Take a chance

Women with penises are welcome at the women’s bathhouse.

“They’ve always been at our events,” says Chanelle Gallant, media co-ordinator for the Women’s Bathhouse Organizing Committee, “but we just never had policy reflecting them until somebody brought it up.

“The transexual and transgendered community is a part of our community, and have been at every event, and we now have policies reflecting that. It shows our respect to them.”

Hailed as Pussy Palace 2000, the fourth women’s bathhouse will be held Thu, Sep 14 at Club Toronto, on the event’s second anniversary.

“The theme will be 2000 pussies,” teases Gallant. “The atmosphere will be fun and sexy. It’s definitely more organized and comfortable for everybody.”

To set the party mood, there’ll be lap dancing, a wet T-shirt contest, DJ and bar, pool games, body painting and visual demos (but no details – sorry).

The three previous women’s bathhouse have been successful. “All kinds of women show up and more women come through good word of mouth,” says Gallant. “We have women from out of town and different parts of Ontario even attending these events.

“Some women come to watch, some to cruise, and monogamous couples come to have fun too,” says Gallant.

(“They are well organized and extremely well behaved,” praises Club Toronto owner, Camille Petitjean.)

And while each one has been packed and there is a popular demand, organizers say the quarterly schedule prizes quality over quantity.

“All events are organized by a committee of volunteers [around 90], and it takes a lot of work to pull everything together. We are non-profit, so we’d like to take our time and make sure we do it well,” says Gallant.

In the past, some volunteer dancers complained that they could not accept tips, while the hired bartenders could. This time around, Entourage, an event coordinating company, is taking care of the bar, security and clean-up.

Word on the street is that the committee was split on several issues, but Gallant won’t say a word. “There is always constant negotiating going on regarding issues, but we all work well together.”

Certainly the bathhouse was originally advertised as being held on Sep 9 – a busy Saturday night for a men’s bathhouse. The date has since been changed.

Gallant also says that money is not an issue. “There was a little debt after the first event, but that’s about it. These events are non-profit and the leftover money goes to advertising and promoting future events.”

Is the committee’s ultimate goal to open an all-women’s bathhouse venue?

“At this point, it is very unrealistic,” says Gallant. “It takes a lot of work and we are all volunteers.”

Gallant is focussing on the present. “We encourage women to come with an open mind and to be prepared for anything. There is such a resistance for women to explore their sexuality and we want women to be unashamed of their sexuality.”

Tickets for the Sep 14 bathhouse go on sale Fri, Sep 8 for $15 at Come as You Are (701 Queen St W) , Good For Her (181 Harbord St) and the Toronto Women’s Bookstore (on Harbord at Spadina). About 200 tickets are available – and they sell out fast.

More information can be found at www.pussypalacetoronto.com.