Historic gay sna Charts Spa announc permanent closure

Contents:

• HISTORIC GAY SNA CHARTS SPA ANNOUNC PERMANENT CLOSURE PROMPTG OUTPOURG OF STICKY MEMORI
• WISNS MIDDLE SCHOOL FEATUR 'THIS BOOK IS GAY' LIBRARY, STIRRG ONLE OUTRAGE
• THE FUTURE OF BRA’S GAY SNAS
• LONDON'S LANDMARK BUILDG DOTTED WH STRIP CLUBS, GAY VENU TO TURN TO MOSQUE
• INSI CHARTS, LONDON'S BIGGT GAY SNA
• LONDON GAY MAP
• GAY SNAS LONDON

HISTORIC GAY SNA CHARTS SPA ANNOUNC PERMANENT CLOSURE PROMPTG OUTPOURG OF STICKY MEMORI

The legendary gay sna Charts Spa has gone to liquidatn, after sufferg fancially durg the ronavis panmic.

Charts Health Clubs opened s first gay sna Shoredch, London, 1996. Until now, the Vxhall branch of Charts Spa was the only survivg lotn, and brand self as Europe’s largt gay sna. “I would like to take this opportuny to say thank you to all our ctomers and to the gay muny as a whole for supportg and makg the pany a succs for many years.

WISNS MIDDLE SCHOOL FEATUR 'THIS BOOK IS GAY' LIBRARY, STIRRG ONLE OUTRAGE

As some of you know, and mostly bee my endls postg about jobs, one of the most inic Gay Snas London I had the pleasure of workg wh sce September 2019 has unfortunately had to liquidate due to fance issu. — Stt (@GayNightStand) January 25, 2021.

One former Charts Spa staff member wrote on Twter: “One of the most inic gay snas London I had the pleasure of workg wh sce September 2019 has unfortunately had to liquidate due to fance issu.

THE FUTURE OF BRA’S GAY SNAS

“Snas such as Charts had provid a safe space for gay men pre-COVID for untls years. “As today’s report mak clear, that perd many endured the most horrific sexual abe and vlence, homophobic bullyg and harassment, all while bravely servg this untry, ” Sunak told MP. Promisg the ernment would implement the “vast majory” of Etherton’s remendatns, Wallace said he would fully update the Commons a formal bate about the issue after the about pensatn, Wallace said he hoped to fd “an elegant solutn that match the need and the requirements of those dividuals”, promisg to set this out after Kelly Holm, who served the army and me out as gay last year, was among mpaigners who weled the apology.

Starmer said one of his nstuents, Ken Wright, a former RAF service member who was “forced to leave the job he loved simply bee he was gay”, was the public gallery to hear the apology. Before ronavis h, Charts Vxhall claimed to be ​“Europe’s largt gay sna” for men wantg steam, queer mararie and a potential subterranean hook-up.

Charts Vxhall was the last survivg outpost of a gay sna cha which at s 2005 peak had six branch dotted across London.

LONDON'S LANDMARK BUILDG DOTTED WH STRIP CLUBS, GAY VENU TO TURN TO MOSQUE

Losg Charts is a major blow for London’s queer male muny, but gay snas across the UK have weathered an credibly ttg 12 months. “Gay snas n of the possibily of sex, but whether people actually have sex when they get here is a pletely different thg, ” says Stephen Gunn of Mantire Spa Plymouth. In 2021, gay snas are faced wh the same toxic cktail of threats as any other LGBTQ venue.

But when we talk about savg our val queer spac, gay snas tend to be exclud om the nversatn.

Nick Batt, owner of Pk Broadway Southampton, says a lol rad statn was terted hearg about his stggle to survive the panmic as a small bs owner until he said he ran a gay sna.

INSI CHARTS, LONDON'S BIGGT GAY SNA

Even wh the LGBTQ muny, gay snas have a lgerg image problem. In 2016, gay magaze Attu published an op-ed tled: ​“Perhaps the time has e for gay snas to close – and that’s fe. Pl Town, manager of The Locker Room South London, says is rctive to pigeonhole all gay snas as ​“expensive knockg shops”.

LONDON GAY MAP

Clearly, gay snas exist so that men have n sex wh men a space that isn’t their home, a hotel or a cisg spot. Sce I started visg gay snas a ago, I’ve seen steam room i, group jack-off ssns the showers and men wag expectantly large leather slgs.

In my experience, gay snas are sexy, sex-posive spac where not everyone ends up havg sex. “Nobody ever talks about the lonely olr gay man, ” says Pk Broadway’s Nick Batt. ​“Maybe their partner’s passed away and they want some pany, but they don’t feel like they belong the [gay] bars bee you’re visible those plac if you’re over 40.

GAY SNAS LONDON

” Batt also says his sna provis a safe space for gay and bi men who aren’t out.

​“I’d say up to 70 per cent of our ctomers don’t live what you’d ll a ​‘gay liftyle’, ” he says. ​“I’ve had ctomers e up to me and say: ​‘My mum died yterday and she never knew I was gay.

Gay snas like London’s Pleasuredrome, which pre-Covid opened 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, n also bee a refuge for vulnerable and homels young men. Dean, a 25-year-old queer man om London, says he ma his first viss to gay snas around seven years ago ​“out of sheer necsy”. Dean adms that gay snas were ​“ no way an idyllic sanctuary” and says he sometim felt sred sleepg such a sexualised environment.

Other young gay and bi men vis snas bee they offer relatively hassle-ee hook-ups.

Tom, a 23-year-old gay man om Edburgh, says that pre-Covid he popped to gay snas once every uple of months bee felt ​“slightly kky and different and excg”.

Whereas the mastream LGBTQ scene ​“favours cis, whe, affluent gay guys, you see a different si to the muny at snas – people you wouldn’t see bars”.

Jack, a 25-year-old gay man om Plymouth, says he would normally vis his lol sna once a week simply to ​“chill out and have fun” while ​“meetg new and different people”. However, the cisn to build the mosque has also sparked a bate, wh crics qutng s lotn, also known for s bars, nightclubs, gay venu and strip jots.

The area is also known for s ncentratn of bars, nightclubs, gay venu and strip jots – all of which are nsired sful Islam. Fabulo gay sna London wh lots of actn suated next to Waterloo statn;) Remember to play safe!!!

After 5am too many LGBT bs aimed at Gay men. Charts is a gay sna that’s somehow stood firm and risted the velopers for nearly 20 years.

Amidst a vastatg year for gay venu London, alarm bells were set off June when was reported that the se might make way for a luxury hotel, but thankfully for s patrons, there’s been very ltle follow-up. ‘It was found 1997, ’ says staff member Lewis, ‘when fdg a fy, welg place to be openly gay or explore your sexualy was perhaps tougher than is now.

For the uniated, a gay sna is, as our listg onle stat: ‘like a leisure centre, but wh sex’ – a place where men cise and hook up.

‘That always ma me giggle – the last thg a gay du to a sna for is a mouthful of fish. ‘Some misnceptns are fuelled by homophobia’. Speakg of hair, you might image that wh that zty, naturel activy gog on, a gay sna would be ked lube and all manner of curly follicl.

There are still a lot of gay or bisexual guys who aren’t out. Sadly, I fear some misnceptns are fuelled by homophobia.

If was a straight swgers’ club, might be seen as cheeky, racy, darg, but bee ’s a gay spot, ’s more likely to be nsired sleazy and gross.

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