Toronto Gay club under fire for live sex shows

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

Tom Godfrey reports for the [I]Toronto Sun[/I], 5 May 2011:

[url]http://www.torontosun.com/2011/05/05/gay-club-under-fire-for-live-sex-shows[/url]

TORONTO - A downtown gay strip club is drawing heat for promoting live sex shows that have left city and industry officials fuming.

The Flash on Church, a private mensâ?? club on Church St., opened last December and came to the attention of officials in February after it staged an â??X-rated Dance Party featuring sizzling live-sex show,â? according to a poster promoting the event.

The poster, which was circulated on the Internet and Church and Wellesley Sts. area, featured a topless man with a bulge in his underwear.

Two witnesses who filed complaints to the city after one of the live shows said one act featured a large tatooed man involved in sexual activity with a partner dressed as a school boy.

The club is under attack by the Adult Entertainment Association of Canada who allege its male dancers are unlicensed and shouldnâ??t be on stage.

The associationâ??s executive director, Tim Lambrinos, said heâ??s concerned over the health and welfare of the strippers when theyâ??re not dancing.

â??This is the only club in the city to feature a live sex show,â? Lambrinos said. â??The reputation of all our dancers and clubs are at stake.â?

He wants the male strippers to join his all-women association that represents 14 strip clubs in Toronto.

Flash owner George Pratt said his club is private and dancers are members who do not have to belong to an association.

â??We are a private club and our members are all consenting adults,â? Pratt said on Thursday. â??We are not open to the public and members have to pay a fee.â?

Pratt said the live sex shows are popular and plans are underway to stage another.

He said the club only opened six months ago and has already gained 3,000 members, who have to dish out $50 yearly.

Members must agree on registration that theyâ??re not offended by full male nudity and sexual activity.

Bruce Robertson, the director of City of Toronto licensing services, said his officers have been inside the club several times.

The clubâ??s owner was charged last month for not having an adult entertainment parlour licence and is before the courts, Robertson said.

â??We believe they need a licence to operate under existing bylaws,â? Robertson said. â??The matter is for the courts to decide.â?

Dave Auger, general manager of Remingtonâ??s Men of Steel, said his club is paying its full share of taxes and fees and is being undercut by Flash.

â??We are losing a lot of business to this club,â? Auger said. â??Our clients are asking for similar services but it just wonâ??t happen.â?

Before it was transformed into Flash, the space housed Bigliardiâ??s Steak House, known for serving the likes of Frank Sinatra, Mickey Rooney, Bette Midler and Wayne Gretzky.