Nightclubbg 1980s – on a hot, Hi-NRG journey at gay club Bents | The Stsman

Contents:

• THE BEST GLASGOW GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS GLASGOW
• NIGHTCLUBBG 1980S – ON A HOT, HI-NRG JOURNEY AT GAY CLUB BENTS
• THE BEST GLASGOW GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS GLASGOW
• BT GAY BARS IN GLASGOW
• MOSW GAY DANCE CLUBS & PARTI
• MOSW GAY CISE CLUBS

THE BEST GLASGOW GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS GLASGOW

Like other groups the global Frontnners work, has strong lks to the lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr (LGBT) muni. The name of Front Runners was add 1978: was spired by the tle of Patricia Nell Warren’s groundbreakg 1974 gay novel, about the love between an athletics ach and his protégé first ‘other’ Front Runners group was born New York 1980, and ever sce the movement has been expandg overseas.

“It’s well documented that there’s lots of homophobia and transphobia wh sport. I’ve always been nfint my gay inty but actually beg part of such a posive and welg group really strengthens that. Runngntact the clubGlasgow FrontRunners is an award-wng clive muny based road-nng group wh strong lks to Glasgow’s Lbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgenr (LGBT) muny and iends.

NIGHTCLUBBG 1980S – ON A HOT, HI-NRG JOURNEY AT GAY CLUB BENTS

HerageStland’s longt-nng gay club was created 1980, wh the muny fdg a wild and warm wele at Bents Barr was given the job of openg up the club above Topper’s Bar Glassford Street, Glasgow, where he was taken on as a bar man after a trip to the Job the club, lled Bents, remaed empty at the weekend as nightspots cludg the Warehoe Dunlop Street – which had an elevated dance floor – and Pzazz Royal Exchange Square pulled the smart was “bangg his head agast a wall” tryg to attract the punters, but nights out to hotel Bearsn where his gay iend Chris Davis played funk and dis rerds on a Sunday night paved a new route for Bents.

THE BEST GLASGOW GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS GLASGOW

PIC: Col asked Davis if he would e and do a gay night on a Tuday night the Cy Centre. He still didn’t know was a gay club. "I told him was a gay club, ” Barr said.

Pictured here are Vla Wills, sger of massive gay anthem Gonna Get Along Whout Ya Now and 'Gary Gay Stland'. ”Barr worked wh StsGay magaze and Durex to spread the preventn msage. ”Barr went on to bee a key figure Glasgow’s nightlife scene and has owned numero pubs and clubs Glasgow, om Volno to Mass and The Edburgh, the gay scene was poundg at Fire Island, which was set up by Bill Grager 1978 what is now Waterstone’s on Prc Street.

BT GAY BARS IN GLASGOW

Dr Meek plotted a number of maps published on his webse Queer Stland by terviewg gay men as part of his PHD. He pored though archiv, legal rerds and gay magaz datg back to the 1980s, which listed bars, clubs, rtrants and cemas where people uld vis.

Same-sex sexual activy wasn't legalised Stland until 1981 but there were many bars, rtrants and hot-spots across the cy for gay men and women to meet. Gay and bisexual men were forced to refully partmentalise their liv to keep their sexualy unr wraps and avoid beg exposed – as the nsequenc on their workg liv, fai and reputatns would be grave.

Dr Meek's terviewe also told how officers would also e to pubs at closg time on Friday and Saturday night for a drk to timidate patrons and staff, g homophobic language. ” There were gay or gay-iendly bars such as Vtners on Cly Street, At's and The Strand on Hope Street, while the bars at the Cizen's Theatre and the Central Hotel beme safe spac for the muny to socialise the 1950s and 1960s – even if they were not advertised as such. By the 1980s, there were more openly gay and mixed bars on the scene such as Delmoni's, Guys Bar, the Waterloo Bar and Bent's (now AXM) which attracted a typilly younger, more affluent crowd.

MOSW GAY DANCE CLUBS & PARTI

The historian argu ltle has been done to regnise the cy's rich LGBTQ herage: One example was the Glasgow Gay Centre at 534 Schiehall Street, where the Charg X Hostel now stands.

MOSW GAY CISE CLUBS

Unsurprisgly, there was some hostily om nservative uncillors, lols and neighbourg anisatns at the time, cludg a bld veterans group next door to 'The Club', set up by the Homosexual Rights Group for social functns at 4 Queen's Crcent the wt end. “The volunteers reportedly received plats that patrons would be ‘terfered’ by homosexuals.

(Image: Gay Stland (via Queer Stland)). Jt make sure to check out our gui to Glasgow's gay bars, as they really have got the cy's LGBTQ+ nightlife ssed.

If you're lookg for the bt gay bars Glasgow's Merchant Cy, Speakeasy really is a top spot. Katie's Bar offers an utterly mixed bag to the cy's gay nightlife.