In 1979 a new gay bar opened in Dallas with the idea of being a business that would help the LGBTQ community. That was the start of the Hidden Door, a leather levi bar that became a place for the clubs to gather and raise money for their charities. One of the customers of the bar, a Ms. Debra Barrick, decided that she wanted to form a club to provide support for all of the charities and clubs. And so, in April of 1989, the TBear Club was started and the Hidden Door became the club’s home bar.
The T-Bear Club enters contests, provides donation baskets, and/or entertainment to help others raise money for their charities. We are more about working together and helping others reach their fundraising goals than raising the money ourselves. We have helped: Resource Center of Dallas, The Food Pantry, Legacy House, Youth First, The Sharon St. Cyr Fund, DARE Center, Lifewalk, Aids Services of Dallas, GDMAF, AIN, Safe-to-Be, Hope Charities, and individuals that are in need and others.
Our club meets monthly on the first Wednesday of each month for discussion of upcoming events and contests. 100% of the funds raised go toward charities and to support the LGBTQ community. We rely on donations and personal funds for any support to the events and contests that we participate in. We host one major event a year: The Hidden Door Easter Basket Auction. We make our own Easter basket full of useful and fun items. We also accept donation baskets from others to sell at this auction. The designated charity of the auction is onsite to collect the money directly from the auction. The rest of the year we support all of the other Dallas Fort Worth LGBTQ Clubs and their charity fundraising events.
In September of 2017, The T-Bear Club was proud to announce the start of the LGBTQ community calendar, “Make A Difference” or MAD Calendar. The calendar lists all LGTBQ events for all of the clubs and charity organizations that raise money in the Dallas area. This listing is provided as support at no charge to the community by the T-Bear Club. The link will allow import of the MAD calendar to one’s Google calendar and will synchronize as needed. Local LGBTQ Charity events not listed will be welcomed for addition. Any charity desiring to be listed in the calendar, please contact [email protected]. Additionally any questions may be sent to the email, as well. The Calendar address can be found at https://tinyurl.com/y7kmglo9
And in April of 2019, The T-Bear club celebrated 30 years and are now the new liaison between Hidden Door & area clubs and organizations . T-Bears are the designated connection for any event listings at the Hidden Door. The T-Bear club will coordinate with the bar management and have the event listed on the Hidden Door Calendar and also list it in the Make A Difference community calendar. These listings are provided as support at no charge to the community by the T-Bear Club. Anyone with questions or wishing to list an event at the Hidden Door may talk to any T-Bear club member or connect with us via email or Facebook. We also provide set-up and breakdown information and help for the stage, curtains, and sound system used in events at the Hidden Door. Contact us after event scheduling for more information. The T-Bear club will also be submitting any photos taken at the Hidden Door during events to the Hidden Door webmaster for posting on their website.
