The Court | |
![]() | |
![]() The Court in 2019 | |
![]() | |
Address | 50 Beaufort St Perth Australia |
---|---|
Type | Music venue, bar |
Court Hotel or The Court is a music venue and bar in Perth, Western Australia. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
It is a historic hotel, located at the corner of Beaufort Street and James Street. It was built in 1888 and has been continually used as a hotel since then. [6] [7]
It has been a LGBTQ+ friendly venue since the early 1990s. [8]
The venue is located on the corner of James St and Beaufort St, on the east side of the James St Mall through the Perth Cultural Centre. It neighbours Curtin House, the former headquarters of the WA Police detective unit. [9]
The venue features a large astroturf outdoor courtyard, with a stage area. [10] The outside of the venue is painted in a colourful street-art style. [11]
It is marketed as a LGBTQ+ friendly venue. The venue is known for hosting drag shows. [12]
The Court Hotel was constructed in 1888 in the Victorian Regency architectural style, and later renovated to include Federation Free Classical style and, mostly internally, the Inter-War Art Deco style. [13] The name of the venue comes from its position across the road from a building in the Perth cultural precinct that used to operate as a Magistrates court.[ citation needed ]
From 1903 it was operated by Con O'Brien, the first Labor Member of the Legislative Council. [5]
Extensive renovations were undertaken in 1938, 2007, 2012 and 2017. [14] [15]
As of 2016, the venue is solely owned by Bree Maddox, a Perth socialite and former Penthouse model. The venue was formerly owned jointly by Maddox and her partner, Malcolm Day; prior to their separation. [16]
In 2019 and 2021, the venue has faced criticism from members of Perth's LGBTQ+ community. [17] This criticism followed the resurfacing of historic images of a drag queen Scarlet Adams performing in blackface at the venue; as well as claims from some patrons that antisocial and anti-queer behaviour had been experienced by patrons. [18] In response to these criticisms, the venue adorned its entrance with rainbow colours while its owners publicly stated their support for the LGBTQ+ community; and hired additional security, but declined a requested ban on non-queer patrons. [19] [20] In response to the blackface allegations, the venue issued an apology. [21]
In 2022, a mural was painted onto the side of the building by Fremantle-based artist Jackson Harvey. [11]
In September 2023, Australian Venue Co. entered an agreement to purchase The Court from Maddox. [22]
A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+) clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communities.
Perth Stadium, currently known as Optus Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in Perth, Western Australia, located in the suburb of Burswood. It was completed in late 2017 and officially opened on 21 January 2018. The stadium's total capacity is 61,266, including standing room, making it the third-largest stadium in Australia. The stadium can be extended up to 65,000 seats for rectangular sports.
The Old Fremantle Police Station and Court House Complex is a heritage-listed group of buildings located at 45 Henderson Street, Fremantle, Western Australia. The complex includes the former courthouse, police station, police barracks and lock-up and artillery drill hall.
CC Slaughters is a gay bar and nightclub located in Portland, Oregon, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The Portland bar is located in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, and the Puerto Vallarta bar is located in Zona Romántica.
LGBT culture in Portland, Oregon is an important part of Pacific Northwest culture.
New York City has been described as the gay capital of the world and the central node of the LGBTQ+ sociopolitical ecosystem, and is home to one of the world's largest LGBTQ populations and the most prominent. Brian Silverman, the author of Frommer's New York City from $90 a Day, wrote the city has "one of the world's largest, loudest, and most powerful LGBT communities", and "Gay and lesbian culture is as much a part of New York's basic identity as yellow cabs, high-rise buildings, and Broadway theatre". LGBT travel guide Queer in the World states, "The fabulosity of Gay New York is unrivaled on Earth, and queer culture seeps into every corner of its five boroughs". LGBT advocate and entertainer Madonna stated metaphorically, "Anyways, not only is New York City the best place in the world because of the queer people here. Let me tell you something, if you can make it here, then you must be queer."
The Cooper Do-nuts Riot was an alleged uprising in reaction to police harassment of LGBT people at a 24-hour donut cafe in Los Angeles in the 1960s. Whether the riot actually happened, the date, location and whether or not the cafe was a branch of the Cooper chain are all disputed, and there is a lack of contemporary documentary evidence, with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) stating that any records of such event would have been purged years ago.
Seattle has a notably large LGBT community, and the city of Seattle has protected gay and lesbian workers since the passage of the Fair Employment Practice Ordinance in 1973. Seattle's LGBT culture has been celebrated at Seattle Pride which began in 1977 as Gay Pride Week. Gay cabaret traveled in a circuit including Seattle and San Francisco since the 1930s. Seattle had gay-friendly clubs and bars since the 1930s including The Casino in Underground Seattle at Pioneer Square which allowed same-sex dancing since 1930, and upstairs from it, The Double Header, in continuous operation since 1933 or 1934 until 2015, was thought to be the oldest gay bar in the United States.
LGBT culture in Leeds, England, involves an active community of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender/transsexual. A BBC News Online article published in 2012 stated that, while Leeds City Council has not published statistics relating to the number of LGBT residents, the figure can be estimated at 10% of the overall population, which currently suggests a total of at least 77,000. The tenth year of the Leeds Pride march and celebration, held in 2016, was attended by over 40,000 people.
Picabar is a bar and music venue located in Northbridge, Western Australia, within the Perth Cultural Centre.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted inequities experienced by marginalized populations, and has had a significant impact on the LGBT community. Gay pride events were cancelled or postponed worldwide. More than 220 gay pride celebrations around the world were canceled or postponed in 2020, and in response a Global Pride event was hosted online. LGBTQ+ people also tend to be more likely to have pre-existing health conditions, such as asthma, HIV/AIDS, cancer, or obesity, that would worsen their chances of survival if they became infected with COVID-19. They are also more likely to smoke.
Paradise is a gay nightclub in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It is known for its fundraisers and drag shows, most notable of which is the annual Miss Paradise pageant. The club is integrated with the Empress Hotel; both are owned by record producer Shep Pettibone. Paradise's 1999 opening is credited as one factor that improved Asbury Park's struggling economy and drew the LGBT community back to the city after a period of local unrest. The venue is a popular Jersey Shore destination in the summer, and it has received praise for its welcoming atmosphere. After several months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Paradise reopened its outdoor pool and bar area in summer 2020.
Local Lounge was a gay bar in Portland, Oregon, operating from 2010 to 2021.
Scarlet Adams is the stage name of Anthony Price, an Australian drag performer who competed on the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under. She has been described as a burlesque performer, costume designer, and pole dancer. She was named Queen of the Court, Entertainer of the Year 2016 at the annual PROUD Awards, as well as Miss Burlesque Western Australia 2018. She is based in Perth, as of 2021. During her time on Drag Race, she was criticized for past use of blackface, for which she issued an apology.
The Q was a multilevel LGBT nightclub in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Backed by celebrity investors including Billy Porter and Zachary Quinto, the club was billed as "the largest queer-owned and -operated nightlife venue in Manhattan". It was known for its five distinctly themed rooms and for its entertainment selection, which featured A-list comedians, prominent local drag queens, burlesque acts and jazz bands. The establishment was originally set to open in 2020, but its debut was pushed to June 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2022, Frankie Sharp—one of the club's three founding owners—filed a lawsuit against the other two, Alan Picus and Bob Fluet. The club shuttered in March 2023 in the aftermath of the legal proceedings. During its operation, the Q garnered praise from critics, who have described it as innovative, inclusive and chic.
Flawless Shade is the stage name of Tajh Jordan, an American drag queen and make-up artist based in Portland, Oregon. A former Miss Gay Oregon, Flawless Shade has been featured in campaigns by Adidas, GLAAD, and Top Level Design. Jordan competed under their real name on the subscription-based streaming service WOW Presents Plus's competition series Painted with Raven.
Jonathan Paul Hellyer known as Jonathan Hellyer is an English singer, theatre director and drag actor. He is best known for his time as the lead singer of Bronski Beat and collaborations with Wayne G.
The William Street Bird, known locally as The Bird, is a live music bar located in the Northbridge suburb of Perth, Western Australia. It opened in 2010.
Connections or 'Connies' is a nightclub in the Northbridge suburb of Perth, Western Australia. It is believed to be the longest-running gay club in the southern hemisphere. It opened in 1975.