Vancouver Historical Society - Vancouver Vice Book Talk

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Please do not RSVP to us. This is not a CTGA of BC Event. Please go to the link ABOVE for further details

The late 1970s and early 1980s were a volatile period in the history of Vancouver, where broad social and cultural changes were afoot. This was perhaps most clearly evident in the West End, the well-known home to the city's tight-knit gay community that would soon be devastated by the AIDS epidemic. However, the West End's tree-lined streets were also populated by sex workers, both female and male, who fought a well-publicized turf war with residents. This, combined with a rising crime rate, invited the closer attention of the Vancouver police, including its vice squad. After a body was found dumped in nearby Stanley Park, it was discovered that the victim's high-profile connections reached far beyond the streets and back alleys of the West End, making for one of the most shocking investigations in Vancouver history, with secrets long held, and never fully told until now. Bestselling author and ranconteur of the city's underbelly, Aaron Chapman will speak on his latest work focussing on the West End in the 1980s. With warm regard and a whiff of nostalgia, Aaron Chapman peers behind the curtain to examine how the city once indulged in its vices, and at what cost.