Bra’s Great Gay Buildgs: Everythg you need to know about Channel 4's one-off documentary wh Stephen Fry and Mary Portas | London Eveng Standard | Eveng Standard

britain's great gay buildings

Stephen Fry prents the programme alongsi seven well-known figur om the gay muny

Contents:

THE BT GAY VILLAG IN THE UNED KGDOM FOR FABULO QUEER FUN! ??

An oasis of queerns a foreign cy, here are our favoure UK gay villag to plan your gay travels around wh gay-oriented tablishments and more! * britain's great gay buildings *

It is ltle over half a century sce homosexualy was partially crimalised England and Wal, and ’s a perd fed by both progrs and trma. When Lord Arran -sponsored the bill that end the total crimalisatn of same-sex relatns between men – after his gay brother had killed himself – his preamble was bleak. “Let me remd them that no amount of legislatn will prevent homosexuals om beg the subject of dislike and risn, or at bt of py, ”After the Sexual Offenc Act was passed 1967, nvictns of gay men for gross cency actually creased, and gay people were still characterised as would-be sexual predators and threats to children.

BRA’S GREAT GAY BUILDGS: EVERYTHG YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CHANNEL 4'S ONE-OFF DOCUMENTARY WH STEPHEN FRY AND MARY PORTAS

* britain's great gay buildings *

The 1980s HIV/Aids panmic, ravaged a generatn of gay and bisexual men, attus towards gay people harned and a moral panic culmated the passg of sectn 28, banng the “promotn” of homosexualy schools: the first anti-gay legislatn passed sce 1885. Neverthels, this perd LGBTQ+ people flourished culturally and artistilly, while om the 90s onwards, hostile public attus cmbled precipoly as anti-gay laws were stck om statute as a remr that progrs is far om lear, Bra is the grip of another moral panic, this time directed at transgenr people. And while today’s LGBTQ+ muni are more uned fiance of ernment policy that any time sce sectn 28 (more than 80 anisatns pulled out of a ernment nference over s refal to ban trans nversn “therapy”), Stonewall, the untry’s ma LGBTQ+ civil rights anisatn, fds self unr siege, while homophobic and transphobic hate crim are surgg.

BRA'S GREAT GAY BUILDGS

7 celebri champn 7 buildgs that have played a key role helpg to fe Bra's gay history. Prented by Stephen Fry. * britain's great gay buildings *

Trailblazg Labour MP Mreen Colquhoun wh the Gay Defence Commtee 1977. As a former edor of Gay Tim, he tapped to his extensive nnectns wh LGBTQ+ anisatns and queer activists and artists, and when he spoke to potential funrs, Galliano met nstant astonishment that such a mm did not already exist or even been attempted s own right before. Photograph: Jt Tallis/AFP/Getty ImagBra’s often tortured stggle for LGBTQ+ rights is reflected many of the photographs, such as the flamboyantly drsed yet straight Jewish Labour MP Leo Abse, who succsfully phed for the partial crimalisatn of homosexualy om the backbench.

Mreen Colquhoun – the first openly lbian MP who died last year – fiantly holds a plard emblazoned wh “THE MPS MUST COME OUT”, while ’s difficult not to feel a pang of sadns at a photo of Jt Fashanu flexg his mcl: he was, of urse, Bra’s first and still only out gay male profsnal footballer who killed himself 1998.

BRA'S GREAT GAY BUILDGS

That same police force has been cricised as stutnally homophobic by the fai of the four men murred by Stephen Port over s failure to vtigate the so-lled “Grdr killer”. It should be hoped, too, that the upg summer exhibn featur more imag of stggle: there are allns, such as a Black woman holdg a “LESBIAN AND GAY PRIDE ’83” balloon, but there are so many joyo moments to celebrate that are danger of beg fotten by younger LGBTQ+ generatns, such as the lbian activists who abseiled to the Hoe of Lords or stormed the Six O’Clock News to prott agast sectn 28.

BRA’S GREAT GAY BUILDGS

It will make mistak, but wh such mendable reprentatn among s tste and advisers, and a genue mment to listen to LGBTQ+ muni, there are huge grounds for the half-century sce crimalisatn of male homosexualy was partly repealed, Bra’s LGBTQ+ muni have ma dramatic ntributns to Brish culture and society, often while faced wh tremendo adversy. Gay villag are ually fun and excg cultural hotspots that are well worth the vis when you are travelg.

For LGBT folk, gay villag are a great place to let loose, knowg that you will be accepted and n have fun whout judgment. They are also a great place to go out and socialize and meet other gay travelers. This rapidly lead to the formatn of gay villag, an LGBTQ-iendly oasis an otherwise hostile cyspe which ntaed gay-oriented tablishments, such as gay bars and pubs, nightclubs, bathho, rtrants, boutiqu and bookstor.

GAY CULTURE

Sce the turn of the 21st century, LGBT rights have creasgly strengthened the Uned Kgdom, and the need for gay villag has waned – but some still rema credibly popular wh high ncentratns of gay rints and bs.

Gentrifitn, changg nightlife trends and an creasgly acceptg society mean many have disappeared but there are still several different gay villag the UK to choose om when you are travelg – here are some of our favor we thk you should try out! For a fun night out, head to Kreml, the cy’s most famo gay club wh a cheeky Soviet theme.

The gay area is lled the Pk Triangle and is right the center of town. Broughton Street is an artsy area that’s a favore of lols and is home to a ncentratn of gay bars and other LGBT-iendly bs. This area is sometim lled the Pk Triangle, wh some of the gay bars extendg onto nearby Leh Street.

DISVERG BRA’S GREAT GAY BUILDGS

CC Blooms is the biggt gay hotspot here, wh a classy rtrant and club environment. Most of Glasgow’s gay bars and attractns are loted right at the center of everythg Merchant Cy. Old Market is a vibrant gay village that hosts a wi variety of alternative events throughout the year, and is also home to a variety of art galleri and pop-up shops.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* BRITAIN'S GREAT GAY BUILDINGS

Bra's Great Gay Buildgs (2017) | BFI .

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