Chameleon Lounge Bar in Broadbeach has permanently shut its doors

One of the Gold Coast’s only LGBTQIA+ safe spaces has closed down. See the details.

One of the Gold Coast’s only LGBTQIA+ safe spaces has closed down.

The Broadbeach venue, Chameleon Lounge Bar which opened in 2021, permanently closed on the weekend – throwing one last sold-out hurrah.

Chameleon Lounge Bar, Broadbeach. Picture: Facebook

The closing party took place on Saturday, June 24, with dozens of punters mourning the venue’s closure.

“I’m sad it’s closing, Broadbeach needs a venue like this,” one punter said.

“The location was perfect and one-of-a-kind.”

Resident co-host Roxy Harte said Chameleon offered a unique space to the city.

“The Gold Coast is a funny thing, there’s not much in terms of LGBTQIA+ scene – but in the time I was at Chameleon it was one of the best and friendliest home feeling spaces I’ve ever worked in,” they said.

Carmen Taykett and Roxy Harte at Chameleon Lounge Bar, Broadbeach. Picture: Instagram

“Dan Duncan, the owner, always marketed it as a safe space, they had the big sign at the front that said: ‘hetero-friendly’ which I thought was quite humorous.

“Something will come along again, but it is sad.”

Roxy said the loss of Chameleon left a void for a whole community.

“It’s quite empty space now – where can we all go and be safe, be around drag and all of that – there’s other spaces, but Chameleon wasn’t a club environment, it’s was a different kind of environment.

Chameleon Lounge Bar, Broadbeach. Picture: Facebook

“There’s places like Miami Marketta (who do Drag Queen Bingo once a fortnight) – but in terms of the crowd Chameleon attracted – those in their 30s and 40s – that group may be a bit lost for a while.

“There’s lots of community groups, but I think Chameleon was special.”