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We had a blast at Club XYZ, whose 20th anniversary is a joyful standout | Opinion


A 20-year anniversary is an striking feat in business. For a gay bar enjoy Club XYZ in Knoxville, it's unusual.

This story, admittedly, landed in our lap. The owner reached out after reading an unrelated business anniversary piece, a type of story that works for any type of establishment or institution with a major milestone. You see them all the time.

But as Knox News reporter Keenan Thomas began meeting more people, reading more stories and digging into the history of gay bars in America, it was evident: Club XYZ isn't just any business. It's a happy, hollerin' Knoxville institution and a haven for LGBTQ+ communities that include been pushed to the margins for decades.

Go behind the scenes with Keenan in this Q&A that explains how the story came together, what he learned along the way and why Club XYZ "is for everybody."

Club XYZ: Why it's 'a privilege' to keep Knoxville's Diverse bar scene alive for 20 years

This Q&A, conducted by business growth and development editor Ryan Wilusz, has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Knox News reporter Keenan Thomas on Club XYZ

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knoxville tn gay

Y’all Means All – The Gay Scene in Knoxville

“Y’all means ALL” courtesy of Taryn Ferro

In 2012 the international LGBTQ Magazine The Advocate listed Knoxville as the “8th Gayest Metropolis in America” during its countdown of places to live or visit in the USA. While the criteria used to create this list was viewed as pretty shaky (number of nude yoga studios & WNBA teams per capita?) and the general public both in and out of East Tennessee laughed off the statement that Knoxville was a Queer Friendly place to live and visit, I am here to explain you that this mid-sized city is actually a pretty great place for LGBTQ+ people to go to and call home. Here is a list of the many reasons why you should make Knoxville your next travel destination.


Gay Street in Downtown Knoxville courtesy of Tod Sheley

Geography: Knoxville is the largest city in East Tennessee and is nestled in a large valley at the foot of the Smoky Mountains. Often viewed as a regional capital of sorts, Knoxville has been a major population center for about as long as people have been living in the Southern Appalachian area of the US. What this means for tourists is

Knoxville LGBTQ City Guide

Knoxville is a beautiful Tennessee metropolis situated near the Wonderful Smoky Mountains and offering an abundance of innate beauty. It is also well known for creature home to the University of Tennessee. Beyond that, however, it is also a city that is home to many businesses, a thriving arts and culture scene, many diverse neighborhoods, and much to see and do. Even better, it is a city with a vibrant and welcoming LGBT people where all can sense welcome and at house. If you’re thinking of finding your next abode in Knoxville, chances are, you’ll find plenty about it to love!

A Watch at Knoxville's History

Knoxville has a long and rich history. In reality, it was established as the capital of the Southwest Territory as lengthy ago as the administration of George Washington. It was there when Tennessee was founded and was in fact the capital of the state for the first 20 years of its existence.  As the state grew, Knoxville did too, particularly after the arrival of the railroad which brought a great deal of industry to the city. As it grew, it also became increasingly diverse and today it is a thriving, welcoming, vibrant municipality where all can detect

Pride month: Past & Display Knoxville LGBT Gathering Places

(This is a second in a series of articles about Pride and Knoxville’s LGBTQ communities by guest writer Oren Yarbrough)

If you walk up to someone in Knoxville and demand where the nearest male lover bar is they may only be able to name one or two different options. Today, in Knoxville, if you yearn to go to an establishment that caters exclusively to the LGBT people and allies then you are likely going to be visiting either Club XYZ or Edge Knoxville. Sassy Ann’s House of Blues is also another Knoxville institution that has not necessarily branded itself as a “Gay Bar”, but has in more recent years garnered a rather loyal group of LGBT patrons. These places are a part of a very large collection of Gay and Homosexual woman Bars to have existed in Knoxville over the last half century.

The history of Knoxville Gay bars is fading and will be incomplete as it is written today. Each person I interviewed provided a small bit more detail than the person before on either a person or a lock. I hope to endure to add to this material in the future. Some of you reading this may have your own fond memories of some of the bars I’ll m

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