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He’s not able to keep up with the Old Port rent, taxes, insurance and other expenses. Moody says the main reason for the closing is the steady decrease in business over the years, as people find other ways to meet people and find new places to have a drink. He lived in Colorado for a while and began working as a bartender at Styxx soon after moving back to Maine in 2004.
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Moody, 36, grew up in Warren, near Rockland. He kept it going as long as he could, for the people who love it.” “He might have been able to keep it going with a different business model, trying to attract a different crowd, but that would change the place. “It’s a very comfortable place, for everyone, and that starts with Josh,” said Larochelle, who lives in Durham.
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John Larochelle, 26, calls himself the club’s “resident straight guy.” He started coming to Styxx because it was more fun, more about dancing and less about “hooking up” than other clubs in the area. They all said Moody, and the welcoming vibe he radiates, is the main reason they come to Styxx.
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On a rainy Tuesday night, Styxx owner Josh Moody was chatting with three or four regulars at the bar. I’m sad for the young people who won’t know the kind of power a place like that can have.” They were the one place people could come and have fun and dance and not worry about being oppressed. (Gay clubs) are part of our history and our culture. Post-election, many people in our community are more concerned with public safety. That club has been around for so much of the progress we’ve made as a community,” said Chris O’Connor, 43, who has deejayed at both The Underground and Styxx, and is development director for Equality Maine. “There will be a tremendous hole in our community. And given the recent election of Donald Trump as president, the loss of Styxx could be felt even more acutely. Some worry that even as people find it easier to dance and party wherever they like, the safety and comfort provided by a gay nightclub can’t be replaced. Online dating and dating apps have also contributed to dwindling numbers at gay nightclubs, which are closing all over the country. But as society has become more accepting, people in the LGBTQ community have more options for a night out and for meeting people. The closing of Styxx is heartbreaking for those who remember when it was one of the few places gay, lesbian and transgender people could feel safe for a night out in Portland. Dances, pageants and other parts of the area’s annual Pride celebrations have been held at the club as long as anyone can remember. It was also known as a place to go to rally people for gay rights and other causes. Bouncers would walk people to their cars late at night, as anti-gay slurs were hurled by drunk passersby. It has been a safe haven, political rallying spot and a source of strength for the area’s gay, lesbian and transgender communities for 35 years.īeginning as The Underground in 1981, the club became known for its dance deejays, massive dance floor, drag queens and campy stage shows. Bigger than a bar, with room for 300, Styxx is Portland’s largest gay nightclub. Many in the local LGBTQ community will be losing one of their safe spaces after New Year’s Eve, when Styxx is scheduled to close. After this election, a lot of people in the community feel vulnerable, so having a safe space is so important.” “It provides a more personal connection, that I feel you lose with online dating and all the other dating apps my generation uses. “No one is there to judge,” LaBerge said.