LGBTQ+ venues are under economic strain due to the threats of gentrification and the cost of living crisis. Data from the Greater London Authority indicates that over half of London’s queer venues closed between 2006 and 2022.
According to a statement released by Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, the 1.2% increase in the energy price cap announced by Ofgem adds to: “the already severe pressures facing the night-time economy, forcing operators to make painful decisions, such as reducing operating hours or cutting staff, directly impacting workers who are already struggling with the rising cost of living”.
Following the closure of LGBTQ+ club G-A-Y Late in December ’23, the NTIA acknowledged the significance in “preserving safe spaces that contribute to the rich tapestry of the LGBTQ community in London and beyond”.
Photo: Daisy Hayward, City News
City News spoke to Tim and Gavin, two regulars at Comptons pub in London’s West End, often regarded as the heart of London’s LGBTQ+ scene since 1986. Situated in Soho, Comptons is located opposite London’s oldest gay pub, the Admiral Duncan. The men reflected on the gay culture of the 1980s and 1990s, referencing the 1999 bombing of the Admiral Duncan and how London’s LGBTQ+ community fought back.
When asked whether the closure of central London venues was damaging the scene beyond repair, Tim said: “ any kind of underground or subculture will find a way, whereas the gay scene used to be focused in this area of London, now it’s kind of spread out further, so if you go to East London, you’ve got these sex positive, gender neutral nights like that which are really exploring those boundaries”.
Gavin said: “In Berlin, there’s a lot of venues that are protected, which we don’t have here. They are protected in Germany as queer venues, because they add to society”.
The Soho Society, a community association in the district, conducted a survey asking whether the public wished to place greater value on its connections to LGBTQ+ people and venues, but nothing concrete resulted from their findings.
Photo: Daisy Hayward, City News
Does Queer Night life need restructuring?
Olimpia Burchiellaro, the author of ‘The Gentrification of Queer Activism Diversity Politics and the Promise of Inclusion in London’, spoke to City News about the Friends of the Joiners Arms. The campaign was sparked when a property developer failed to fund the recreation of the LGBTQ+ venue after it contributed to its closure.
Their website states:
‘We aim to open London’s first community-run LGBTQI+ space and want to help reverse the pattern of mass closures of queer venues’.
Dijon Clarke, former staff member at Heaven Nightclub, a popular venue for Queer Londoners, told City News: “Yeah it’s a weird one, like I have mixed feelings about the closing down of the club. But I do think clubs all need some kind of restructuring because otherwise they’ll all be gone soon”.
When asked about the closure of Heaven, Olimpia spoke about how: “the most important thing is not to reopen or refund harmful venues, but focus on new more inclusive ones”.
She also went on to say: “could it be time for a new generation of clubs? “I’m more critical of attempts to save LGBT venues by reconciling them with gentrification and redevelopment”.
Photo: Daisy Hayward, City News.
Economic barriers for Queer Londoners…
Olimpia added that in her experience, many Queer Londoners felt the same about commercialised clubs in central London: “these spaces are incredibly gentrified to the extent that they have had to cater to certain sections of the community that perhaps have more disposable income”
The Centre for London said in 2020: ‘London has the highest proportion of people identifying as lesbian, gay or bisexual in the UK…Many LGBT+ people enjoy living in the capital, a large minority of this group are struggling to lead safe and prosperous lives’.
City News spoke to Beth, a student who said: “I can’t afford to go clubbing. I think most people are just going to events now, and I feel like we’re seeing the death of clubbing, which is really sad, it’s so expensive, the cost of living crisis”.
“It evolves, it’s just a changing thing, it’s radical, and reactionary, they’ll find a way in their spaces, in working class areas.”
Tim, regular at Comptons, Soho.
Jon from Club Tantrum, who puts on events hosted at The Divine and Dalston Superstore in East London told City News: “We’ve seen so many venues close due to costs and greedy landlords, and it seems though within that there are more queer parties and club nights than ever, which is amazing. These things seem to ebb and flow and hopefully in the future there will come the opportunity to open up more inclusive and diverse Queer spaces.”
Against a backdrop of uncertainty and economic challenges, the LGBTQ+ community continues to fight back.
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HeadlineFrom Soho to East London: Queer Nightlife Fights to Survive Amid Economic Pressures
Short Headline The end of Queer nightlife, or the evolution of a more inclusive scene?
StandfirstQueers clubs are at threat of gentrification, how do Londoners feel about it?
LGBTQ+ venues are under economic strain due to the threats of gentrification and the cost of living crisis. Data from the Greater London Authority indicates that over half of London’s queer venues closed between 2006 and 2022.
According to a statement released by Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, the 1.2% increase in the energy price cap announced by Ofgem adds to: “the already severe pressures facing the night-time economy, forcing operators to make painful decisions, such as reducing operating hours or cutting staff, directly impacting workers who are already struggling with the rising cost of living”.
Following the closure of LGBTQ+ club G-A-Y Late in December ’23, the NTIA acknowledged the significance in “preserving safe spaces that contribute to the rich tapestry of the LGBTQ community in London and beyond”.
Photo: Daisy Hayward, City News
City News spoke to Tim and Gavin, two regulars at Comptons pub in London’s West End, often regarded as the heart of London’s LGBTQ+ scene since 1986. Situated in Soho, Comptons is located opposite London’s oldest gay pub, the Admiral Duncan. The men reflected on the gay culture of the 1980s and 1990s, referencing the 1999 bombing of the Admiral Duncan and how London’s LGBTQ+ community fought back.
When asked whether the closure of central London venues was damaging the scene beyond repair, Tim said: “ any kind of underground or subculture will find a way, whereas the gay scene used to be focused in this area of London, now it’s kind of spread out further, so if you go to East London, you’ve got these sex positive, gender neutral nights like that which are really exploring those boundaries”.
Gavin said: “In Berlin, there’s a lot of venues that are protected, which we don’t have here. They are protected in Germany as queer venues, because they add to society”.
The Soho Society, a community association in the district, conducted a survey asking whether the public wished to place greater value on its connections to LGBTQ+ people and venues, but nothing concrete resulted from their findings.
Photo: Daisy Hayward, City News
Does Queer Night life need restructuring?
Olimpia Burchiellaro, the author of ‘The Gentrification of Queer Activism Diversity Politics and the Promise of Inclusion in London’, spoke to City News about the Friends of the Joiners Arms. The campaign was sparked when a property developer failed to fund the recreation of the LGBTQ+ venue after it contributed to its closure.
Their website states:
‘We aim to open London’s first community-run LGBTQI+ space and want to help reverse the pattern of mass closures of queer venues’.
Dijon Clarke, former staff member at Heaven Nightclub, a popular venue for Queer Londoners, told City News: “Yeah it’s a weird one, like I have mixed feelings about the closing down of the club. But I do think clubs all need some kind of restructuring because otherwise they’ll all be gone soon”.
When asked about the closure of Heaven, Olimpia spoke about how: “the most important thing is not to reopen or refund harmful venues, but focus on new more inclusive ones”.
She also went on to say: “could it be time for a new generation of clubs? “I’m more critical of attempts to save LGBT venues by reconciling them with gentrification and redevelopment”.
Photo: Daisy Hayward, City News.
Economic barriers for Queer Londoners…
Olimpia added that in her experience, many Queer Londoners felt the same about commercialised clubs in central London: “these spaces are incredibly gentrified to the extent that they have had to cater to certain sections of the community that perhaps have more disposable income”
The Centre for London said in 2020: ‘London has the highest proportion of people identifying as lesbian, gay or bisexual in the UK…Many LGBT+ people enjoy living in the capital, a large minority of this group are struggling to lead safe and prosperous lives’.
City News spoke to Beth, a student who said: “I can’t afford to go clubbing. I think most people are just going to events now, and I feel like we’re seeing the death of clubbing, which is really sad, it’s so expensive, the cost of living crisis”.
“It evolves, it’s just a changing thing, it’s radical, and reactionary, they’ll find a way in their spaces, in working class areas.”
Tim, regular at Comptons, Soho.
Jon from Club Tantrum, who puts on events hosted at The Divine and Dalston Superstore in East London told City News: “We’ve seen so many venues close due to costs and greedy landlords, and it seems though within that there are more queer parties and club nights than ever, which is amazing. These things seem to ebb and flow and hopefully in the future there will come the opportunity to open up more inclusive and diverse Queer spaces.”
Against a backdrop of uncertainty and economic challenges, the LGBTQ+ community continues to fight back.
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