St. It is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. it is closed Sunday and Monday.

Foxy Box Laser + Wax Bar

Foxy Box offers gender-neutral hair removal services including waxing and laser hair removal. 

Each franchise of Foxy Box is locally owned. Whitney Learie-Kellam, the co-owner of Kamloops’ Foxy Box says the organization has roots in inclusion and what is important is making everyone feel great in their body. 

“We just believe that everybody should be themselves and be allowed to be addressed how they want to be addressed. On a personal level, just really part of our core values and I myself identify as queer,” Learie-Kellam says. 

Kamloops’ Foxy Box supports Kamloops Pride and A Way Home Kamloops, and raised money during the Foxy Fest event last year according to Learie-Kellam. 

“We have applied to the RCMP Safe Spaces Program and we have also applied to the BC health trans network,” she adds. 

During Pride month, Foxy Box offers a 50 per cent discount on a single service laser for all gender affirming lasers. Throughout the year they offer a 20 per cent discount on all gender affirming laser with code FOXYAFFIRM either online or in person. 

Kamloops’ Foxy Box is located at 259 Fourth Ave. It is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

While Kamloops has many queer-friendly spaces, not all are Rainbow Registered, a designation provided to spaces that meet a stringent set of standards to ensure that 2SLGBTQI+ customers feel welcomed and accepted.

The only rainbow registered places in Kamloops are Accent Inns Kamloops Hotel, Kamloops Immigrant Services and Tourism Kamloops. 

Lisa White the director of Community Development and Engagement says Tourism Kamloops is proud to be Rainbow Registered, which affirms their commitment to 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion.

“In Kamloops, we believe boundless space means room for everyone to feel safe, seen and celebrated,” White says. “We’re also working alongside our industry partners to support their journey toward Rainbow Registration, helping to foster a tourism community that’s as open, diverse and welcoming as the landscape itself.” 

For more information on where to find safe spaces in Kamloops, visit Kamloops Pride.