Background and early years In the early 1980s, Helsinki did not have any gay restaurants or nightlife venues. Consequently,
Seta, the largest
LGBT rights organization in Finland, invested in a company called Ravintola Oy Afrodite. With Seta's funding, the firm opened Gay Gambrin, Helsinki's first
LGBTQ restaurant, in 1984. Because this venture was successful, Ravintola Oy Afrodite then took over an existing nightclub, Don't Tell Mama, in 1992. or early 2003, DTM moved to Iso Roobertinkatu in
Punavuori. There, it occupied a bilevel space that included bars on both floors, a cafe, and a 54-seat terrace for outdoor dining. During this period, DTM was noted for targeting a wider customer base than
Hercules, another popular local gay club.
Mannerheimintie and conflict with St. George After Ravintola Oy Afrodite went bankrupt in early 2012, In June 2018, a woman was raped in one of the club's toilet stalls. This prompted DTM's management to make structural changes to its bathrooms and to increase signage encouraging patrons to report suspicious activity. According to manager Tomi Häkkinen, the frequency of harassment and other inappropriate behavior in the venue subsequently decreased. Around the same time, in May 2018, a luxury hotel called St. George opened next door. Four months later, St. George's management lodged a complaint against DTM, stating that loud music from one of its dance floors, the Puma Bar, was audible in three hotel rooms. The City of Helsinki's environmental board investigated the matter in August 2019, concluding that the noise was loud enough to prevent hotel guests from sleeping. After consulting with
acoustics experts, the club's management learned that the only way to soundproof the Puma Bar enough to shield hotel patrons from the noise would be to reconstruct the area as a room within a room, which would have been prohibitively expensive. The new venue took up residence at Työpajankatu 2a, an industrial hall containing two dance floors and multiple bars. In early 2025, DTM's general manager left the position for school and was replaced by Carmen Mölder of FlyAF, a short-lived bar that had opened in Punavuori in 2022. Ranneliike.net reported on 16 April 2025 that, according to some event producers, DTM's daily operations were now under the control of FlyAF's ownership. Though no formal announcement had been made, both FlyAF's and DTM's Facebook pages had featured one another's logos since early April. Around the same time, some producers expressed concerns about the continued assurance of safe space principles at DTM and began looking to rehome their events. On 26 April,
Helsingin Sanomat published a story stating that nearly the entire staff of DTM and several resident DJs had resigned (or were about to resign) due to a value conflict between them and the new management duo consisting of Mölder and hospitality manager Ramy Sekaly. Several employees notified DTM's management via email that they would quit if Sekaly remained in his post, citing a value conflict with his appointment. Management replied to the staff that their position was noted and that the club would move forward with its changes. ==Reception==