The Brixton Fairi and the South London Gay Communy Centre, Brixton 1974-6

Contents:

• THE BRIXTON FAIRI AND THE SOUTH LONDON GAY COMMUNY CENTRE, BRIXTON 1974-6
• SOUTH LONDON GAY COMMUNY CENTRE
• THE HISTORY OF THE SOUTH LONDON GAY COMMUNY CENTRE
• ONLE EVENT: A TALK ON THE SOUTH LONDON GAY COMMUNY CENTRE 1970S BRIXTON, WEDS 2ND JUNE 2021

THE BRIXTON FAIRI AND THE SOUTH LONDON GAY COMMUNY CENTRE, BRIXTON 1974-6

This fascatg story about Brixton’s legendary gay muny of the 1970s was posted up on the urban75 bullet boards, and thanks to the thor Ian Townson, I’m now able to repost an illtrated versn, givg a wonrful sight to a long lost part of Brixton life. South London Gay Liberatn by Ian Townson.

The South London Gay Communy Centre at 78 Railton Road, Brixton, was squatted by people who were termed to e out to the clear light of day wh a public statement of gay inty. It was the first of s kd and for two hectic years of ‘fs and starts’ the Centre tablished an unniable and irreversible prence of gay people the area.

Durg the short perd of s existence the Centre acted as a fol pot brgg together gay people om many different backgrounds through social activi and polil actn. This beme the nucls for further polil activy after the closure of the Centre but equally grew, over time, as an experiment new munal livg arrangements for gay people wh varyg levels of succs. Gay people arrived at the squats for many different reasons.

SOUTH LONDON GAY COMMUNY CENTRE

Others were glad to fd the pany of unashamedly out gay people rather than rema nfed and isolated. The ‘cultural sert’ South London offered ltle social space which to gather strength as ‘out’ gay people. The ‘straight’ gay scene was hospable, exploative and a mercial rip off ( is now gay-owned, exploative and a mercial rip off).

There were two women’s centr on Railton Road, an Anarchist News Service, Squatters Groups, a Claimants’ Unn for those on welfare benefs, the Brixton Advice Centre, Icebreakers (a gay liberatn unsellg group), the Race Today Collective and a food operative nearby Shakpeare Road and Atlantic Road. Alastair Kerr takg a ll at the South London Gay Communy Centre, 78 Railton Road, Brixton (mid 1970s). The Gay Centre, as a self-termed group, also took s place among the other muny based groups to challenge prejudice, discrimatn, heterosexist attus and the placency of officialdom.

The 1976 Gay Pri event was also anised by Brixton Gays.

THE HISTORY OF THE SOUTH LONDON GAY COMMUNY CENTRE

It is possible to nvey some of the atmosphere of ‘munal’ livg photographs of the gay squats that sprang up around the Centre.

The gay squats eventually beme part of the the Brixton Hog Co-op the early 80s and were reveloped to sgle person uns. However the gay hoeholds are all still there wh more or ls permanent habants. We even took tabl and chairs out onto the street ont of the gay squats for a celebratn party – some people drag – gettg a mixed receptn om people on the steet.

South London Gay Liberatn Theatre Group. The South London Gay Liberatn Theatre Group, which later beme the Brixton Faeri, produced several plays, sketch and street theatre performanc. Begng wh a Gay Dragon parad a lol street ftival the group went on to perform sketch for lol muny groups.

ONLE EVENT: A TALK ON THE SOUTH LONDON GAY COMMUNY CENTRE 1970S BRIXTON, WEDS 2ND JUNE 2021

The play attacked patriarchal valu by showg the vastatg effects on the wife and gay son of ‘le by the father’ and the lln of the male-domated thori acqutg the father of murrg them (1975). Next me ‘Out of ’ (1975/76) showg the relatnship between patriarchal valu, fascism and the extrem of christian moraly and how they ntributed to gay opprsn.