London's LGBTQ+ venues aren't just drinking dens; they're also safe spaces where the queer community can come together without worrying about being othered, threatened or fetishised. For this reason, it's absolutely devastating that one of our most iconic clubs, G-A-Y Late in Soho, is being closed partly because its owner can no longer guarantee the safety of staff and punters.
Jeremy Joseph, who also runs Heaven nightclub and G-A-Y Bar, announced on Friday that he has decided with "great sadness" to shut G-A-Y Late indefinitely on December 10. "As a result of sometimes being the only venue open late at night in the surrounding area it has led to customers and staff being attacked on their way to and from the venue," he wrote in a social media post.
Joseph also said that because police are "seriously understaffed", there are "no regular checks on the venue", which is somewhat tucked away on Goslett Yard off Charing Cross Road. "Crime continues to be one of the biggest issues for LGBT venues, but even harder when you are a venue with no other venues around you," he added.
In 17 years I have never heard so many stories of people being verbally abused on a night out
He is right to spotlight the rise in anti-LGBTQ+ crime. In August, two men were stabbed while standing outside The Two Brewers, a popular gay bar on Clapham High Street. A teenager was subsequently arrested in connection with the suspected homophobic attack. Just over a week later, a gay couple were assaulted while waiting for a bus in Brixton after spending the day at UK Black Pride. A 31-year-old man was charged following this unrelated homophobic attack.
Understandably, these terrifying incidents have spooked the LGBTQ+ community at a time when trans people in particular are frequently demonised in the media. I have lived in London for 17 years – and frequented its LGBTQ+ venues for more than 20 – and have never heard so many stories of people being verbally abused on a night out. Many queer people develop a tough shell in the playground, but being hit with a homophobic slur can still really sting.
In his statement, Joseph pledged to create "an updated version of G-A-Y Late" in one of Heaven's back rooms. He also said he will be extending G-A-Y Bar's daily operating hours until 1am to compensate for the loss of G-A-Y Late, which currently opens from 11pm to 3am daily. These are decent consolation prizes that reflect the resilience it takes to run a queer club in London. A 2017 report by UCL Urban Laboratory found that the number of LGBTQ+ venues in the capital had more than halved since 2006.
Since then, the LGBTQ+ scene has weathered the pandemic, but it still faces the constant threat of gentrification, rising rents and the cost-of-living crisis. Now, safety is becoming the most pressing issue of all. The LGBTQ+ community has always thrived when it comes together, but we deserve the right to do so without having to watch our backs on the way home.
