June 11, 2025
In 1981, the Pisces Health Spa in Edmonton was raided by Edmonton police, who arrested 60 gay men. It’s believed to be the largest mass arrest in the history of Alberta. This week, in honour of Pride, Metro Cinema is screening a CBC documentary from that year, called The Gay Straight Jacket. Ron Byers was a staff member at the Pisces but was not arrested that night. Now, he is a queer historian in Edmonton with the Rainbow Story Hub.