Cape Town - The last few days of Pride Month comes with a huge loss for the Cape Town LGBTQI+ community, with the closure of local restaurant and events venue The Raptor Room. Its final event took place on Sunday evening.
Past performers, producers, artists and frequent attendees shared their fondest memories and performances at the venue.
The Raptor Room’s owner, Amy Lilley, declined to comment on Monday after its closure, but shared a heartfelt goodbye post on their Instagram account.
“It has been the great joy of my life to run this safe, queer and inclusive venue for the past four years. I have met the most wonderful and talented people, who have brought me so much joy and sense of community,” said Lille and The Raptor Room’s team.
Stand-up comedian and performer Eugene Mathews has been on The Raptor Room’s stage many times and mourned the loss of the iconic space.
Mathews said there were not many places for the queer community to socialise freely. There were a handful of places but not enough for the number of LGBTQI+ people in Cape Town, so losing one of their few safe spaces was a big loss.
Artist and producer Nicola Date said: “The staff worked tirelessly, especially during Covid-19. They worked a lot of shifts, with a lot of multifaceted roles in the space.
“Those guys are now left without a job in such a brutal economic climate, so we put together a crowdfunding effort where people can donate towards the livelihood of The Raptor Room staff on their Facebook page.
“The Raptor Room gave me a voice as an artist to have a space where I can create very real and raw work. I’ve spoken about some harrowing emotional stories on that stage, and it’s always been met with so much support and love.”
Date said The Raptor Room’s final event included an emotional performance by the owner. Although the venue allowed only 50 people inside, hordes of the queer community were in the street listening and saying goodbye.
The artist said the best thing to happen would be to find an investor or someone interested in buying the place who had the means to keep it going, because The Raptor Room wasn’t only a restaurant; it was a much-needed safe haven for the queer community.
kristin.engel@inl.co.za