About Us

THE BIRTH

August 26, 2003

 

A friend and I were chatting one night, about a year ago, about  setting up a gay coffee house. We had talked about this before, but we did nothing about it.

 

That night was different. I could wait no more for things to happen.  I was tired of not meeting other gay people in my region.

 

My friend told me to call the Ackers, who ran a hall that would be perfect for our new group. I called, with my friend nearby. The phone rang and was answered by a very gentle voice that soon said, after telling him our idea, that he was thinking of doing something similar. He invited me to come out his way and talk about the idea. He also asked to bring him a coffee (a large double, double).  I complied !

 

We posted our Coffee House on the web. David and I agreed that it should be held every Thursday from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, or until people started to leave, especially if there were good looking men there that evening!

 

In April 2002, we started out just being a Coffee House, but more was yet to come. Six months later, being better organized, we expanded our scope to include a monthly dance.  That started the following October (our first Halloween dance). Our venue allowed no alcohol, but, despite that, it was a great success.

 

As a result, we have all met new and exciting people from all over the Annapolis Valley.  The Valley Gay Men's Coffee House has opened our surroundings to other gay people that were hidden, either because they chose to be, or had no place to go or no one to talk to.

 

Imagine your world expanding like this simply because of a bunch of “stragglers” who wondered in on us that fateful night on April 4th, 2002.

 

We have new stories to tell of truths being told.

 

 

One of our members has explained to his family that he is gay and through the group he has grown and has found the strength to live truthfully.

 

We all have made so many new contacts and continue to do so.

 

We now have our own gay community, in which we live, that was once hidden.

 

Our dances continue to bring new faces, and more importantly new friends.

 

Friends are strangers that you have not met yet!

 

-STEVE L.

The Valley Gay Men’s Coffee House Group