Z109

Well, it's the end of an era. Z109 is closed.



The owners, Amber and Sally, built a TG-friendly night club that became known all over the country. If you were in a chat room and it came up that you lived in or near Clearwater, Florida, someone was sure to ask, "Oh! Do you go to Z109?"

Despite its fame and its reputation, however, it never made any money. The place was just too big and too expensive to operate. One can imagine that Amber and Sally were ready for more than a few hours off, a chance to travel, and some time without the pressures and headaches of running a club for three years. They got an offer to sell, and they took it.

That's right, three years. In fact, Saturday August 12 was supposed to be the 3rd anniversary party; instead, it became a time to say goodbye. It was the biggest crowd I'd ever seen there, perhaps the biggest crowd they ever had. Everywhere, the topic of conversation was the same: "I can't believe this is it... that it's really closing."

What was it about the place that made it the place for TG people to go?

Sunday afternoon, a lot of long-time regulars and friends gathered in the upstairs bar for chips and hot dogs and dollar drinks, and to say goodbye and thanks. Just before it was time to leave, I had to visit the ladies' room. As I walked through the empty main club, I thought back to the first time I had gone there.

It was my first time ever out in public; I was scared to death, and sat in the car for a long time before getting up the nerve to go in. As soon as I walked in, the folks at the door said, "Hi, hon! How are you tonight?" No funny looks, no eyeing me up and down, just complete acceptance of who I was. And that feeling never changed. Mitch and Alicia, the rest of the bar staff, the door people, and Amber and Sally themselves made everyone who walked in the place feel welcome, safe, and accepted. For a lot of the people who went there, it was the only acceptance they knew. As I stood there looking at the empty dance floor, I realized that that is what made it so special. Without the people, it's just another (somewhat tacky) gay bar.

As of this writing, the Z's website is still up, frozen exactly as it was that last week. All the photos from the years past are still there. It's a little spooky to look at them now.

The new owner has said that it will reopen in a few weeks after remodeling as the Viper Room, and that he wants the same crowd to come back. Whether that will happen remains to be seen, but whatever happens it won't be the same place.

If I get a little choked up writng about it and ramble a bit, you'll just have to indulge me. After that first night, I spent the better part of two weekends there. Being out, being accepted as me was such a revelation, and felt so right, that the next week I made an appointment for counseling, with the aim of beginning transition. And I haven't looked back since.

Thanks Sally, Amber, Mitch, Alicia, and everyone else who made it a home for a lot of otherwise homeless people.