Lips wide open

There’s a new club for bent girls out to get some

by ANDREA ZANIN

Read my lips: lesbians want to get laid. No, I’m serious. In the not-too-distant past, porn was oppressive, strap-ons were a tool of the patriarchy, and if a dyke wanted to wear lipstick or have a one-night stand, she might as well just hitch a ride back to Hetsville.

Nowadays, the queer girls are discovering the politics of pleasure, plain and simple. In short, they’re becoming more like gay boys—and that’s translating into the beginnings of a new kind of bar scene in Montreal.

“A lot of the time, queer women have been desexualized, but this is a place where that will be different,” says Joanne Ansell, bartender and co-manager of Lips, Montreal’s hip new lesbian “raunch” nightclub set to open on April 19 at 1294 Amherst (go to www.lips-club.com for details).

Ansell explains, “A lot of the philosophy behind men-only nights at gay bars is about getting down with no inhibitions. Well, the goal of this space is for women to let loose and be who they want to be.”

And what does that mean, exactly? Well, they didn’t call it Lips for nothing.

“We’ll have hot podium dancers performing on Fridays and Saturdays,” says Ansell, who also cites a kick-ass dancefloor with a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system, and the best female DJs in town spinning tunes. “Trust me, people will want to dance!”

There will be lots of couches (for making out, natch), a big bar with reasonable drink prices, sexy waitresses, private rooms available for reservation (wink wink, nudge nudge), and the classic lesbian essential: a pool table. Perfect for swaggering squinty-eyed cruising and cleavage-baring corner shots.

Last but not least, Ansell enthuses, “It’s going to have pretty bathrooms! This may sound stupid, but girls like a nice place to pee, and trust me, these ones are going to be a nice place to pee.” (Y’know, she’s got a point.)

Lipstick and leather

The official opening starts at happy hour on Wednesday, April 19, with DJs Vivie-Ann and Mighty Kat—everyone is welcome. Saturday, May 6, marks the club’s women-only opening, with guest DJ Kimberley S up from the States to kick off the party.

Thursday’s Luscious nights will appeal to a mixed crowd (boys welcome), whereas Friday’s Lipstick nights and Saturday’s Elle nights will be exclusively for women.

And the Lips ladies are looking to lure in lesbians who like leather. “We’re working out the kinks of having a regular kink night, among other really awesome themes,” says Ansell.

Of course, Lips has been a long time coming, and we must give credit where credit is due. It all started with the highly successful Femme Fridays night at Parking Lounge (1285 Amherst), hosted by Heidi Bronstein since the summer of 2004. According to Ansell, “Femme Fridays developed a clientele, and showed us that there are women in this city who want to go out.”

The celebrated dyke destination is closing down for renovations soon and will be reopening as the Metro Lounge in June—same location, right across the street from Lips. “It’ll definitely be a lounge, a swanky place, with nice couches where you can drink a classy cocktail.” The goodbye-for-now shindig starts at 7 p.m. on April 14, with DJ Lynne T of the Lesbians on Ecstasy. Get there early for the free gourmet hors d’oeuvres.

Is Ansell worried about Montreal’s history of short-lived dyke bars? Apparently not. “In the past, lesbian bars have a history of closing down here, but we’ll be offering something very different from what Montreal dykes have experienced before. The whole place is going to be gorgeous.”

So, lick your lips and… head on down.