Bodytalk

Bodytalk, also written as Body Talk and colloquially known as BT, is a café and bar in Utrecht, Netherlands, that has served the LGBT community since its opening on 27 February 1987. It holds the distinction of being the oldest still-existing bar in Utrecht focused on the LHBT community, and it has been owned by the same proprietor, Feibe Zweers, throughout its entire history — making it the longest-running Dutch gay bar under a single owner. The establishment occupies a canal-side building at Oudegracht 64, featuring a street-level bar with a dance area and a characteristic Utrecht wharf cellar (werfkelder) below, known as the U-Bar, which serves as a dance space, party venue, and summer bar with a terrace along the canal. Bodytalk opened as a men-only bar in 1987, at a time when Utrecht's gay nightlife included venues such as De Roze Wolk discotheque. Around 2008, facing declining revenues and a restrictive contract with a beer brewer, the bar shifted to a more open and inclusive character. After regaining control of its beer installation and removing gaming machines, Bodytalk broadened its appeal and now often sees queues on weekends. The venue has participated in local events such as the Walk of Love (2016) and served as the Euro Pride House in 2017 for the UEFA Women's Euro. It also has a long association with the Midzomergracht festival and the Utrecht Canal Pride, regularly entering a boat in the parades. Beyond its nightly bar service, Bodytalk hosts recurring events including a monthly film night with the local Pathé cinema, pub quizzes, karaoke, and the annual Miss Bodytalk drag queen competition, held since 1994. The bar has undergone several renovations over the years, including updates during the coronavirus closure to better integrate the upstairs and cellar spaces. It remains a fixture of Utrecht's LGBT social scene and a landmark of Dutch gay hospitality.

The history of modern gay hospitality in Utrecht dates back to the 1940s, with the first gay bar probably opening in the 1950s. From the 1960s, several so-called 'nichtenkitten' (gay bars) emerged, mostly with a closed character. Well-known bars from that time include La Vie en Rose, Paddy's Bar, and De Pauw, all located on the Oudegracht; the latter occupied the same spot where Bodytalk now stands. In the 1970s and 1980s, venues such as Sobrinobar, In de Gouwe Gheijt (now café België), and the Hudson Bar were part of Utrecht's gay scene. Bodytalk opened on 27 February 1987 as a men-only bar. At that time, the city's only gay discotheque was De Roze Wolk; Bodytalk was more in line with the various pubs in the city. In 2006, De Roze Wolk and its associated 'De Wolkenkrabber', located diagonally opposite Bodytalk, closed. De Roze Wolk is now a gym, and on the corner where De Wolkenkrabber stood, Chueca opened in 2007 and eventually Café Kalff in 2011. Until around 2008, Bodytalk was primarily intended for male guests, but due to disappointing revenues and a strangling contract with the beer brewer, the course had to change. After the beer installation came under own management, that cost item disappeared, and combined with other changes such as the removal of gaming machines, the bar took on a more open character. In weekends, queues in front of the door are not uncommon. The bar participated in the first Walk of Love in Utrecht in 2016. In 2017, Bodytalk was the Euro Pride House for the UEFA Women's Euro, with matches shown from the wharf cellar and activities organized around the sporting event. Bodytalk is located in a canal house at Oudegracht 64. At street level there is a room with a bar where dancing is possible in the evening. Through a hidden hatch in the floor and for guests from outside via the wharf, there is access to the lower dance area and bar known as the U-Bar. This name dates from the time when a U-shaped bar stood in the middle of the wharf cellar. The cellar space is used for parties and events, but in summer mainly serves as a bar in combination with the terrace on the Oudegracht. In the past, the cellar housed a darkroom. The first and second floors of the building are used as living space. Before Bodytalk opened at this location, the building was used as a café/bar called 'De Athene Bar'. Even earlier, at the beginning of the twentieth century, the location was probably used as a shop. Over the years, Bodytalk and its wharf cellar have undergone several renovations. In some cases, it was only a small cosmetic update such as new wallpaper, but a few times the entire interior was redone. In the past, the upstairs bar had a smoking room, an open fireplace, and a stage, which have now disappeared. In the cellar, the bar has stood in various places, and darkrooms have made way for a dance floor. During the coronavirus closure, the cellar also received an update to serve as an extension of the upstairs bar in terms of decoration and atmosphere to better match. The pole dancing poles planned for the bar in 2012 never materialized. Since 1997, the annual Midzomergracht festival has been held in Utrecht on and around the Oudegracht. In the early years, the organization was carried out by café Bodytalk, café de Wolkenkrabber, and discotheque De Roze Wolk. For this, the De Overkant foundation was established. Later, a separate organization was founded for this festival, but Utrecht's gay hospitality industry remained involved in the organization. In 2017, the Midzomergracht festival was expanded with the Utrecht Canal Pride, which became a separate event from 2019. In all editions of this Utrecht variant of the famous Amsterdam Pride, Bodytalk also had a boat that sailed along. Earlier, Bodytalk had also been represented with a boat during the boat parades in the capital. During the Café Theater Festival, which also started in Utrecht in 1987, Bodytalk has been used in recent years as a stage for various types of performances. In collaboration with the local Pathé cinema, a monthly film evening with an LHBT-related theme is organized. After the film, visitors can go to Bodytalk for a drink. In the early 1990s, visitors to Bodytalk could also attend a video show promoting safe sex in collaboration with the COC; 'In the Heat of the Moment'. Some other more recent monthly recurring events include the pub quiz and karaoke evenings. Since 1994, a drag queen has been elected annually as 'Miss Bodytalk' at Bodytalk. The first prize includes a ticket to the national Miss Travestie Holland election. In the 1990s to the beginning of this century, there was a drag queen every Saturday at Bodytalk.

• 2019

  Utrecht Canal Pride becomes a standalone event; Bodytalk continues to enter a boat.

• 2017

  Bodytalk serves as the Euro Pride House for the UEFA Women's Euro; Midzomergracht expands with Utrecht Canal Pride.

• 2016

  Bodytalk participates in the first Walk of Love in Utrecht.

• 2008

  Around this year, Bodytalk shifts from a men-only focus to a more open and inclusive character after financial difficulties.

• 2006

  De Roze Wolk and De Wolkenkrabber, nearby gay venues, close.

• 1997

  Midzomergracht festival is first held; Bodytalk is among the founding organizers.

• 1994

  Annual Miss Bodytalk drag queen competition begins.

• 1987

  Bodytalk opens on 27 February as a men-only bar at Oudegracht 64, Utrecht.

Utrecht's oldest continuously operating LGBT bar, known for its inclusive atmosphere and historic canal-side location.

• Bar service

  Drinks and socializing at street level and in the U-Bar wharf cellar.

• Dance floor

  Evening dancing at street level and in the cellar.

• Terrace

  Summer terrace along the Oudegracht canal.

• Event hosting

  Parties, film nights, pub quizzes, karaoke, and drag competitions.

1. 1Bodytalk - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Bodytalk - Dutch Wikipedianl.wikipedia.org