Kingstonians have just been given another reason to come out at night.
The lower level of Renaissance, formerly known as University Tavern, has been transformed into Kingston’s newest gay bar: Bottoms Up. The venue, which first opened its doors on Jan. 3, will be open most Fridays and Saturdays, offering hot and cold appetizers until 12 a.m., and music and dancing until its close.
While in recent years some local bars and restaurants have offered queer-focused nights, Bottoms Up marks the first official gay bar in Kingston since Shay Foo Foo closed in 2009. On its opening night, only four days after Bottoms Up was first announced, the bar already saw around 130 attendees.
The owner of Bottoms Up, Paul Fortier, spoke to The Journal about the importance of having a queer bar in Kingston.
“I remember the days when I was at university, and started the point in my life where I was coming out,” Fortier said. “It’s so important to have a place nearby where you can feel safe, and feel that you’re not going to be judged, and that you’re among friends the minute you come through the door.”
While Bottoms Up is a dedicated gay bar, Fortier says that everyone, both in and outside of the LGBTQ+ community, is welcome. He shared that on opening night, the crowd was a mix of all genders and all ages.
“And people were very enthusiastic and appreciative,” he said. “So many people came up to me and said thanks so much for doing this. They couldn’t believe it’s been so long since there’s been a dedicated space in Kingston for the community.”
Fortier is confident that Bottoms Up won’t fall victim to the same fate as previous gay bars that have closed in Kingston, pointing to his 35-year track record of running restaurants, clubs, and bars in the city.
“I mean, we were able to turn this around in a matter of four weeks,” he said. “So I’m happy that we’ve been able to do that, and I know that the staff are enthusiastic about it. I’m enthusiastic about it. My partner’s enthusiastic about it. We’ll do our very best to make this work.”
In fact, should the positive response to Bottoms Up continue, Fortier is hoping to expand its opening hours to other days of the week. “There’s all kinds of opportunities for us to bring in different types of events for the community as well,” he said.
Queen’s students have already contacted Fortier, expressing interest in attending the bar and asking questions about how they can get involved. In an interview with The Journal, Agustina Tabares, ArtSci ’26, talked about why she thinks the opening of Bottoms Up is important.
“I think having spaces in Kingston that accept all identities and that are safe spaces for different sexual orientations and gender identities is important,” Tabares said. “It makes the community feel more inclusive and allows those who are struggling to find a community to know that there’s a spot that they can reach out and meet people.”
Carys Newman, ArtSci ’26, expressed similar excitement regarding the opening of the bar.
“I think it’s a great thing to have in Kingston,” Newman said in an interview with The Journal. “I know a few years back there were talks of a gay bar coming in, and I know a lot of people that I spoke to were very excited about the idea of having one in Kingston. When nothing came of that, people were disappointed.”
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